Configuring Updates in Windows 7

Before you start

Objectives: Learn how to use Windows Update console to configure updates in Windows 7.

Prerequisites: you have to know what are updates and why are they important.

Key terms: Windows Update, Windows 7, configuration


 Windows Update Console

To open Windows Update, we can go to to Start > All programs > Windows Update.

 1 Windows Update

Windows Update Window

When we install Windows 7, we are asked if we want to configure Windows updates. We can choose  to configure it immediately, to configure it later, or to never configure Windows updates. If we choose not to configure Windows updates to automatically check for updates, we can always check for updates manually.

Let’s look at some of the settings of Windows Update. To do that we can select “Change settings” option from the menu on the left.

 2 Change Settings

Windows Update Menu

Here we choose different options about Windows updates.

3 Options

We have different options for important update installation:

4 Installation Options

So, updates can be installed automatically, they can be downloaded but not installed, and they can be checked for but not downloaded and installed. We can also choose not to install updates at all. We can also choose on which day and at what time to install updates. For laptops the option to check for updates but not download them is great. This way we can save battery.

Note that we also have an option to give us recommend updates the same way as important updates. We can also enable or disable standard users to install updates on our computer.

Checking for Updates

When our computer checks for updates, the system will contact Microsoft Windows update servers.  For example, in our case, after the check we only have one important update available for installation.

 7 Update Check

Available Updates

We can click on “1 important update is available” and see what updates are available for install.

8 List Of Updates

List of Updates

We can also right-click and hide the update.

 9 Hide Update Option

Hide Update Option

If we do that, it won’t be installed and won’t be brought up for installation in the future. We can also copy its details. We can also view more information about the selected update on the right-hand side of the window.

 10 Update Information

Information About Update

If we hide an update, but we want to bring it back again and install it, we have to go to the “Restore hidden updates” option in the Windows Update console.

 11 Hidden Updates

Hidden Updates Option

In that window we will select the update we want to restore, and then click the Restore button.

Windows vs. Microsoft Updates

By default, we will only get updates for Microsoft Windows operating system. To be able to install updates for Windows and other Microsoft products, we can click on “Find out more” option.

12 Find Out More

Find Out More Option

This takes us to a website where we can choose to install a new version of Microsoft Update, which allows us to download updates for not only Windows but also other products from Microsoft, such as Microsoft Office.

 13 Microsoft Updates

Microsoft Update

This upgrade can also be done trough the Microsoft Office. Once we install Microsoft Office and run it for the first time, it will ask us if we want to use Microsoft Update to get updates for Microsoft Office as well. Once we upgraded the Windows Update to a newer version, we get two more option in Update settings.

14 New Options

New Update Options

Now we can choose to get (or disable) updates for other Microsoft products. We can also choose to get other Microsoft software such as various add-ons or similar.

After the upgrade, we have checked for updates again, and now we have three updates available for install.

 15 New Updates

New Updates Available

Let’s try and install them now.

 16 Installation

Installation

As we can see, whenever update is being installed, a restore point is created. This means that in case the update causes a problem, we can revert back to the point of time before the update was installed.

Note that installing update will often require a reboot.

 17 Reboot

Reboot Required

After the reboot, we can go back to Windows Updates and check the Update history on the left hand side.

 18 History

Update History

Here we can see all updates that were installed, when it happened, the status of the installation, and the importance of the update.

 19 History 2

List of Installed Updates

We can also right-click specific update in this list and see the details of the update installation.

 20 Update Installation Details

Installation Details

We can gather more information about the update from the knowledgebase article in the update installation details. This is particularly useful if we have an installation error and we need to fix it.

Uninstalling Updates

All updates that we install can be uninstalled. To do that we can go to the “Installed Updates” option on the left hand side of the Windows Update window.

 21 Installed Updates

Installed Updates Option

Here we will see a list of updates. We can right-click particular update and then uninstall it.

 22 Uninstalling Update

Uninstall Option