Turn-Off-Automatic-Updates-in-Windows-10-Step-19-Version-4.jpg/aid6889681-v4-728px-Turn-Off-Automatic-Updates-in-Windows-10-Step-19-Version-4.jpg' alt='Automatic Updates Do Not Download Windows' title='Automatic Updates Do Not Download Windows' />How to manually download updates in Windows 8. Settings app, and how to configure automatic updates for added security. How to Download Updates in Windows 8. Downloading updates for Windows is a crucial step to maintaining your computer. Updates regularly contain patches for security vulnerabilities that could allow infections in your machine, bug fixes that resolve errors, and features that could make your operating system more useful. Though you should have automatic updates configured, that isnt always the case. To keep your computer safe youll need to know how to manually trigger updates and change your update settings. New and Improved PC Settings. The procedure for downloading updates in Windows 8. Windows 8. However, since 8. PC Settings app, youll find the process is no longer broken between the modern app and the legacy Control Panel. Everything you need is in one place. Open the Charms bar and click Settings to get started. Next, click Change PC Settings to launch the modern settings app. Choose Update and Recovery from the left pane of the window to get to the section you need. Click Windows Update from the left pane and youre ready to go. The Windows Update page gives you all the information you need to learn the state of your update settings including whether you are set up to download your updates automatically and whether or not there are updates currently ready for installation. Manually Trigger Updates. Windows-7-Guides/build-7000/windows-7-automatic-updates/4.jpg' alt='Automatic Updates Do Not Download Windows' title='Automatic Updates Do Not Download Windows' />Download and install XP Drivers How Do I Install Driver updates To fix your Drivers problems you will need to know the particular model of the device you are having. To manually trigger an update, go ahead and click Check now. Youll have to wait while Windows checks for any available updates. It should only take a few seconds, but that will vary based on your Internet connection speed. Once done, youll see a message letting you know if there are any updates available. Product Key For Windows Xp Service Pack 2 Professional on this page. If there are critical updates available, youll be alerted. If not, youll see a message stating that there arent any updates to download but you can install other updates. Either way, click View details to see whats available. From this screen, you can see all of the updates that are available for your computer. You can select each update individually, or click Select all important updates to save time and install them all at once. Optional updates are also included in this view, so select any you want. Finally, click Install to finish the process. Windows will download and install the updates you selected. Once thats done youll have to restart your computer to complete the configuration procedure. Click Restart now when prompted or close the PC Settings app and restart when its convenient. Change Automatic Update Settings. Its easy enough to manually trigger updates, but this method is not the best strategy for most users. The average person will simply forget to regularly check for updates, and their system will go unprotected missing out on critical security patches. To prevent this issue and to ensure that your computer always has the latest updates installed you should enable automatic updates. As I mentioned above, all the update functions of Windows are baked into the new and improved PC settings. Theres no need to bounce between PC settings and the Control Panel. To change how updates are installed on your computer, return to Settings Change PC Settings Update and Recovery Windows Update. The Windows Update page will show your current update settings. If you want to change them, youll find a link below the Check now button that says Choose how updates get installed. Select that and then click the drop down list to choose how Windows installs important updates. Your options are Install updates automatically. Download updates but let me choose whether to install them. Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them. I highly recommend that you set Windows to download and install updates automatically to provide the best protection for your computer. Next, you can select two additional options below the drop down list. Give me the recommended updates the same way I receive important updates. Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows. To provide the best protection, select both. When youve made your choices, click Apply to finalize them. Provided youve selected automatic updates, you wont have to worry about updates again. Windows will simply install them in the background and ask you to restart your computer when necessary. Though there may be times you want to hurry that process up with a manual check such as when a critical update patch is released. If you have friends or family using Windows 8. Facebook, Google or Twitter to ensure they know how to keep their operating system up to date. Updated by Ian Paul.