Windows updates are often underestimated by users but they are essential in order to keep the operating system safe from hackers and viruses, which often take advantage of Windows vulnerabilities to spread faster and evade even the most effective of antiviruses. If we are a beginner with Windows and we do not know if our system is updated or needs updates, in this guide we will show you how to update Windows 10, using the automatic system provided by the system plus some expert tricks to be able to set the updates according to the our needs. We will also show you how to set the time of activity (useful for those who work) or how to solve if Windows 10 does not update.
How to update Windows 10
Below we will show you how to make updates on Windows 10, the latest operating system released by Microsoft. Reading all the chapters we will learn to update the system, to program updates in the preferred time slot and to optimize the download of updates, to avoid saturating our entire connection.Check for new updates available in Windows 10
Updates are automatically downloaded and installed on Windows 10, right from the first boot of the system: in fact we will not have to do anything, except wait for the warning window to appear for the most important updates (those that require a restart, such as releases new versions of Windows 10) or periodically check if, in the Start menu, there are the items Update and stop or Update and restart (by pressing the Power off button).
Choosing one of the two items the system will be updated and turned off / restarted. At the next start, the update procedure will be completed and we will have access to the login screen (or to the desktop, if we have activated automatic login ).
If we do not detect any updates to be installed in the notifications, we can force the search for new updates by opening the Start menu at the bottom left, selecting the Settings app, going to the Update and security -> Windows Update path and pressing the Check for updates button.
This will start the search and download of available updates, which will be immediately installed on the system. On some occasions we will have to press the Download button or the Download and install now button to download some optional updates or other Microsoft apps (such as Office).
In any case, these updates will be downloaded and installed by Windows 10 when the system is not active (ie when we leave the PC on for a few minutes).
Update Windows 10 to the new version
It should be noted that for Windows 10, Microsoft releases two major system updates called feature updates every year, changing the version of Windows 10 and including not only security patches, but also changes to operation and options. These version updates for Windows 10 are also released via Windows Update.In another article we explained how to check which version of Windows is installed on the PC .
When new versions of Windows 10 are available, you can still force, download and install the new feature update from the Microsoft site by pressing the Update Now button to download the update assistant (a file named Windows10Upgrade.exe ) which starts a wizard.
From the same page you can also press the Download tool to download the Media Creation Tool which allows you to install the latest version of Windows 10, from scratch or as an update of the current version (without deleting anything).
Also note that after a feature update, you can always go back to the previous version of Windows 10 in case of problems.
How to set the Internet speed to dedicate to updates
Windows 10 updates can be very large and often require all the download speed of our Internet line to be performed. If this is not particularly felt on lines of 100 Mega or more, those who have only 10 or 20 Mega could see browsing slow down on the PC in use, on the other PCs or on the other devices connected to the network.To avoid this problem, we can set the maximum amount of bandwidth that Windows 10 uses to download updates from the Internet. To do this, go to the Settings app (from the Start menu), open the path Update and security -> Delivery optimization and press on Advanced options .
We activate the check mark on the item Limit the bandwidth used to download updates in the background and set the limit as 50% ; immediately below we also activate the item Limit the bandwidth used to download updates in the foreground and set a value between 60% and 80% (based on the speed of our Internet line ).
By doing this, the automatic updates of Windows 10 will not take more than 50% of our line speed when run in the background; if instead we launch the update (as seen in the previous chapter) and leave the window in the foreground, the download will be faster (without saturating the whole line).
How to set up a business hours
Since updating Windows 10 can be very annoying (especially on work PCs), Microsoft allows you to set a working time, in which the system will not search for and install any updates. To do this, go back to the Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Update path and then press the Change activity time item.
To let the PC monitor our activity time, just activate the button under the item Automatically adjust the activity time for this device based on its use ; if, on the other hand, we want to manually set our working time slot, just press the Edit button and set a start time and an end time (we cannot set more than 12 hours in the time slot). When the PC is in the time slot, updates will only be monitored, in order to be downloaded and installed only when the PC leaves the time slot; in any case we will be notified both of the presence of important updates during the business hours and after this time.
To allow Windows 10 to install updates without hindering our work, just set the item Restart the device as soon as possible when a restart is required to complete the update (present in Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Update - > Advanced options ).
In this way, you can also disable the automatic restart of Windows after an update
After activating this item we leave the PC on (without any program or document open) immediately after the working hours, without touching anything (neither mouse nor keyboard), so as to install all the updates.
If we go away from work, we can leave the PC on and automatically shut it down after two hours from our departure, using one of the programs seen in our guide Block or shut down the PC when inactive or at the end of a process .
How to postpone updates
If we want to prevent the PC from downloading and installing updates for a certain period of time, we can suspend the Windows 10 updates by going to the Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Update path, click on Advanced Options and choose the date from the drop-down menu under the Suspend updates section.
In addition to the postponement date of updates, we can also choose the days to postpone optional updates and feature updates.
On Windows 10 it is not possible to completely turn off the updates, being they an important part of the functioning of the operating system: an updated system is a safe system, therefore Microsoft has decided to remove the possibility of choice for users. To meet all needs, however, we can set up hours of operation, so that Windows 10 searches and installs updates without disturbing our work on the PC.
How to fix problems with Windows 10 updates
Since the updates are automatically managed by Windows 10, we will hardly have problems from this point of view. However, if we notice that the updates "hiding" or we notice errors from the Windows Update screen of the Settings menu, the first check to do is on the Windows services related to the updates.To do this we open the Start menu at the bottom left and search for the Services tool. From the new window we sort the various services by name (click on the Name column), look for the Windows Update and Intelligent Transfer Service in the background, right-click on them, press on Properties and make sure that they are set to Automatic and that they are started (click on the Start button).
To resolve other problems related to Windows updates, we recommend you read our guides on how to solve problems with Windows updates or how to solve Windows Update errors if the system does not update .
Conclusions
Updating Windows 10 is essential to keep hackers away and prevent viruses from sneaking inside our computer; luckily the procedure is completely automatic, we will only have to check that it has a set working time (for those who work a lot on the PC) and that we know how to temporarily suspend updates in case of need.READ ALSO: How to block Windows 10 updates and disable Windows Update
