They provide Windows 7 updates. What are Windows system updates for?

All updates are traditionally divided into critical, recommended, security updates and driver updates (software for graphics adapters, motherboards, sound cards, and others). Experts recommend installing all critical and recommended updates, but I wouldn’t rush it if I were you. If you have at least a little experience in setting up and administering operating systems, then you need to carefully read the update descriptions, think about it and make the right choice. For example, is it worth upgrading a media player that you never use? Or install a language pack of Japanese or another language you do not need for Windows 7 or Windows 8?

Such updates are unlikely to significantly add security to your operating system, but they can cause potential harm - disrupt the operation of certain services, applications, or your favorite toy.

You can download and install updates automatically (scheduled or as updates are released) or manually, which I personally consider advantageous, since you can observe the entire update process and, if something goes wrong, cancel and return to the original state of the system.

Each released update is necessarily accompanied by a so-called security bulletin, in which the manufacturer describes in detail the vulnerabilities that have been fixed. To make the right decision, it is enough to carefully read the proposed document. Select from the proposed list of updates using the program Windows Update It’s very simple - just hide the update you think is unnecessary, select the updates you need from the list provided and confirm the update.

After downloading and installing updates, the process of which can take quite a long time, the operating system will ask to reboot (in rare cases it may reboot two or three times), after which the user will be able to continue his work.

Security updates must be installed throughout the entire period of operation of the user's workstation or server. It is absolutely clear that if there is a vulnerability in the system, then an experienced attacker (or just a computer hooligan) will be able to take advantage of it. Strict configuration of the firewall significantly reduces the risk of attack, but in any case, some “loopholes” will remain - for example, open ports for some client-server applications.

Security updates for family operating systems MS Windows are issued regularly - once a month. But, of course, if a critical security vulnerability is discovered, the update may go out of schedule as soon as it is fixed by the manufacturer. To be the first to know about security update releases, it is recommended to subscribe to the update channel in a form convenient for you, or check for updates manually at some intervals.

With the advent of the "seven", the so-called Windows 7 Update Center was released. Today we will talk about what it is, what it allows you to do and how to use it correctly.

What is this?

The first thing worth talking about is what kind of built-in program this Windows 7 Update Center is.

The fact is that time does not stand still. Operating systems, as a rule, constantly need improvements and various additions to make working with them easier. Thus, constantly buying newer versions of the OS that you already have is a futile endeavor.

Nobody will agree to it. So Microsoft decided to create Windows 7 Update, which allows you to download various kinds of “updates” for the system. Some of them may be quite useful, and some not so much. Let's talk in more detail about what can be found in this center and how to use it correctly.

First launch

Even during the first installation of the “seven”, the update center is installed by default. This is a mandatory program that must be present. You could say it’s a built-in function that can’t be avoided.

The first time you run it, you will need to update Windows 7 Update. All you need to do is connect your computer to the Internet. The system will do the rest on its own. 7 happens automatically. As a rule, the process does not take more than 10 minutes. Quite fast and convenient.

After the Windows 7 Update is completed, the program itself will restart - the user will be able to fully work with it. True, you shouldn’t disconnect from the Internet - you will still need it. Now you can take advantage of all the features and functionality of the update center. True, so that it does not irritate or distract you once again, it must be configured correctly. Let's figure out what can be done.

Setting is the key to success

So, now let's see how the proposed center is configured. Each user “customizes” it for himself. In a way that is convenient only for him. So let's begin our study.

Open Windows 7 Update. It is located in the tray, near the clock. Open the service, then click on "Settings". A window will pop up in front of you, in which all manipulations will take place.

You can do this by clicking on the corresponding button on the screen. Usually it is highlighted in red (more precisely, a shield) and the caption “not recommended”. Don't be afraid of this inscription.

You can enable checking for updates yourself at any time. Then, when it is convenient for you. In addition, the fact that you disable the center does not mean that you can forget about automatic checks - you can enable this function at any time.

You can also enable the ability to check for updates automatically and install them all. To do this, click on the required inscription. It is highlighted in green and there is a shield of the same color near the inscriptions. Here you can configure both the scan time and which updates to install. But more on that a little later.

In addition, Windows 7 Update can be configured so that it will only check for updates, but you will take care of installing and downloading them. This is quite convenient, although not always. For example, a verification message may appear while watching a video or movie right on top of the player. If you decide to check for updates automatically, but download and install them yourself, then it is best to set the “check time” so that it does not interfere with you.

What updates are there?

After we have studied the settings and adjusted them to suit ourselves, we need to figure out what can be found in the Windows 7 Update Center and which of the available new features need to be installed almost as an order.

If you open the Update Center working window, you will see that all files are divided into “additional” and “important”. The first are mainly language packs and some drivers for connected devices. The second are important system “updates” that help protect the system, important drivers for comfortable work with the computer, and fixes that allow you to get rid of bugs and lags.

However, you need to carefully look at what to download on your computer and what not. You shouldn’t even download “important” updates and install everything without fail. The only thing useful you can find among them is language packs and drivers for work. Just the “firewood” is usually separated by a line above all updates and they are written in italics.

Pitfalls

Unfortunately, Windows 7 Update may crash your operating system. It's all about some "updates" that check the "axis" for authenticity. If it is not confirmed, then, as a rule, working with Windows becomes much more difficult even after the first reboot.

So, try not to download "hotfix" packages that may look like "K26587528". In other words, wherever there is a beginning in the form of “k” and some set of characters after it, a “test” file may be contained. Install it only if your computer is equipped with licensed Windows. Otherwise, only check the boxes that you really need, then wait for them to download and install automatically on your PC.

So is it necessary to update the OS or is it better to disable automatic updates in Windows 7? It can be done either way. It is not necessary to update Windows.

Without updates, the PC/laptop can work even better. It’s not in vain that Microsoft came up with such a feature as a “restore point”, which is created when updating the operating system.

But, if you look at the updates from the point of view of importance, they make Windows more secure. Previously, when Internet speeds were still low, many users immediately turned off updates. Installing them took hours. Now, despite the “annoyance”, you can still wait 5-10 minutes until the new update appears on the OS.

In short, updates are desirable, but not required.

Microsoft offers the user two types of updates: important and optional.

From a developer's point of view, important upgrades include all those upgrades that improve system security.

If Windows is used in companies and corporations, then the issue of security comes first. Theft of developments, statistics, etc. gives competitors a big advantage. The average user wouldn’t even give up on half of these updates. If you have an antivirus program, then there will be no problems.

So should I install it or not?

1. Software performance will improve.
2. The system's protection against viruses will increase.
3. The performance of the system is improved, a number of bugs that were caused by the same updates (previous ones) are removed.
4. System drivers are updated.

Also note that in Windows Update you can not only configure automatic installation of updates, but also selective installation. That is, the system offers you an update, and you decide for yourself whether to install it or not.

Hello everyone Let's talk about what will happen if you don't update Windows. I think that the question is of interest to many, well, or not to many, but still some are interested in the question, which means I will answer it. In short, I will say right away, nothing ESPECIALLY SCARY will happen. Of course, it is not advisable to completely abandon updates, but if you really need it, then you can.

But when I write about updates, I mean Windows 7/8/10; in the case of Windows XP, the updates should not be ignored. Why? Well, look for yourself, firstly, the updates themselves for XP are no longer coming out, because support for this Windows has been discontinued, so it’s worth downloading what’s available, there won’t be any new ones anyway. Secondly, Windows XP has no updates at all, it’s a fairly crude Windows, I personally don’t recommend working on it. There is Windows XP with a third service pack (SP3), it is still better to install updates there, but this is not critical, because it is critical when SP2 is installed..

I advise you to work only on Windows XP with the third service pack! At the same time, I’m not sure whether it’s possible to update from SP2 to SP3 with just updates, or whether it’s worth installing a separate third service pack for this.

I had Windows XP SP3, and I admit that I did not install updates, I turned them off in order to optimize the operation of Windows...

Well, do you understand about Windows XP? If it’s naked without service packs at all, then updates are definitely needed. If there is a second service pack, that is, SP2, then updates are also needed. If you have SP3, then updates are DESIRABLE, but if you really don’t need to install them, then you don’t have to install them.

And one more important point. You don’t have to install updates on a regular computer, that is, on a home computer, on a gaming computer... If the computer is working, if you work on it or do something important, then you know, it’s still better to install updates here! And you know what else I’ll write, updating Windows on a work computer is much more important than on a gaming computer!

But what exactly are these Windows updates and why can you sometimes do without them? Well, that's my opinion. Let's take Windows XP again. She herself, naked without any updates, is still MUCH more vulnerable than naked without Windows 7 updates. Do you understand? At the time of the release of Windows 7, there were already many vulnerabilities in it, many holes, so to speak, but all this had already been fixed. But naked Windows XP is full of vulnerabilities. Updates for Windows XP are needed to make Windows itself more resistant to viruses, hacks, and the like. Updates for Windows 7 are no longer aimed so much at security as at generally improving the operation of Windows itself, correcting some errors in it, well, so that it works a little better. Of course, security is also improving, but as I already wrote, compared to XP it is already significantly improved without any updates.

The situation with Windows 10 is approximately the same. In terms of security, it is even better than Windows 7, so updates are generally needed to fix bugs, errors, and install new functions. In a word, improving Windows

If you play on the computer, surf on social networks, watch all sorts of websites, movies, online games, then in principle, if you don’t update Windows, then nothing bad will happen. Here I advise you to better think not about Windows updates, but about some kind of modern antivirus, this will be more important

Well, that is, once again, if you remove security and take only current versions of Windows, then if you do not update Windows, then in 95% you will not notice anything in the operation of the computer, it has worked and will continue to work. Just as you watched the films, you will continue to watch them. Unless, when installing a game, some kind of message may appear that says something is missing on your computer. Modern Windows can download the required system component themselves and install it themselves if necessary. It seems that Windows 7 also has this, I just had this on Windows 10, Windows itself downloaded and installed everything, in general, no problem

So once again, if necessary, you can do without updates! Do not update Windows XP only if you have the third service pack (SP3)!

Do you know why I didn’t update Windows before and why I’m updating it now? To be honest, this was quite difficult for me before. XP updates somehow not very quickly, first it downloads, then installs, I had some other errors.. Then it downloads and installs some more updates.. In general, I don’t really remember why, but in XP I I decided that it would be better without them. In Windows 7, the hemorrhage was more serious, I personally reset Windows for hours, I still couldn’t download or install it, I don’t understand what was wrong with it, but it took a crazy long time to update for me, despite the fact that the Internet was high-speed. And at the same time, Windows 7 itself was terribly slow for everyone, that is, this update stupidly slowed down the computer so that nothing could be done on it!

Windows 10 is another matter; I personally don’t have any problems here. Everything is updated quickly and clearly, just like that. I went into that Settings window, went to updates and that’s it, after about two minutes the download began and then the installation. There are no special glitches! But here I lied, I apologize! There was one glitch, and maybe there is one now, the joke is that you install updates, but then, after you installed everything, there were errors in the update log. I don’t know how to fix them, but if you turn off all surveillance in Windows 10 before updating using the DoNotSpy10 utility, then there are no errors! I wrote about DoNotSpy10 here.

I’ll write a couple more words about Windows 7. So yes, the update there takes a long time. It always took a long time for me. But I recently found out that it seems like Windows 7 deliberately slows down the update so that you switch to Windows 10. I don’t know if this is true or not, but I heard this on the Internet. Some updates are better not to install at all, I don’t remember why and which ones exactly (it’s better to look on the Internet), but I know for sure that they will only add to your hassle..

Oh, I forgot about one thing, that’s all, but it’s good that I remembered! In short, new Windows, that is, current ones for today (and mine today is 2016), then these Windows can not only install updates, but also install drivers, which is also important. That is, if you have some kind of device, for example, a graphics core in an Intel processor, then for this core Windows will easily download drivers and additional software and install it all itself. And your built-in video card will work normally, that is, the video core in the processor. But of course, not all devices are downloaded by Windows this way; on some it is better to install them manually, for example for a separate video card.

And another thought came to me, you know, with a good antivirus, I think you can sit quietly without updates, there are unlikely to be viruses

Well, all the guys, that’s all, I hope that everything was clear to you, but if something is wrong, then I apologize. Good luck in life and may everything go well for you

Fixing vulnerabilities is the responsibility of the developers, but you are responsible for installing patches. This material is entirely devoted to one of the most important topics of safe work in Windows - timely updating of the operating system and applications that are installed on it.

This is the second article in the “Windows Security Without Effort” series. In this article, we figured out where Microsoft’s recommendations are hidden, talked about the role of the “Yes” button in ensuring system security, and identified the advantages of licensed software. This material is entirely devoted to one of the most important topics of safe work in Windows - timely updating of the operating system and applications that are installed on it.

Update third party programs

And I always canceled “java” when they offered to update. I thought it wasn't necessary...
Owner of a stylish Sony laptop

The epigraph contains the words of my good friend, which she said when she discovered what you see in the picture below. Her laptop is equipped with the latest Microsoft operating system, the security settings of which are quite standard. But only the presence of an antivirus saved her from infection caused by last year's vulnerability in the popular Sun Java platform - it is installed by millions of users. The program tried to update several times, but was not allowed to do so because... it was not clear why this was needed.

Figure 1 - Antivirus protected the Sun Java platform that had not been updated for a long time

Programs are updated from time to time, and this is not always related to security, but first of all it is for the sake of it that they need to be updated. The security of the Windows operating system can be compromised not only by its own vulnerabilities, but also by third-party programs, and it is no coincidence that I am starting with them. Attackers are increasingly attacking the systems of unsuspecting users through their browsers, but browser vulnerabilities are not always the reason for a successful attack. Often, malware enters through holes in plugins and add-ons, such as players and third-party panels.

Microsoft provides some very interesting statistics in its latest security report (for the second half of 2009). According to the company, in the Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems, when attacked through the browser, 3/4 of the vulnerabilities occur in third-party programs (and the picture was spoiled by the vulnerability in Windows Vista, since in the first half of the year Microsoft accounted for only 15% of vulnerabilities) .

Figure 2 - Exploitation of vulnerabilities in browser-based attacks in Windows Vista and Windows 7 (Microsoft data for the second half of 2009)

In the top ten most actively exploited vulnerabilities through the browser, three “holes” belong to Microsoft, and seven belong to third-party programs, but almost half of all attacks come from one flaw in Adobe Reader, which, in addition to it, placed two more vulnerabilities in the top ten. And the most remarkable thing is that there are four vulnerabilities in it from 2007, and one is actually from 2006. Of course, all of them have already been closed by the developers.

If Microsoft's data doesn't inspire confidence, check out summaries from other cybersecurity companies. Thus, a Kaspersky Lab analyst, in a report on information threats for the first quarter of 2010, also comes to the conclusion that users are in no hurry to update installed programs, despite the availability of patches.

Figure 3 - An update for Adobe Flash Player is available, do not delay installing it

Programs that need to be updated promptly include:

• Adobe Reader;
• Adobe Flash Player;
• Sun Java;
• Apple QuickTime;
• browser add-ons.

And, of course, you need to update the browsers themselves - they all have their own update capabilities, except Internet Explorer, which is updated using Windows Update.

Updating the Windows operating system and Microsoft programs

Those who do not think about distant difficulties will face near-term troubles.
Confucius

Updating the operating system is not only about installing patches and patches, but also about moving to a new platform. Windows Vista and Windows 7 are better protected than Windows XP, which is confirmed by the numbers.

Switching to Windows 7

There are various arguments in favor of switching to a new operating system, but security is one of the most important. New versions of Windows build on the experience of previous systems, so some attack surfaces are eliminated at a design level. Thus, they have drunk a lot of blood and are still drinking malicious programs that are transferred on a flash drive or memory card and, when connected, are secretly executed using the autorun.inf file, using the automatic start function in Windows.

In Windows 7, automatic startup from removable media has finally been disabled, leaving only the option of automatic playback (AutoPlay), although in the Russian version of the operating system it is still called autorun.

Figure 4 - In Windows 7, when you connect a removable drive, you can select an action, but programs do not start automatically

Autorun in Windows 7 is preserved only for optical disks (CD/DVD), on which it is not economically profitable to distribute malware.

Microsoft calculates the infection rate of operating systems using the Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT), which is distributed through the Windows Update channel, taking into account the system's patch level and architecture.

Figure 5 - Number of computers cleaned by MSRT for every 1000 runs of the utility (Microsoft data, second half of 2009)

The way to understand these numbers is that MSRT detected and removed malware on 7 computers in 1000 runs on Windows XP SP3, while on Windows 7 RTM there were only 4.2 on average. But the architecture layout is also interesting.

If we compare the infection rate of 32-bit systems, in Windows XP SP3 it is twice as high as in Windows Vista SP2 and Windows 7 RTM. Also note that 64-bit systems are significantly less likely to become infected than 32-bit systems, and this can be attributed to better buffer overflow control, as well as Kernel Patch Protection and DEP technologies. However, Microsoft analysts point to another factor - the higher level of technical literacy of people using 64-bit architecture. I assume that when desktop and mobile computers in the lower price category begin to be equipped with 4 GB of RAM, 64-bit systems will become widespread, and the gap between architectures in terms of infection rates will not be so significant.

One way or another, to ensure maximum Windows security with minimal effort, you need to switch to the 64-bit version of Windows 7 and, of course, keep it up to date.

Installing updates using Windows Update and Microsoft Update

In Windows 7, Windows Update has improved in terms of usability and clarity, but its main purpose remains the same. It helps keep your system and drivers (Windows Update service) and Microsoft programs (Microsoft Update service) up to date.

Purpose of updates

Updates for Windows and Microsoft programs can be divided into two categories.

• Eliminate vulnerabilities and improve security. Windows Update primarily helps keep Windows, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Office secure. Patches that address vulnerabilities are marked as important in Windows Update. Microsoft releases them to the general public on the second Tuesday of each month for the convenience of organizations, but they are often offered earlier through the Update Center. Along with fixing vulnerabilities, Microsoft is distributing other updates that improve system security. For example, with the help of Windows Update, the Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus and Windows Defender update their databases, and Microsoft Outlook receives new spam filters. Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) is also distributed through Windows Update and has successfully removed the most common spyware and Trojans from the computers of millions of users.
• Improved stability and performance. The Windows Update channel delivers more than just security updates to your computer. Many device manufacturers work with Microsoft to develop drivers, and once verified, they are made available through Windows Update. Typically, these drivers do not have the advanced features that are available in packages offered by hardware manufacturers on their websites. But the compatibility of drivers with Windows has been tested in Microsoft laboratories (32- and 64-bit versions are required), so the stability of operation is very high. On the other hand, Microsoft distributes updates to the operating system and Microsoft Office that improve application compatibility, fix bugs, and improve performance.

Microsoft's recommendation for updating your operating system and programs is to install any suggested updates automatically. This is the default method for downloading and installing updates.

Figure 6 - Standard settings for installing important and recommended updates in Windows 7

Please note that you do not need to configure anything to ensure the proper level of security, i.e. no effort is required on your part. Using the support center, the system will only notify you that updates have been installed.

Selective download of updates

However, it is not always necessary to install absolutely all updates, and it is also possible that you want to control the process of downloading and installing them. In this case, Windows Update offers two options:

• trust the system to download, but make the installation decision yourself;
• configure the process so that the system will only notify you about the availability of updates, and leave the download decision to you.

For example, if you only have Word, Excel, and PowerPoint installed from Microsoft Office, you don't need to download Outlook spam filter updates or OneNote patches. This tactic may be justified for users with narrow Internet channels or limited tariff plans. In this case, you can be selective about downloading patches by hiding the ones you don't need in Windows Update. However, please note that if you install a previously unused Office application, you need to immediately download hidden updates, because the system will no longer remind you of them.

Based on my experience, I note that this approach ultimately leads to delays in installing updates. After all, at the moment when the system notifies us of their presence, we are always busy with something else (and, perhaps, we will also have to reboot).

Figure 7 - Windows 7 Action Center reminds you that it's time to install updates

I don’t want to be distracted by such a trifle, so the installation is postponed “for later.” But during this time, the system and applications are not provided with the necessary level of security, so you need to be a very disciplined person in order to install the updates reported by Windows on time. Not to mention monthly visits to the Microsoft website to extract links to necessary updates from security bulletins. Therefore, the easiest way is to install updates automatically, especially since it does not require any effort.

For more information, see Windows 7 Update on OSZone.net.

System restore points

No matter how you update Windows 7, the system always creates a restore point before installing patches.

Figure 8 - Restore points are created automatically every time updates are installed

This is good insurance in case something goes wrong and the normal operation of Windows is disrupted. In the worst case scenarios, the system may stop booting, and bringing it back to life without a restore point will be very difficult. If system protection is enabled, you can always boot into the Windows RE recovery environment and roll back to the point created before the problem occurred.

If you have Windows XP installed along with Windows 7, the restore points of the new system will disappear every time you boot the old one. The only way to get around this is to make the Windows 7 partition inaccessible from Windows XP. This is done by adding one parameter to the registry or by encrypting the Windows 7 partition using BitLocker, and you will find detailed instructions in Microsoft Knowledge Base article KB926185.

Conclusion

Migrating to the new Microsoft client platform means working in a more secure environment. In Windows 7, the infection rate is significantly lower than in Windows XP SP3, and additional protective measures are implemented in the 64-bit architecture. To protect yourself from modern threats, you need to keep Windows 7 up to date, and for this, the system provides a fully automatic update mechanism. But it is difficult to use in an unlicensed system, so additional efforts must be made to ensure the proper level of security.

No matter which Microsoft operating system you use, third-party software vulnerabilities are just as risky as Windows security flaws, so don't put off updating your apps and browser add-ons. If you don’t do this, you won’t get far from your home page on the Internet, because... You can become infected by viewing a document in PDF format or a Flash video.

Most threats to home systems come from the Internet, and the browser is the window into it. Recently, the popularity of Internet Explorer has been steadily declining, partly due to the prevailing opinion that its use is unsafe. In the next article we will see if this is indeed the case.

All links in this article

• Microsoft Security Report for the second half of 2009
• (English)
• Development of information threats in the first quarter of 2010 (Kaspersky Security Network)
• Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT)
• Kernel Patch Protection
• Data Execution Protection (DEP) (on the Microsoft Security Research & Defense blog)
• Articles about Windows 7 Update on OSZone.net
• System protection and recovery in Windows 7
• Using Windows RE Recovery Environment in Windows 7
• KB926185 (translated by Bing)