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It’s very tempting to ignore the Windows update notifications, but by saving yourself 15 minutes now, you could be causing yourself a lot more problems in the future…

Installing Windows updates can be time consuming and disruptive, especially when they occur at the start of a work day - staring at a progress bar for up to half an hour when you’re ready to dive into some work is extremely frustrating. It’s so frustrating in fact, that many people choose to skip or ignore Windows updates so that they don’t have to deal with it at inconvenient times. While this saves time (and sanity), you could actually be causing much bigger issues further down the line.

What Do Windows Updates Do?

Updates to your operating system are extremely important. Most updates include essential security patches, fixes for bugs and improvements to the operating system. Some also include new features that can help improve productivity and upgrade the user experience. While not providing the most obvious changes to your system, the security updates are by far the most important. Even if you have antivirus software or firewalls installed, it is still vital that you stay on top of your Windows updates. The consequences of not installing updates can include damaged software and loss or theft of data - all of which can be very costly and damaging to a company. Vulnerabilities in Windows can be exploited within hours of being discovered, which is why you must update as soon as possible.

Putting it off

An important thing to note is that the more you put off updating Windows, the more the updates stack up. So if you leave your updates for several months, when you do eventually get round to installing you may have numerous updates to install at once, potentially leaving your PC out of action for a couple of hours! This is another reason to install your Windows updates as soon as possible.

For IT managers and company owners worried about their team’s IT practices, it may be wise to look into enforcing update policies to ensure PCs install them within a set timeframe. It can also be set so that users are given grace periods to allow flexibility with a definite cut off point.

How to update your Windows operating system

Usually, you will be prompted to update Windows when a new version becomes available. If accepted, the update will download in the background and you will be asked to restart to install it. This is where the inconvenience arises, as many people often find that the install takes place when they turn their machines on to start work in the morning. If you do choose to download and install updates through the day, it may be worth restarting your computer at the end of the day so the process can finish before you turn your PC on in the morning. You can also search “Check for Updates” in the start menu to see if there are any new ones available in Windows Settings. If you have some free time, you may wish to do this to help avoid any inconvenience and install them at a time more suitable for you.

If you would like to know more about how to keep your company’s data secure, or help keep your team’s machines updated while working remotely, please get in touch.

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