How to Access & Use Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

With the amount of spyware and viruses on the Internet, your computer can be prone to a host of security issues. That is why it is extremely important to update your Vista OS as often as possible. Because Microsoft is constantly changing and improving Vista, it is your duty as the owner of your computer to stay up to date on crucial updates. Updates improve your security and a variety of other options as well. Set your computer to automatically download them or manually download them yourself. This is important for anyone who wants to know how to update their computer.

Step 1 Go to "Start Menu > Control Panel > Windows Update." Type "Windows Update" into the search menu to also access this feature.

Step 2 Click "View Available Updates" to see which updates are available. It will let you know how many are optional and how many are considered important. Choose which updates you want installed. The important updates will already be selected to be installed.

Step 3 Click "Install Updates" to install the available updates. Going to "View Available Updates" and clicking on "Install Updates" will do the same task.

Step 4 Click "Stop" to stop the current installation. This could take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes depending on how many updates need to be installed. Highlight the Windows update icon on the bottom of the Windows toolbar to check the progress of the update.

Step 5 Click "Restart Now" for the updates to take effect. Make sure you save all documents before doing so.

Step 6 Click "Change Settings" on the left-hand menu of the update center. Choose when to schedule updates and how to be notified when they become available.