How to update your PC software and always be up to date

Today we bring you a very complete guide on how to update your PC software step by step and always be up to date. And is that keeping the software of our computer updated is necessary for its operation to be optimal.

Sometimes it can be tempting to stop performing timely maintenance on our equipment, it is easy to justify yourself by stating that errors are not very common or that there is little chance of being attacked by a computer. However, all analysts agree that updating our PC software to the latest version is a necessity.

The main reasons why software updates and patches should not be forgotten are:

• They fix security breaches and shield the program against publicly known exploits . They improve the operation and performance of the software , and implement new utilities. They minimize the interruption time for bugs and glitches , as well as the losses associated with the crashes derived from them. They provide economy and efficiency in the business and corporate workspace. Small time wasters are associated with significant cost overruns when the target software is used by large templates.

Therefore, whoever wants to take advantage of everything their PC has to offer will need to have a thorough control over the software updates that the computer requires. Let's see how to do it without perishing in the attempt.

Index of contents

Updates and patches for operating systems

Updates to operating systems can be critical. In case they are, small delays in their installation leave us exposed to computer attacks or potential loss of important information.

To avoid this happening as much as possible, you have to get used to activating automatic updates or establish a strict schedule for our manual updates. Of course, the first assumption is superior in user comfort and PC security.

In the following sections we will see how to do it in the case of the two most used operating systems on the market and their main versions in use.

How to update software in Windows

Windows is the most used operating system in the world, it provides its services to 86.20% percent of the existing computers on the face of the Earth. However, Windows is not a single program, it is a collection of OS.

Currently, three percent of users still use Windows XP. Windows Vista has one percentage point less, while Windows 8 is up to 12 percent. Windows 10 continues with forty percent of the Windows user base, with Windows 7 being the most used OS, with 43% of the total.

Of these, only Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 are currently supported. In addition, the extended support of Windows 7 is close to ending, the termination date currently contemplated is January 14, 2020. Around this day Windows 7 users can expect some critical update that shields their system against future known threats. internally in the company.

Thus, the method for setting automatic updates is different for each of these OS. Let's see case by case.

How to update Windows 7 software step by step

Windows 7 has default settings to force OS update when a patch is available. If this feature has been disabled for any reason, the following steps explain how to have Windows 7 automatically reorder:

1. Go to command prompt and display the menu "All programs" Click on "Windows Update" If this application is not turned on, the new window will show a warning shield and a button highlighted with a yellow and blue checkered shield Click on the text «Change my settings» In the «Important updates» section select «Install updates automatically (recommended)» Confirm the changes to finish

How to update Windows 8 software step by step

In the case of Windows 8, if the initial configuration of the system updates has been modified and it is necessary to revert it, proceed as follows:

1. We take the cursor to the end of the right or left margin of the desktop. In the translucent menu that is displayed, click on "Configuration". In the new drop-down menu, click on the bottom button "Change PC configuration". In the scrolling menu on the left, select the last option. «Windows Update» If the PC is waiting to be updated, a warning will be displayed on the screen. Click on «See details» and then on «Choose important updates to install or install optional updates» From this point we follow steps 4, 5 and 6 exposed for Windows 7

How to update Windows 10 software step by step

Windows 10 has been a before and after when it comes to Microsoft OS. This operating system also has automated updates, but in both the Home and Enterprise versions it is very difficult to manually stop or carry out the updates since there are no menus of their own to establish it in this way, as was usual up to now.

If, despite the difficulties, Windows Update has stopped and it is imperative to resume it, here is how to do it:

1. Press the Windows and R keys simultaneously on the keyboard Enter "services.msc" in the search spaceFind in the alphabetical list "Windows Update" and double-click on it to open "Properties" A new dialog box will open where we can select " Automatic »in the« Startup type »section Click on« Accept »to complete the process

In any case, it is good practice to check that the designations of the available updates correspond to the official ones and to consult in specialized forums the performance of the patches to know if there is any malfunction that went unnoticed by the strict quality controls of the developer company. We leave you a very complete guide on how to update Windows 10.

It is also worth mentioning that some suites of Microsoft programs installed as standard in the operating system can be updated automatically in the same way (for example: Microsoft Office).

How to update software on macOS

The second most used collection of OS in the world is macOs, which ranges between 6.5 and 11 percent of the user base depending on the moment. There are two main methods to update the operating system. We will be forced to use one or the other depending on the version of the OS being used.

macOS High Sierra, Sierra and El Capitan

Updates usually appear as a notification on our desktop. If for some reason this has failed, we can force the update manually. For this, the following steps must be followed:

1. Access the AppStoreIn the top bar click on "Updates" Click on "Update" to download and install updatesClose the AppStore to finish the process

macOS Mojave and later

Mojave and above also often force a notification for the user to update their software . If it has disappeared for strange reasons, this is how we can keep our PC up to date:

1. Access the Apple menu Go to "System Preferences" and click on the button Select " Software update" to check the status of the operating system and apps If any pending update is displayed click on "Update" to start the processWhen there are no pending updates in dialog box, OS will be updated

Finally, it should be noted that when updating in this way, not only macOS is updated, but the same is done with the following desktop applications: Safari, iTunes, iBooks, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Photos and FaceTime. Apps that are not in this list must be manually updated in the AppStore.

How to update application software

Unlike operating systems, application software does not usually receive updates as often. The exception to the rule are antivirus, which need to be up to date to properly protect the computer.

There is no common method to update this type of software , since each program is developed by a different team that implements its functions in the way it considers most convenient. What does exist are three fundamental alternatives that most programs follow. Let's see them:

• Update notification available upon system startup. Some programs have specific processes that monitor whether manufacturing companies have published any updates. They are the update planners and update services. If there are any updates, the messages will appear in the notification panel or as a warning icon in the taskbar. Update notification available upon program initialization. When we open some programs, they are in charge of forcing a process to check if there are new updates that need to be installed. If our attention is required, a dialog box will appear informing us that a new update is available. Check for manual updates. Almost all computer programs include an option to manually search for existing updates. However, the location of this tool is not identical in all cases. It is necessary to search through the menus «Help», «About», «Configuration», «Main» or others that attend to general characteristics of the program. The specific option is usually called "Check for Updates" or "Check for Updates", but it is impossible to drop other names.

These complications when updating are inherent to Windows, in macOS users only have to access the AppStore and check which of the programs they have installed on their PC have new updates.

Fortunately, the computer community has developed tools to manage updates more comfortably.

This is the case of uCheck, a simple and easy-to-install software that lists in its GUI the desktop applications installed on Windows, detects if there are new updates for each case and makes available buttons to start the update with a simple click.

The operation of this program is direct and fluid, after installing it you just have to go to the "Updates" tab and click on "Start" to start the process. It should be mentioned, however, that the software database that it has is not complete, so we may have installed on our equipment that it is not capable of managing.

As a final note, it is worth highlighting the importance of not postponing these updates. It is good practice to accept the installation of updates as soon as we are informed of their existence. Failure to do so can cause the program or the operating system to slow down, as well as having to suffer annoying notifications every two by three.

How to update the drivers of our hardware

When one of our peripherals or hardware items installed in the box performs erratically or improperly, chances are high that your drivers have been damaged in some way.

Along with the operating system, the drivers are one of the most important softwares for the correct operation of the PC. That is why we consider it appropriate to dedicate a separate segment to them.

Unfortunately, this set of specialized programs suffers from the same problems as in the case of applications: each manufacturer manages the updates of the software destined for their hardware in the way that suits them.

In any case we share below three methods that can be commonly used to get all our drivers up to date:

• Windows device manager. We can access this panel from «Start», navigate through the hierarchical tree of hardware installed in our equipment, click on the device that we want to update with a right click and select «Update driver» in the menu that is displayed. Third party update software. Some hardware manufacturer brands have released their own tools to keep our drivers properly updated. This is the case of Nvidia's Nvidia Update; AMD AMD Radeon Update, Intel Driver Update Utility (IDUU) and Intel Driver & Support Assistant (Intel DSA) from Intel, etc. Each program has its own method of use with which you must become familiar, but all of them are usually very user-oriented, so the process should not be complex. Manual search on the manufacturer's website. When we do not have any software to help us keep our drivers up to date, there is only the option of visiting the manufacturer's page and searching for drivers there. This is especially the case with the brands of configurable peripherals (mice, keyboards, headphones…) such as the case of Logitech, Razer or Corsair, although this feature is not unique to this market segment.

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By following the instructions we have shared in this article, your PC will always be kept safe and running at full capacity. We hope you have been able to update all your software without problems!