NOTE: If your hardware or software is too old it may not auto-update and leave your business susceptible to technical, software and security issues. The ACSC recommends upgrading your device or software. Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 10 will be
unsupported after 14 January 2020 and 13 October 2020 respectively. 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 or mobile device using Microsoft Windows 10. To turn on automatic updates for Mac, please refer to Turning On Automatic Updates - For iMac, MacBook, iPhone & iPad. An operating system is the most important piece
of software on your computer. It manages your computer’s hardware and all its programs.Setting up automatic updates
Where do I turn it on?
Step 1 for Windows 10
Check what operating system you are currently using
Below that, you can find which version you have. The panel below shows a Windows 10 Home device with a version 1903.
Determining which Windows version you have will tell you about the life cycle of the product or how long your operating system is supported by the manufacturer.
Step 2 for Windows 10
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.
- Select the Windows icon in the bottom left of your screen.
- Click on the Settings Cog icon.
- Once in Settings, scroll down and click on Update & Security.
- In the Update & Security window click Check for Updates if necessary. To check if your updates are paused, click
Advanced Options.
Some feature updates will need to be manually enabled even when automatic updates are turned on. To do this go to, Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Once the update appears, you can select
Download and install now.
Step 3 Windows 10
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.
- Programs automatically update with operating system updates.
- Automatic updates is the default setting upon program installation.
- Manually turning on automatic updates. This can be enabled through Advanced
Options [see Step 2 for Microsoft Windows 10].
Every program is different. For further information on the steps to manually turn on automatic updates for your programs, follow the program developer’s instructions.
For more information on cyber security guidance specific to small businesses, refer to the Small Business Cyber Security Guide.