How do I get the latest updates for my Windows Live programs?

Because it's important that you receive important security updates as soon as they're available, Windows Live notifies you about these types of updates, automatically downloads them, and allows you to install them immediately, regardless of your Windows Update settings. When you installed Windows Live Essentials, you agreed to receive important updates in this way.

The only way to stop downloading these important updates is to uninstall Windows Live Essentials. If you choose not to install the downloaded updates, some features of installed Windows Live programs may no longer function.

You may get additional updates for Windows Live programs via the Microsoft Update service. Microsoft Update helps you get all of the latest updates for Windows Live and other supported Microsoft software products without having to visit multiple websites.

For updates that are delivered using Microsoft Update, you can choose your automatic update settings. To review each recommended update before downloading and installing it, turn off automatic updates in Windows Update, and then manually check for updates.

To check for updates manually

1. Go to Windows Update in Control Panel. (Click Start. In the search box, type Windows Update, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update.)

2. In the left pane, click Check for updates. You can review or select from any available updates before installing them.

Note

It's a good idea to turn on automatic updating so that your computer can receive new updates as soon as they become available. However, if you choose not to use automatic updating, we recommend that you check for updates at least once a week.