Software updates patch security holes, fix bugs, and add features. Staying current is one of the most effective things you can do to keep your PC safe and running well.

Keep Windows updated automatically

  1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
  2. Go to Windows Update.
  3. Make sure updates are set to download and install automatically. If you see a button labelled 'Resume updates', click it — updates have been paused.
  4. Under Advanced options, consider enabling 'Receive updates for other Microsoft products' to keep Office and other Microsoft software updated at the same time.

Keep your browser updated

Modern browsers — Chrome, Edge, Firefox — update silently in the background. You can confirm and trigger an update manually by going to the browser menu and choosing Help, then About. The browser will check for and apply any available update.

Keep other apps updated

Many desktop apps have a built-in update checker under their Help or About menu. Apps installed from the Microsoft Store update automatically — you can trigger them manually in the Store by going to Library, Get updates.

Use Windows Package Manager (winget) for many apps at once

For apps without auto-update, a free tool called winget (Windows Package Manager, built into Windows 11) can update many apps from the command line. Open Terminal or PowerShell and run:

winget upgrade --all

This checks all supported installed apps for updates and installs them in one go.

Set a reminder if you prefer manual control

If you prefer not to use automatic updates, set a recurring monthly reminder to check for updates manually. Once a month is enough for most non-critical software, but security tools and browsers should be checked more often.

If a Windows Update is failing or causing problems, ask us — do not turn off automatic updates as a workaround without exploring the root cause first.