Hello everyone,

Many of the people in my area of the country don’t always apply the Microsoft Security Updates (Patches). So that they may better understand, this is what I tell them:

Just kind of close your eyes for a moment and imagine the following:

You live in a beautiful house that has a beautiful backyard.
Your backyard is spacious, fertile, beautiful, but it is full of insects.
The back door which opens into your backyard is a screen door.
From time to time the back door screen becomes torn and punctured.
Through these tears and punctures the insects from your beautiful backyard enter into your beautiful house.
It’s not your fault that the insects enter – the screen door is defective and damaged.
A repairman comes and closes up the tears and punctures in the back door screen and the insects can no longer get into your beautiful house. Your house is once again safe and secure!

Are you still with me? Do you see where I’m heading? Bear with me and let’s continue!

You have a beautiful computer that has a wonderful OS (Windows XP, Vista, 7).
The Internet is global, full of ideas, knowledge, leisure. Oh so beautiful –  but it is full of “bugs”.
The door which opens you up to the Internet is your Operating System.
From time to time “holes” begin to appear in your Operating System.
Through these “holes” the “bugs”  from the beautiful Internet enter into your beautiful computer, into your wonderful Operating System.
It’s not your fault that the Internet “bugs” enter – the OS is defective, insecure, “porous”.
Microsoft comes and “patches” the “holes” in your Operating System and the Internet “bugs” can no longer get into your beautiful computer and wonderful OS. Your computer is once again safe and secure, protected from security exploits and vulnerabilities!

Now do you see where I’m heading? All that for this:

1) The very first thing that you must do to keep your system “safe and secure” is to allow Microsoft Windows Update to download the latest security “patches” and “fixes” for your system. Go to Microsoft Windows Update or click your computers Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update. Use Internet Explorer to access the Microsoft site (or use method #2).

2) If you are the forgetful type or just don’t want to be bothered, I recommend that you configure Windows Update to “install updates automatically”. On the second Tuesday of each month (sometimes more often), Microsoft will “patch” your system thus eliminating any “hole” in your OS.

a) Click Start, click Control Panel, and then find Security Center.

b) Click Security Center, and then make sure Automatic updating is turned on.

Professor Randy says: You can keep your beautiful computer safe and secure! Keep the “bugs” out by allowing Microsoft Update to “patch” your system every month!