Technology Tip of the Week - June 26, 2007

PC Health Checkup II

Last week we looked at doing an annual check-up of your anti-virus software, along with some tips on configuring and running Norton Anti-Virus on your system. This week we are going to look at making sure your Windows operating system is kept up-to-date so that your computer is not vulnerable to security breaches.

Windows Critical Updates

Microsoft provides periodic security updates to the Windows operating system to help shield your computer from intruders. Windows XP has an Automatic Update feature that you can use to download the latest security updates automatically on a schedule of your choice.

Check for Automatic Updates

If you are not sure when your operating system was last updated, you can run Windows Update by following these steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer and type in this address in the white address box at the top of the window: http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
  2. Once you are on the Microsoft site, click on Scan for Updates. The program will scan your computer and display a list of critical updates, including security updates and service packs. (Note that download times may  vary depending on modem speed and how many updates your computer needs. With this in mind, run this program when you don't need to use the Internet for other tasks.)
  3. Under Pick updates to install - click Critical Updates and Service Packs. Windows Update then creates a list of the updates that are appropriate for your system. Critical updates are selected for download automatically.
  4. Click Review and install updates
  5. Select updates and then click Install Now. You might have to restart your computer after installing the updates.
Configure Automatic Updates

If you'd rather have this task taken care of automatically, you can configure the Windows Updates program to run on a particular schedule.

  1. From your desktop, click on the Start button and then select Control Panel
  2. Click on Performance and Maintenance. (Note that if the Performance and Maintenance category is not visible, click Switch to Category View.)
  3. Click on System
  4. Click Automatic Updates and then select Keep my computer up to date.
  5. Select a setting. Microsoft recommends selecting Automatically download the updates and install them on the schedule that I specify and setting a daily update. Note: if you set up Automatic Updates to notify you, or if you forget to leave your computer on for the time you had scheduled, you will see a notification balloon. Click the notification balloon to review and install the updates.

That's it! Now your computer has the maximum protection against viruses, worms, and security breaches. Best of all, you don't have to think about this again. Don't you feel better??

For more help with this feature, please contact one of the IT Instructional Support team (Norm Grant, Gene Grande or Linda Beith) or faculty mentor Kathy Beauchene.

Website of the Week

Reflecting, Writing and Responding: Reasons Students Blog by Carie Windham

Ever wonder what blogging is all about and how it's being used in higher education? Read this article featured on the Educause Learning Initiative site by a graduate student who explores the campus "blogosphere" noting "who is blogging and what they are posting, as well as how faculty are using blogs in their courses and the results they are seeing" at http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3010.pdf.

Feel free to post your thoughts or opinions of this article in the Teaching Forum message board.

These tips are provided by the Department of Information Technology instructional support team. If you have any questions on these tips, or wish to offer your own, please feel free to contact Linda Beith at lbeith@ccri.edu. View an archive of past technology tips at http://it.ccri.edu/Training/Tips/tip_week.shtml.
 

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