FIGURE 1.4 Options for switching the user, logging off, locking the computer, restarting it, or putting it to sleep
To learn more, let's do this small exercise, which teaches you how to put Windows 7 to sleep and then resume from sleep (Exercise 1.2).
EXERCISE 1.2
Putting Your Computer to Sleep and Then Resuming Your Work
1. Click the Start button in Windows 7, on the bottom-left corner of the screen.
2. Click the small arrow near the Shut Down button to reveal other options (Figure 1.5).
3. Click Sleep and wait for Windows 7 to turn off the screen and put itself into sleep mode.
4. Wait a couple of seconds, press the power button, and then wait for Windows 7 to resume from sleep.
5. At the sign-in screen, type your user account password and click the Sign In button.
FIGURE 1.5 The Sleep button
Software and System Updates
Most applications and operating systems receive updates on a regular basis. Windows receives updates through the Windows Update service, whereas software applications receive updates through their own update services, if their manufacturer provides them. For example, Internet browsers made by companies other than Microsoft (e.g., Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera) have their own update service. They are updated on a monthly basis because they require continuous improvement in order to keep up with the needs of their users and the evolution of the Internet. Other applications may not have their own update service, so users need to manually download and install newer versions when they become available. Most applications are like this, including popular ones like the 7-Zip file archiver or the GOM multimedia player.
Luckily, Microsoft also offers updates to popular software like Microsoft Office or Windows Essentials through the Windows Update service, if you set it to deliver them.
Software updates are created for many reasons:
■ To fix problems of any kind, ranging from security issues to bugs that don't allow the software run as it was intended.
■ To add new features and characteristics that make the product more useful to its users.
■ Some operating system updates also provide new driver versions that allow the operating system to better use and manage the hardware components of your computer.
By default, Windows is set to automatically check for updates and install them when they are available. However, you can also install them manually. Exercise 1.3 details how to check for updates and install those that are available.
EXERCISE 1.3
Manually Installing Windows Updates
1. Click Start and then Control Panel.
2. Click System And Security and then Windows Update (Figure 1.6).
3. In the column on the left, click Check For Updates (Figure 1.7).
4. Wait for Windows to check for updates and let you know whether there are any updates available to be installed.
5. If updates are available, click Install Updates (Figure 1.8) and wait for them to be installed.
When the process is finished, you are informed that the updates were successfully installed.
6. It is possible that Windows will recommend that you restart your computer in order to install those updates. If that is the case, click Restart Now (Figure 1.9). Otherwise, close the Windows Update window.
FIGURE 1.6 The System And Security section in Control Panel
FIGURE 1.7 The Windows Update window
FIGURE 1.8 Windows Update informing you how many updates are available
FIGURE 1.9 Windows Update informing you that updates were successfully installed
Always Keep Windows Update Turned On
On some technical forums or blogs you may encounter a recommendation to disable Windows Update. Some recommend this because they think that it improves general system performance. Others recommend this because using Windows Update on pirated copies of Windows will install updates that figure out whether users are using an illegal copy of Windows and try to inform them about this problem and educate them on how to purchase a legal copy of Windows.
Disabling Windows Update is a very bad practice that only creates problems for users. For starters, your Windows installation will not benefit from the many security updates provided by Microsoft. Therefore, it will be vulnerable to all kinds of security threats. Also, you won't benefit from bug fixes and performance improvements. Also, some updates add new features to Windows that may be useful to you. That's why you should always check and confirm that Windows Update is enabled on your computer and that it installs updates automatically.
Windows Update can be set to work in four different ways:
■ Install Updates Automatically (Recommended)
Every day, Windows automatically checks for updates and installs them in the background when they are available. If a computer restart is required in order to finalize their installation, it will request it from the user. This is the default setting for Windows Update.
■ Download Updates, But Let Me Choose Whether to Install Them
Windows Update automatically checks for updates and downloads them in the background when they are available. The user is prompted to install them, when appropriate.
■ Check For Updates, But Let Me Choose Whether to Download and Install Them
Windows Update automatically checks for updates in the background, and it informs the user when they available for download and installation. It doesn't download any updates without the user's prior consent.
■ Never Check For Updates (Not Recommended)
This means that Windows Update is turned off and not working. Windows is not kept up to date, and it becomes vulnerable to all kinds of problems.
When setting up your Windows computer for the first time, it is a good idea to double-check that Windows Update is turned on and working well. Exercise 1.4 shares how to do this.
EXERCISE 1.4
Confirming That Windows Update Is Turned On
1. Click Start and then Control Panel.
2. Click System And Security and then Windows Update.
3. In the column on the left, click Change Settings.
4. In the Important Updates section, select Install Updates Automatically (Recommended) (Figure 1.10).
5. Click OK.
6. Close the Windows Update window.
FIGURE 1.10 Where you change