Keeping Windows Secure

It's important to keep your computer up to date and protected against viruses and other malicious attacks. Here are some ways you can do that under Microsoft Windows XP:

Automatic Windows Update

If your copy of Windows XP is up to date and has Service Pack 2 installed, this feature should already be activated. Follow these steps to make sure it is:

1	Open "My Computer".

From "System Tasks" on the left pane, click "View system information".

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A window labeled "System Properties" should appear. Click on the tab labeled "Automatic Updates."

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4	Make sure that the button labeled "Automatically download updates" is checked. Windows will download new critical and security updates as they become available.

5	If Automatic Updates were not previously enabled, it's probably a good idea to run Windows Update to download critical updates manually.

Windows Firewall

If you have properly updated Windows XP to Service Pack 2, Windows Firewall should be installed and enabled by default. Verify that it is with the following steps:

1	Open the control panel by clicking on Start Menu->Control Panel.

2	Switch to Classic View by clicking the "Switch to Classic View" button in the top-left corner. (If the button says "Switch to Category View", you are already in Classic View).

Look for the icon labeled "Windows Firewall". If it isn't there, use the steps below to manually Update Windows before proceeding. Otherwise, double-click the icon to open it.

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Verify that Windows Firewall is turned on by making sure the option labeled "On (Recommended)" is selected.

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Manual Windows Update

If Automatic Updates are not enabled, you can use Microsoft's Windows Update web service to scan your system and download necessary updates and patches. To use Windows Update:

1	Stop any important programs you may be running and save your work. Chances are, you will need to restart your computer at least once before Windows is done updating itself.

2	Start up Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Click on the "Tools" menu and select "Windows Update".

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The Windows Update website should come up. Click on the "Express" button. This will make sure you get all critical and security updates. (If you want to select other optional updates for download as well, use the "Custom" button.)

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5	You should now see a list of updates that Windows Update has decided should be installed. Make sure that they are checked, and click "Install."

6	Windows will now download and install the updates. When it's done, it may prompt you to reboot the computer. If you haven't yet followed step #1 and saved your work, do it before rebooting your machine.

7	After your computer reboots, login and run Windows Update again (from step 2). The reason for this is that some updates depend on others, and there may be "new" updates that you can now download. If one of the updates you install is Windows XP Service Pack 2, this will definitely be the case.

8	Remember to run Windows Update regularly or turn on "Automatic Updates" (see above).