After you have installed Windows, the
device drivers, a
firewall and
setup the internet connection,
the first thing to do is updating the Windows software. Updating
Windows is actually very easy, first you visit the Windows Update
website: Start, All Programs, Windows Update (or visit the Windows
Update website with the following link:
windowsupdate.microsoft.com). By visiting the Windows Update website,
you will have two options:
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It is very important to install all the critical updates. Without these critical updates, you have some important security issues, which need to be fixed as soon as possible. Install the critical updates before you visit other websites! On the Windows Update website, use one of the above options and install all the High priority updates. After you installed the high priority critical updates, restart Windows and visit the Windows Update website again.
These updates can be massive, especially if service pack 2 is not installed yet. If you have SP2 on CD-ROM, you can install it without installing SP1 first. SP2 is provided with and auto update function for critical updates (the yellow shield in the system tray) and the Security Center (the red shield in the system tray) which is actually not needed at all. On the page how to optimize the Windows services, you can read how to disable the Security Center.
If all critical updates are installed, check the optional updates to enhance your Windows system. You will find updates for the Media Player, Outlook Express, DirectX .NET Framework and more. After you installed the optional Windows updates, reboot and check the Windows Update website again until all needed optional and all critical Windows Updates are installed!
You are also able to download updated drivers for the hardware. Although Windows has many build-in device drivers, I prefer to install or update the device drivers with the most recent drivers from the manufacturer.
I have frequently seen, things going wrong (blue screen) after updating device drivers from the Windows update website. That's why you better install one device driver update at a time. If the new driver is giving a BSOD (Bleu Screen Of Death), boot in safe mode (press F8 at reboot), Control Panel, System, tab Hardware, button Device Manager, right click the updated hardware, choose Properties, tab Driver, button Roll Back Driver.
Besides installing the Windows updates, you can choose to update all Microsoft products like MS-Office. Therefore, you go to the Windows Update page and choose for Microsoft-Updates in the menubar. The update procedure is similar to Windows Update.
If you have just reinstalled Windows XP, it's wise to update directly with the latest available Service Pack. You can download (and install) the Service Pack files directly from the Windows Update site or download the Service Pack file first from the Microsoft downloadcentre (www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx). You can directly install the latest service pack, there is no need to install the previous service pack's!
If all updates are installed (or if you have troubles with the Windows Update
website), you can safely delete the files in the following folders:
C:\Windows\System32\Catroot2
C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download
I can't imagine you would like to roll back the installed high priority Windows updates. To delete the undo files, remove all the hidden folders starting with a "$" in the folder C:\WINDOWS (this can free a lot of hard disk space!) If you are still having Windows update problems, try to turn off and on the Windows update function (Control Panel, Automatic Updates).
NOTE: These files are hidden in the Windows Explorer! To unhide: Tools, Folder Options, tab View, enable Display the content of system folders, enable Show hidden files and folders, disable Hide extensions for known file types and disable Hide protected operating system files.
If there are still troubles installing critical updates in spite of the above tips, you can disable the critical update. Double click the yellow shield for the critical updates and choose for custom install. Disable the critical update which you don't want to be offered again (confirm in the next window). Automatic updates of the Control panel gives the option to show the hidden updates and install them as you wish (at the bottom of the window you will find the option Offer updates again that I've previously hidden).
With the new Windows Update software, all updates are stored in the folder C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download. By copying these files to a safe location, you have a backup for a new Windows installation. This can save a lot of download time, especially if you have a slow internet connection.
NOTE: The files don't have an extension and the name doesn't make you happy as well. Add the extension .exe or .msi to get them working (you can rename to recognize them if you wish). The folder C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Installations also contains downloaded software updates!
In some circumstances, it can be wise to create an image of you current system first, especially if you suspect you will have problems with the Windows updates. If something goes into the 'blue', you are able to recover your Windows to the earlier situation.
Don't like the automatic Windows Media Player update? Start the
registry editor, find the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\PlayerUpgrade
and change the String Value AskMeAgain in no (in stead of yes).
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