It may sound obvious to some people, but one of the things I see the most is a Windows system that does not have the most current Windows update. Every second Tuesday of the month Windows issues a Windows Update to improve the system or to patch security holes. If there is a critical security problem then Microsoft will do an out of cycle patch and issue a fix as soon as they have a solution. It is VERY important to allow your computer to install all these patches – don’t ignore them. How do you know if there is an update? On the bottom right of the screen (near the clock) you will see an image indicating that an update is available. The two images above show the Windows 7/Vista update icon and the Windows XP update icon. To install the patch just double click the icon. You can also force an update by clicking Start and, for Win 7 and Vista, start typing in Update. For XP go to Start > Programs > Windows Update.

If a computer is not updated with the update then you are very vulnerable to being a victim of a hacker, virus or malware How? When an update is issued to fix a security hole hackers then know that there was a hole and they go out looking for computers that haven’t patched that security hole.

Stay safe, stay updated.