Is it possible to download updates for Windows 7. Windows Update: purpose and launch

To ensure that your computer performs at its best and meets latest requirements security, it is recommended to regularly install fresh updates on it. Sometimes OS developers combine a group of updates into a whole package. But if for Windows XP there were as many as 3 such packages, then for the “seven” only one was released. So, let's figure out how to install Service Pack 1 on Windows 7.

You can install SP1 using the built-in "Update Center", or by downloading the installation file from the official Microsoft website. But before installing, you need to find out whether your system needs it. After all, it is quite possible that the required package is already installed on your computer.

First of all, let's consider the option of installing the update by downloading the package from the official Microsoft website.

Launch your browser and follow the link provided above. Click on the button "Download".

A window will open where you will need to select a file to download according to the bitness of your OS. You can find out this information, as mentioned above, in the computer properties window. You need to check one of the two lowest items on the list. For a 32-bit system this will be a file called "windows6.1-KB976932-X86.exe", and for the 64-bit analog – "windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe". Once the checkbox is checked, click "Next".

After this, you will be redirected to a page where the download of the required update should start within 30 seconds. If for some reason it does not start, click on the inscription "Click here...". The directory where the downloaded file will be placed is specified in the browser settings. The time this procedure will take depends on the speed of your Internet. If you don't have high speed connection, then it will take a considerable amount of time, since the package is quite large.

Once the download is complete, open "Conductor" and go to the directory where the downloaded object was placed. As to launch any other file, double-click on it with the left mouse button.

An installer window will appear with a warning that you should close all active programs and documents to avoid data loss, since the installation process will reboot the computer. Follow this recommendation if necessary and press "Next".

After this, the installer will prepare the computer to begin installing the package. You just have to wait.

Then a window will open, where a warning will once again be displayed about the need to close all running programs. If you have already done this, then just click "Install".

The update package will be installed. After automatic reboot computer, which occurs directly during installation, it will start with the update already installed.

Method 2: "Command Line"

You can also install SP1 using « Command line» . But to do this, you first need to download its installation file, as described in the previous method, and place it in one of the directories on your hard drive. This method good because it allows installation with specified parameters.

Click "Start" and follow the inscription "All programs".

Go to the directory called "Standard".

Find the item in the specified folder "Command line". Click on it RMB and select the launch method with administrator rights from the list that appears.

Will open "Command line". To start the installation, you need to enter the full address of the installer file and click on the button Enter. For example, if you placed the file in the root directory of the disk D, then for a 32-bit system you need to enter the following command:
D:/windows6.1-KB976932-X86.exe

For a 64-bit system, the command will look like this:

D:/windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe

After entering one of these commands, the update package installation window, already familiar to us from the previous method, will open. All further actions need to be done according to the algorithm already described above.

But running through "Command line" What’s interesting is that when using additional attributes, you can set various conditions performing the procedure:

/quiet– launching a “silent” installation. When this parameter is entered, the installation will be carried out without opening any dialog shells, except for the window that reports the failure or success of the procedure after its completion;
/nodialog– this parameter prohibits the appearance of a dialog box at the end of the procedure, which should report its failure or success;
/norestart– this option prevents the PC from automatically restarting after installing the package, even if it is needed. In this case, you will need to restart your PC manually to complete the installation.

A complete list of possible parameters that are used when working with the SP1 installer can be seen by adding to main team attribute /help.

Method 3: "Update Center"

You can also install SP1 through the standard system tool to install updates in Windows – "Update Center". If automatic updating is enabled on your PC, then in this case, if SP1 is missing, the system will prompt you to install it in a dialog box. Then you just need to follow the basic instructions displayed on the monitor. If automatic updating is disabled, you will have to do some additional manipulations.

Click "Start" and go to "Control Panel".

Open section "System and Security".

Next go to "Update Center...".

You can also open this tool using the window "Run". Click Win+R and enter in the line that opens:

On the left side of the interface that opens, click "Search for updates".

The update search procedure is activated.

Once completed, click "Install updates".

The installation process will begin, after which you will need to restart the PC.
Attention! To install SP1, you must have a certain set of already installed installed updates. Therefore, if they are not on your computer, then the procedure described above for searching and installing updates will have to be done several times until all the necessary elements are installed.

From this article it is clear that Service Pack 1 can be installed on Windows 7 either through the built-in "Update Center", and by downloading the package from the official website. Usage "Update Center" more convenient, but in some cases it may not work. That’s when you need to download the update from the Microsoft web resource. In addition, it is possible to install using "Command line" with the specified parameters.

Updates make changes to the performance of Windows 7, eliminate various errors and glitches, and also add new features. Microsoft is still releasing security patches and fixing system issues.

Update Center

The Windows 7 Update Center is responsible for downloading the latest “seven” patches. The icon for opening it can be found in the program list Start or in Control panels. There you can install the latest versions of system components.

Settings

In Update Center, open the menu " Setting options».

Initially, the system operates in auto-update mode. But this function can be disabled, in which case it will be necessary to use the manual function. To do this, activate the search for the latest versions.

The dialog box will display a list of components for which any changes have been made. They are divided into three groups.
There are three groups of updates:

Important. The group includes significant or critical system changes related to data security and the functioning of various Windows components. Any innovation from the “Important” group should be installed immediately when it is released. This will keep your computer and its data in better condition.
Recommended. This includes fixing non-critical PC problems, but still quite significant. Their installation will make the operation of your PC more comfortable, eliminate existing problems or avoid their occurrence in the future. Both auto-update and manual download are available.
Optional. This group includes those innovations that do not make significant changes to the functioning of the computer and do not correct serious problems. They are designed to make the system more user-friendly, but are not considered important or critical. They cannot be installed automatically; downloading is available only in manual mode.

Read about ways to disable auto-update of the system in ours.

Important nuance: Anyone can update Windows 7 for free. No board is required to load any system components from the list. But you should understand that the procedure consumes Internet traffic. This fact must be taken into account for users with limited connections.

Selecting Components to Install

The user has a choice of components to install. For example, if you have a third-party antivirus installed, there is no need to download the latest version of Windows Defender.

In the same way, you can disable the installation of other components. But if you are not sure of their significance or do not know the function, it is better to leave everything as is.

In any case, it is highly recommended to download updates from the first group, from the second, too, but from the third, if desired.

Recommendation: if automatic mode is disabled on your computer, it is advisable to update the system yourself. This will allow you to maintain latest version Windows 7, which includes new features as well as fixes for old problems.

Possible problems and their solutions

Various problems may occur when trying or during the process of updating Windows 7. Let's look at the most popular of them.

Problem 1: Auto-update does not work

Initially, the system is configured in such a way that automatic mode downloads all new versions and installs them when the computer restarts. But in some situations this feature is disabled or does not work.

In the first case, you need to enable auto-update. This is done through a special service:

In the second case, you need to update the OS manually.

Problem 2: Cannot update the system manually

When installing new Windows versions 7 various failures may occur. First of all, you should check your Internet connection. Installation files are downloaded from Microsoft servers, and if there is no Internet connection, downloading them is impossible.

When trying to update operating system you should turn off any antivirus programs and computer protection tools. It is advisable to close all unnecessary programs.

If you want to download a specific Windows component, but this cannot be done, you can download it yourself installation package from the developer's servers.

Official Microsoft page Download Center - https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/download/default.aspx

There is a search area at the top of the page. Enter a name in it required component and click on the magnifying glass icon.

Problem 3: The system is down

If, as a result of the update, the computer began to work worse or any problems arose, then you should roll back Windows to previous state. The corresponding function is located in the control panel. Read more about this in our article “Windows 7 System Restore”.

Many people are aware that Windows 7 updates can improve the functionality of the system, as well as improve the security of the PC.

Installing third party programs or traveling on the Internet, you cannot be particularly confident that some malicious virus will not get into your system, and your system will be vulnerable. Also, errors may appear in the system that can lead to complete inoperability of Windows 7.

It is updates that help counter threats that can cause harm. installed system. Thanks to timely patches and updates, you can confidently maintain Windows 7 in excellent current working condition.

However, it is worth keeping in mind that updates should only be installed from trusted places. Otherwise, you can cause even more harm. Today, attackers can create sites through which they will encourage you to download updates and update Windows 7. If you succumb to such tricks, you may regret it bitterly, because such tricks can cause harm: a worm, virus or other dirty trick can be introduced, which will bring a lot of problems, both to the system and and to you.

This is why you need to update Windows 7 through Windows Update. This is a reliable source for updating and is also functionality Windows.

How to update Windows 7 via Update?

Windows Update can be opened in the following ways:

To open the menu, click the “Start” button, then open the “Control Panel”, where you should select “Windows Update” from the list of components.
To open the menu, click the “Start” button, then open “All Programs” and select “Windows Update” from the list that appears.
To open the menu, click the “Start” button, after which you need to enter wuapp.exe or in the search field, where you need to open the application based on the results obtained.

You can also create an icon and place it on your desktop. To do this, you must perform the following operations:

Checking for updates in Update Center

To update the system and check for updates, you must do the following:

If there is nothing to update, and all critical and important updates have already been installed, but optional ones remain, the following image will appear.

Both optional and important updates may be displayed. If, when only optional updates are displayed, there is no “Install updates” button, then you should select “Optional updates: ss pcs. available”, where ss – quantity additional changes. Then click on “OK”.

Thanks to important updates, it will be possible to increase Windows security 7, as well as the entire computer, they should be installed. Optional updates in most cases represent updates to programs or device drivers that do not significantly affect their operation.

You can install optional driver updates if new features are available (for example, additional languages), or existing programs or the drivers are unstable.

Updates for other Microsoft software products

In addition to Windows 7, you can update other programs from Microsoft, including Microsoft Office and notifications about new software availability.

In order for the update center to give you information about the release of updates for other programs, you must do the following. On the left side of “Windows Update” you need to select “Customize settings”. Then, in the Update Center section, check the box to provide updates when updating Windows 7 for Microsoft products, as well as the presence of optional software. If the automatic receipt of updates already uses “Center Microsoft updates", then it will automatically display the update status.

If you uncheck the box, then the next time you start setting up parameters, this option will no longer be present. So that this option is available and you can update

program you need to do the following:

This update option for optional software will then appear in Windows 7 Update settings back.

Some programs, for example, programs for finding spyware and antivirus programs, have links that make it possible to check for the presence of updates while directly in the program, or provide notifications or offer subscription services about new updates available. We recommend that you first check for available updates for security-related programs and frequently used devices and programs.

Selecting update installation methods

Microsoft makes it possible to update and install updates in various ways. IN Windows system 7 There are four modes for this. To change the method for installing updates, you need to open the “Update Center”, then open “Settings” in the left area and select the method that suits you best in the method of installing updates in the “Important updates” list.

Some users prefer to decide for themselves which updates (updates) to install on their operating system, and which ones it is better to refuse, not trusting the automatic procedure. In this case, you must install it manually. Let's find out how to set up manual execution of this procedure in Windows 7 and how it is done immediate process installations.

In order to carry out updates manually, first of all, you should disable auto-updates, and only then perform the installation procedure. Let's see how it's done.

Click on the button "Start" at the bottom left edge of the screen. Select from the drop-down menu "Control Panel".

In the window that opens, click on the section "System and Security".

In the next window, click on the subsection name "Enable or disable automatic updates» in the block "Windows Update"(CO).

There is another option for moving to the tool we need. Call the window "Run" by pressing Win+R. In the field of the window that opens, enter the command:

Click "OK".

Windows CO opens. Click "Setting options".

No matter how you got through (via Control Panel or by means of a tool "Run"), the window for changing parameters will open. First of all, we will be interested in the block "Important Updates". By default it is set to "Install updates...". For our case, this option is not suitable.
In order to carry out the procedure manually, select the item from the drop-down list "Download updates...", "Search for updates..." or . In the first case, they are downloaded to the computer, but the user makes the decision about installation himself. In the second case, a search for updates is performed, but the decision to download and subsequently install them is again made by the user, that is, the action does not occur automatically, as by default. In the third case, you will even have to manually activate the search. Moreover, if the search gives positive results, then to download and install you will need to change the current parameter to one of the three described above, which allow you to perform these actions.

Select one of these three options according to your goals and click "OK".

Installation procedure

Action algorithms after selecting a specific item in the Windows CO window will be discussed below.

Method 1: algorithm of actions for automatic downloading

First of all, let's consider the procedure for selecting an item "Download updates". In this case, they will be downloaded automatically, but installation will need to be done manually.

Method 2: algorithm of actions for automatic search

As we remember, if you set the parameter in the Windows CO "Search for updates...", then the search for updates will be performed automatically, but downloading and installation will need to be done manually.

Method 3: Manual search

If in the Windows CO when setting parameters you selected the option "Don't check for updates", then in this case the search will also have to be carried out manually.

By the way, even if you have one of three modes installed, according to which the search is performed periodically automatically, you can activate the search procedure manually. This way, you don't have to wait until it's time for a scheduled search, but start it immediately. To do this, simply click on the inscription on the left side of the Windows CO window "Search for updates".

Further actions should be performed in accordance with which mode is selected: automatic, download or search.

Method 4: Install optional updates

In addition to important ones, there are optional updates. Their absence does not affect the performance of the system, but by installing some, you can expand certain capabilities. Most often this group includes language packs. It is not recommended to install all of them, since the package in which you are working is quite sufficient. Installation additional packages will not bring any benefit, but will only load the system. Therefore, even if you have auto-update enabled, optional updates will not be downloaded automatically, but only manually. At the same time, sometimes you can find new items useful for the user among them. Let's see how to install them on Windows 7.

Go to the Windows CO window using any of the methods described above (tool "Run" or Control Panel). If in this window you see a message about the availability of optional updates, click on it.

A window will open containing a list of optional updates. Check the boxes next to the items you want to install. Click "OK".

After this, you will be returned to the main Windows Central window. Click "Install updates".

The download procedure will then begin.

When finished, click on the button with the same name again.

Next comes the installation procedure.

After it is completed, you may need to restart your computer. In this case, save all data in running applications and close them. Next, click on the button "Reboot Now".

After the reboot procedure, the operating system will be updated taking into account the installed elements.

As you can see, in Windows 7 there are two options manual installation updates: with preliminary search and with preliminary loading. In addition, you can enable exclusively manual search, but in this case, to activate the download and installation, if the necessary updates are found, you will need to change the parameters. Optional updates are downloaded separately.

Most software updates are automatic by default. But, nevertheless, you should know how to check for updates and update the program yourself. By keeping your computer software up to date, you increase the stability and security of your computer.

Operating system update

Installing the latest operating system updates is one of the most important processes in protecting your computer from viruses. malware and other Internet security threats.

Windows

To update Windows OS, open Control Panel. In the search bar type update and select "Check for updates".

The installation may take significantly longer than searching for updates, so during this time you can break away from your computer and grab a cup of coffee. Once the installation is complete, you must restart your computer for the updates to take effect.

Mac OS x

To update Mac OS X, open App program Store (app store) and click the "Updates" button in top panel. OS X updates will be at the top of the list available updates. On the right side of the screen there are buttons for updating individual applications and the "Update All" button to apply all available updates.

Software updates

For many programs regular updates are not that important, since they will only come with some improvements or new features, but not security improvements, so there is no need to update them often. However, for more essential software, such as a web browser or antivirus software, updates are just as important as operating system updates.

Most programs automatically check for updates. If there are updates, the program will notify you about it. Well, for other programs, study the program menu yourself and find out how to start the update.

For example, Kaspersky antivirus: you can start the update in the control center.

However, the presence Chrome updates checked in the Help window.