Apple OS-X 10.3 and Higher

To check for system Software Updates on an Apple OS-X machine at 10.3.* level or higher, click on the Apple icon at the top left of the screen and click on “Software Update…” The Software Update program will scan your machine for new updates and present you a list of all updates it finds which you need. You may see any combination of Software Updates listed for your machine.

Whatever software updates are found for your machine, select them all! Then click on the” Install” button. If you are asked to Authenticate, do so using your normal Name: and Password: you use on the Apple machine upon which you are doing the updates. Accept all software license agreements if you are asked. Do NOT interrupt the machine once the update begins. Let it finish completely. Software Updates may easily take 5-10 minutes or more to complete.

Most Software Updates will require a machine reboot after installation. You will generally be presented with a popup window telling you “Click on the Restart… option to reboot your machine.” Do so. We recommend you restart your machine after any and every Software Update whether it asks or not. It is a good computing practice to reboot after any Software Update.

After rebooting your machine, login and go back and check for Software Updates again. Continue this process until you are specifically told your software is up to date.

After you have completed all system Software Updates following the procedures above, you need to check for any Microsoft Office updates. Click on a blank area of your desktop, click on the “Go” button at the top of your screen, click on “Applications.” Slide the scroll bar until you find “Microsoft AutoUpdate.” Double-click on “Microsoft AutoUpdate.”

A “Microsoft AutoUpdate” window will pop up on your desktop. You should check that “Automatically” is checked and “Daily” is selected. Then click on the “Check for Updates” button. The program will scan your machine for any updates to Microsoft Office software you have installed.

If any updates are found, they will be presented to you. Select all updates presented and do the update. If you are asked to Authenticate, do so using your normal Name: and Password: you use on the Apple machine upon which you are doing the updates. Accept all software license agreements if you are asked. Do NOT interrupt the machine once the update begins. Let it finish completely. Software Updates may easily take 5-10 minutes or more to complete.

The most important part of this procedure is to always reboot your machine after every update, whether the update asks you to reboot or not!!! And after you reboot your machine, go back and repeat the process of checking for updates until you are specifically told there are no more to do.

Windows XP

On your Windows XP machines, start the Internet Explorer browser. Click on the Tools drop-down menu bar and click on the “Windows Update” option. Let it scan your machine. If you are asked to update to Windows Update, do so. Install the Active X control and then Check for Updates.

Click on the Custom button when presented (NOT THE EXPRESS BUTTON!!!). Select all the updates, group by group, and do them all. I suggest you reboot your machine after every update whether it asks you to do so or not.

After rebooting, go back and repeat the above procedure to check again for any further updates. Keep doing this after each update round until doing the Windows Update via the Custom button specifically tells you there are no more (0) updates left to do on your machine in every category.

Wrap Up

If for ANY REASON you cannot complete any software update on your machine, please contact the support team at gse-tech-help@uci.edu and let us know. OR call the Tech Help Hotline at (949) 824-5537. One of the support team members will assist you as soon as possible.

Please tell all your family, friends, neighbors, students, colleagues and everyone else you know to do updates on their machines. It is a very, very good practice to do all software updates on all machines.

-rock-

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Rock Hunter

Computing Resource Manager

University of California Irvine

Department of Education

2001 Berkeley Place

Irvine, CA. 92697-5500

Office: (949) 824-5564

Cell: (619) 787-7625

Email: rock.hunter@uci.edu

Web: http://www.gse.uci.edu

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