The Windows Update Catalog provides timely updates for all the operating systems available. Following are included in the updates:

  • Device driver updates
  • Hotfixes for various problems
  • Updated Windows system files
  • Service pack

New Windows features and enhancements

It is recommended that only advanced users or the administrators should download updates from the Windows Update Catalog. If you are not an advanced user or an administrator then please visit the following Microsoft Web site to download updates directly on your computer.

(http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com)

Steps to download updates from the Windows Update Catalog

Step 1: Access the Windows Update Catalog

In order to access the Windows Update catalog visit the following link: http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Home.aspx (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=8973)

Step 2: Search for updates from the Windows Update Catalog

After opening the Windows Update Catalog you need to search the items you are looking for. This can be done by typing the search text in the search box there. Let’s assume that we want to download Windows Vista Security so we will type Windows Vista Security and press enter. Once you get the related results select the update you want to download and click on Add, to add it to the download list. For downloading more updates repeat the same steps.

Step 3: Download updates

Once you are finished adding downloads to the basket click on View Basket. Once open verify the list of downloads and then click on download to start the download process. You might get the license agreement which you need to read and accept. Select the folder location where you want to save these updates and if you wish you can click on browse button and select the folder. Once the download ends close the window. When the download is over the next steps is to install these updates. This can be done by browsing to the folder where you have saved the downloads and install them one by one. Just make sure that is you downloaded device drivers then they need to be installed by going to Install Drivers in Control Panel. Execute each downloaded update and just follow the instructions. You might get the license agreements again which you need to accept. Once all the items are installed your task is through and your system is up to date with the updates you selected.

Installing drivers

Driver installation is slightly different than installing any other application. To install a driver you first need to extract the files in a folder. Then go to add new hardware wizard in control panel and select “Install from the list of devices”. In this window you will get a list of devices and there would be a button titled”Have Disk”. Click on Have Disk and browse to the folder where you have kept the extracted driver files. Select the file which has .INI as its extension. On selecting this file the Wizard will read the information from it and will identify the device and will install the driver successfully. INI files are the main files for any driver package and they have all the hardware information for specific device.