Step-by-Step GuideTurning On Automatic Updates(For Windows 10 and Windows 8 & 8.1)

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Disclaimer

The material in this guide is of a general nature and should not be regarded as legal advice or relied on for assistance in any particular circumstance or emergency situation. In any important matter, you should seek appropriate independent professional advice in relation to your own circumstances.

The Commonwealth accepts no responsibility or liability for any damage, loss or expense incurred as a result of the reliance on information contained in this guide.

Copyright

© Commonwealth of Australia 2019With the exception of the Coat of Arms and where otherwise stated, all material presented in this publication is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (www.creativecommons.org/licenses).

For the avoidance of doubt, this means this licence only applies to material as set out in this document.

The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commons website as is the full legal code for the CC BY 4.0 licence (www.creativecommons.org/licenses).

Use of the Coat of Arms

The terms under which the Coat of Arms can be used are detailed on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website (www.dpmc.gov.au/government/commonwealth-coat-arms).

Disclaimer

The material in this guide is of a general nature and should not be regarded as legal advice or relied on for assistance in any particular circumstance or emergency situation. In any important matter, you should seek appropriate independent professional advice in relation to your own circumstances.

The Commonwealth accepts no responsibility or liability for any damage, loss or expense incurred as a result of the reliance on information contained in this guide.

Copyright

© Commonwealth of Australia 2017

With the exception of the Coat of Arms and where otherwise stated, all material presented in this publication is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (www.creativecommons.org/licenses).

For the avoidance of doubt, this means this licence only applies to material as set out in this document.

The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commons website as is the full legal code for the CC BY 4.0 licence (www.creativecommons.org/licenses).

Use of the Coat of Arms

The terms under which the Coat of Arms can be used are detailed on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website (www.dpmc.gov.au/government/commonwealth-coat-arms).

2 Automatic Updates | Windows 10 and Windows 8 & 8.1

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Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Automatic Updates – Windows 10

· Step 1 6 Check what operating system you are currently using

· Step 2 8 Turn on automatic updates for your operating system

· Step 3 9 Turn on automatic updates for your programs

Automatic Updates – Windows 8 & 8.1

· Step 1 10 Check what operating system you are currently using

· Step 2 11 Turn on automatic updates for your operating system

· Step 3 13 Turn on automatic updates for your programs

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Step-by-Step Guide

Backing Up & Restoring Your Computer(For Windows)

Step-by-Step Guide

Backing Up & Restoring Your Computer(For Mac)

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For more cyber security advice, visit cyber.gov.au

This step-by-step guide shows you how to turn on automatic updates if you use Microsoft Windows.

Other step-by-step guides include:

Introduction

4 Automatic Updates | Windows 10 and Windows 8 & 8.1

Automatic Updates

Where do I turn it on?

How to turn on automatic updates can differ depending on your operating system and your programs.

This guide steps you through turning on automatic updates on a desktop computer for the Windows 10 and 8 and 8.1 operating systems.

To turn on automatic updates for Mac, please refer to the Step-by-Step Guide to Turning On Automatic Updates (For Mac).

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Step-by-Step GuideTurning On Automatic Updates(For Mac)

What are automatic updates?

New, improved or fixed versions of software installed on your computers or mobile devices.

Automatic updates allow you to keep your software updated without having to check for and install them manually.

Why is it important to turn it on?

Saving you time and worry, automatic updates are an important part of keeping your data safe.

Automatic updates protect your software from viruses and hacking attempts. Without user intervention, they also keep your machine up to date and efficient.

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Step 1 for Windows 10

1. Select the Windows icon in the bottom left of your screen.

If this screen looks different to yours, turn to page 10 as you as you may have an older version of Windows.

2. Click on the Settings Cog icon.

3. Once in Settings, click on the System icon.

6 Automatic Updates | Windows 10 and Windows 8 & 8.1

Check what operating system you are currently using

An operating system is the most important piece of software on your computer. It manages your computer’s hardware and all its programs.

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Step 1 for Windows 10 CONT...

4. Once in System, scroll down and click on About.

5. In the About window, scroll down to Windows Specifications.

6. Look for Edition information to determine your operating system.

Below that you can find which version you have. The panel to the left shows a Windows 10 Home device with a version 1903.

Step 2 for Windows 10

8

Turn on automatic updates for Windows 10

By default, Windows 10 updates your operating system automatically. However, it is safest to manually check that you are up to date and it is turned on.

1. Select the Windows icon in the bottom left of your screen.

2. Click on the Settings Cog icon.

3. Once in Settings, scroll down and click on Update & Security.

4. In the Update & Security window click Check for Updates if necessary. To check if your updates are paused, click Advanced Options.

Automatic Updates | Windows 10 and Windows 8 & 8.1

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For more information on cyber security guidance specific to small businesses,

refer to the Small Business Cyber Security Guide, available at cyber.gov.au

Turn on automatic updates for your programs

In addition to turning on automatic updates for your operating system, it is recommended you also turn on automatic updates for your programs.

There are generally three ways to turn on automatic updates for programs.

1. Programs automatically update with operating system updates.

2. Automatic updates is the default setting upon program installation.

3. Manually turning on automatic updates.

Every program is different. For steps to manually turn on automatic updates for your programs, follow the product developer’s instructions.

Step 3 Windows 10

Small BusinessCyber Security Guide

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10

Step 1 for Windows 8/8.1

If your screen does not look like the steps above, click on the Start icon in the bottom left of your screen. If then your screen resembles this adjacent image, your operating system is Windows 8 & 8.1.

If when you click on the Start icon in the bottom left of your screen and it looks like this adjacent image image, your operating system is Windows 7.

Check what operating system you are currently using

An operating system is the most important piece of software on your computer. It manages your computer’s hardware and all its programs.

Automatic Updates | Windows 10 and Windows 8 & 8.1

NOTE: Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010 lifecycles end January 2020 and October 2020 respectively. Your computer will still work,but it will not receive security updates or auto-updates, leaving your machine highly vulnerable to technical, software and security risks. For more information on what this means and what to do next, refer to the End of Support Quick Wins, available at cyber.gov.au.

Windows 8 & 8.1

Using the search bar, search Windows Update and select the Settings link which will pre-populate.

Turn on automatic updates for Windows 8/8.

Step 2 for Windows 8/8.1

1. Click on the Windows Start icon at the bottom left of the screen.

2. Navigate to the Search magnifying glass icon to open a Search dialogue box.

3. Enter Windows Update in the Search bar.

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Step 2 for Windows 8/8.1 CONT...

4. Select Choose whether to automatically install Windows updates

5. Under Important Updates ensure that drop down box is set to Install updates automatically (recommended)

Automatic Updates | Windows 10 and Windows 8 & 8.1

Turn on automatic updates for your programs

In addition to turning on automatic updates for your operating system, it is recommended you also turn on automatic updates for your programs.

There are generally four ways to turn on automatic updates for programs.

1. Programs automatically update with operating system updates.

2. Automatic updates through the Microsoft Store

3. Automatic updates is the default setting upon program installation.

4. Manually turning on automatic updates.

Every program is different. For steps to manually turn on automatic updates for your programs, follow the product developer’s instructions.

Apps not downloaded through the Microsoft store will need manual checks.

Step 3 Windows 8/8.1

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Small BusinessCyber Security Guide

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For more information on cyber security guidance specific to small businesses,

refer to the Small Business Cyber Security Guide, available at cyber.gov.au

14 Automatic Updates | Windows 10 and Windows 8 & 8.1

Notes

Notes

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For more information, or to report a cyber security incident, contact us

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call 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371)