Description of the Automatic Updates feature in Windows (294871)

SUMMARY

This article describes the Automatic Updates feature in Microsoft Windows 2003, Microsoft Windows 2000, and Microsoft Windows XP. For more information about Automatic Updates in Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

268331 Description of Automatic Updates in Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

Note Automatic Updates is not available for Microsoft Windows 98-based computers or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0-based computers. However, a Critical Update Notification utility is available from the Windows Update Web site or from the Microsoft Update Web site to notify you when critical updates are available for download on these operating systems. For more information about the Critical Update Notification utility, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

224420 Description of the Windows Critical Update Notification Utility

The Critical Update Notification utility was previously available for Windows 2000, but it has been replaced by the new Automatic Updates feature.

MORE INFORMATION

The Automatic Updates feature is included with Windows XP, but a new Automatic Updates feature is available for both Windows XP and Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later. You can use this feature to specify the schedule that Windows follows to install updates on the computer. For more information about how to install the new Automatic Updates feature and configure automatic updating by using the Windows XP or Windows 2000 user interface, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

306525 How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP

327850 How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows 2000

For more information about how to configure Automatic Updates by using Group Policy or registry settings, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

328010 How to configure automatic updates by using Group Policy or registry settings

For more information about how to schedule Automatic Updates, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

327838 How to schedule automatic updates in Windows Server 2003, in Windows XP, and in Windows 2000

With the Automatic Updates feature, Windows can automatically keep the computer up to date with the latest updates and enhancements. You no longer have to search for critical updates and information; Windows delivers them directly to the computer. Windows recognizes when you are online and uses your Internet connection to search for downloads from the Windows Update Web site or from the Microsoft Update Web site. An icon appears in the notification area every time new updates are available.

You can specify how and when you want Windows to update the computer. For example, you can set up Windows to automatically download and install updates on a schedule that you specify. Or, you can have Windows notify you whenever it finds updates available for the computer. Windows will then download the updates in the background. This lets you continue to work uninterrupted. After the download is complete, an icon appears in the notification area with a message that the updates are ready to be installed. When you click the icon or message, you can install the new updates in several simple steps. If you do not install a specific update that has been downloaded, Windows deletes its files from the computer. If you change your mind later, you can download the update again by restoring declined updates.

Notes

To modify Automatic Updates settings, you must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group. If the computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.
Windows may prompt you to restart the computer after certain components are installed. Restart the computer when you are prompted; otherwise, the computer may not work correctly.
You can always install specific updates from the Windows Update Web site or from the Microsoft Update Web site. The Windows Update Catalog and the Microsoft Update Catalog are available for advanced users and administrators who want to download updates to install later or install on one or more computers that run Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 across a home or corporate network. For more information about how to download updates from the Windows Update Catalog or from the Microsoft Update Catalog, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
323166 How to download updates and drivers from the Windows Update Catalog or from the Microsoft Update Catalog
IT Professionals can use the Automatic Updates feature and either Windows Update or Microsoft Update to configure a server on their corporate network to provide updates to corporate servers and clients. This functionality can be useful in environments where some clients and servers do not have access to the Internet, or where the environment is highly managed and the corporate administrator must test the updates before deploying them. To download the Software Update Services tool, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=A7AA96E4-6E41-4F54-972C-AE66A4E4BF6C&displaylang=en&Hash=W7YJ6M8
For information about how to troubleshoot Windows Update issues or Microsoft Update issues, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/troubleshoot.aspx