Ag IT uses systems management tools and Windows features to help keep College computers and their applications updated and secure.
Types of Microsoft Updates
- Quality Updates - these updates include security updates, critical updates, servicing stack updates, and driver updates. They are typically released on the second Tuesday of each month, though they can be released at any time.
- Feature Updates - released annually. Feature updates add new features and functionality to Windows.
After a Microsoft Quality Update is released (typically on the 2nd Tuesday of the month), Ag IT installs the update on our computers for testing. We also closely monitor various security websites for any reports of problems resulting from the installation of the update. After two days of successful testing and monitoring, Ag IT releases the update to College computers.
After a Microsoft Feature Update is released (annually), Ag IT installs the update on our computers for testing. We also closely monitor various security websites for any reports of problems resulting from the installation of the update. After 60 days of successful testing and monitoring, Ag IT releases the update to College computers.
Once an Ag computer receives either a Quality or Feature Update, the user will begin to see notifications/requests to restart the computer. This restart is required to fully install the update. The first notification the user will likely notice is an orange dot in the system tray (see image below).
If the user clicks the orange dot icon, details (see image below) about what updates have been or need to be installed are displayed, along with the timeframe in which the computer will need to be restarted. The user can choose to restart the computer at that time, schedule the restart for a particular time or ignore the notification until the deadline (15 days from when the update was installed) at which time the computer will be automatically restarted.
If the user chooses to ignore the notification, the orange dot will remain visible on the computer and at various times up until the deadline, additional pop-up notifications will be displayed, reminding the user of the impending restart.
Fifteen days after a Windows update has been downloaded, if the user has not yet restarted the computer, it will be automatically restarted. There will be a very brief warning just before the restart, but by that time, the user should have already saved and closed their work.
