How to update the Windows version. How to update Windows yourself? Simple tips for novice users
Quite often, many users wonder how to update Windows 7 for free without getting into trouble. Today we will discuss this topic. In addition, we will also figure out what pitfalls you may encounter and how to get around them.
Data Security
The first thing you need to do before updating Windows 7 is to prepare properly. What do you need for this?
First of all, if you have already used your computer, it is best to prepare some kind of significant drive onto which you can later transfer all your personal and important data. The thing is that while working with operating systems, various failures occur, the consequence of which, as a rule, is a complete reinstallation. Nobody wants to lose their data. So it’s better to play it safe once again before upgrading to a newer version of Windows 7.
It would be a good idea to stock up on a reinstallation disk with the operating system just in case. This will help reduce your time and effort if a fatal error occurs during work that could ruin the system. No one is immune from this. Now that you have the drive and all your data has been transferred to a safe location, there are a few more things you need to know before you start updating. What exactly?
Collecting information about your computer
There are a few more points that you need to know to answer how to update Windows 7. Its maximum version requires quite impressive computer resources. This means that your computer must meet all the system requirements that one or another “axis” puts forward.
To do this, your best bet is to look up information online. You can view information about your computer in the “My Computer” section. Usually people are aware of what “systems” their computers have. So, if you are thinking about how to update Windows 7 (professional or any other), then compare how well your computer matches your ideas. If everything is in order here, then you can think about what to do next. There is very little left until the process itself.
Looking for updates
Now let's see how to update Windows 7. The initial preparation has already passed, it’s time to think about where to get all the necessary update files. There are several options for the development of events. Let's look at both of them in order.
We'll start with the most difficult method - searching for updates on the Internet. A search engine will help you with this. True, such manipulations can sometimes fail miserably, since under the guise of updates there can be various viruses and spies that infect the operating system and then begin to destroy it. Not the most pleasant outcome.
So be careful when searching. It is best to use the official Microsoft website for these needs. All files on it have already been checked for viruses. This way you can be confident in quality and reliability. Searching for updates on the Internet is one of the options for updating Windows 7. But there is another, simpler method.
Automation
With Windows 7, Microsoft made sure to provide its operating systems with all possible updates and at the same time allow people to choose whether to install them or not. The so-called "Update Center" helps with this. He will help you answer how to update Windows 7.
With this program, if you can call it such, each user has an excellent opportunity to see what updates are now available for his system, and then choose which ones to download and install. All this is done automatically, quickly and free of charge. However, not everyone uses this method.
If you decide to update your operating system using Update Center, first check all available updates. For this purpose, there is a corresponding button in the service itself. To work you need the Internet.
When the process comes to an end, the operating system will tell you what updates and how many of them were found. This helps the user avoid getting confused and downloading something they don't need (for example, an Arabic language pack). All that remains to be done is to mark the required update and download it. After this, it will be possible to talk about the process of updating the operating system itself.
Caution won't hurt
But be careful. Before you update Windows 7, carefully watch what you download. As mentioned above, you can run into a computer virus. The consequence of this may be a complete loss of all data and access to the system as a whole. There are such “worms” and “Trojans” that begin to send your personal data that you enter to their owner.
We are talking about passwords and accounts. So, instead of the long-awaited update, you will lose all your data, and even ruin your computer. Typically, a similar situation occurs when searching for updates on your own on the Internet. So it is highly recommended to use Windows Update. But even here you need to be very careful.
The thing is that you can stumble upon an update file that checks the system for authenticity. And now, as you know, many people use hacked versions. So don't check anything that starts with "K" in your list of available updates. For example, K2065845. So, if you download a verification update, you will get problems instead of an update. When you are completely ready, it's time to start reinstalling.
How to update
It doesn't matter which method you used. The main thing is that your update is already on your computer and is waiting for you to start the process. Run the "update" file. A window will appear in front of you that resembles a regular reinstaller. Read everything that is written in the box. Now click "Next". Eventually, once your computer is shown to be compliant, the update process will begin. It will complete automatically, after which the computer must be restarted. After this it will all be over. You can rejoice at your successes.
If
your computer has the Windows 7 operating system installed
Starter or Home Basic and you want
increase it to the Maximum (Ultimate) version for free, then there is
two ways.
How to update Windows 7
A window will open to view the basic information of the computer, we need its top part.
Here you can see what version of Windows is installed, but we
Currently wondering if the Service Pack is installed? Availability,
which is determined by the inscription Service Pack 1, if there is no such inscription,
let's move on to the next step.
Installing Windows 7 Service Pack
In the Start menu, enter “Windows Update” in the search bar and launch the found program.
A window similar to this will appear, click on the Install updates button.
After installing the updates, the previous window with a yellow shield should change to this window with a green shield.
If this does not happen, click on the tab on the left side of the Search window
updates ⇒ Install updates. We repeat this procedure until
A green shield will appear.
After successful installation of all updates, reboot the computer again
go to View basic computer information, now Service
Pack 1 should appear.
Transition Advisor
In order to determine whether it is possible to upgrade your computer to the Ultimatum version, download the transition advisor from this link.
You will be prompted to Download the archived or already unpacked file on
which a link appears only when you hover the mouse cursor to the right
the corner of the yellow rectangle as seen in the screenshot.
I recommend the second option because it will be faster.
Now install the downloaded file.
Installation is complete, close this dialog box.
We just launch the created shortcut on the “Advisor” desktop, and in the window that opens, click the Start scan button.
After checking your computer's compatibility, a window will appear asking you to update.
Windows 7 update process
Well, now we move on to the main stage, for this we download the key generator, launch it, in the window that appears we see three versions of the OS.
You should update in order of priority, i.e. if you have installed
Home Basic or Home Premium then
first to professional and then expanded.
Opposite the version you need, click the “Generate” button, thereby generating an activation key.
Without closing the window with the key, go to Start Menu ⇒ All Programs, find “Windows Anytime Upgrade” and launch.
Here you need to select: Enter the update key
After the update is completed, the computer will restart and the system will be updated to the version you selected.
To check whether Activation has been completed, repeat those described at the beginning
action lesson on entering Computer Properties, at the bottom of the screen we are
we'll see.
At this point we could congratulate you on successful activation, but if
you updated to Professional, then most likely you got it
three-day activation, at least that’s how it was for me.
There’s nothing wrong with that, you just need to upgrade to the Maximum version using the method described above, that’s all!
This concludes the lesson on how to update Windows 7; if you have any questions, I will always be happy to answer.
Valery Semenov, moikomputer.ru
Every month, Microsoft releases updates for its Windows operating systems and other products, which come with security improvements and fixes for all kinds of problems and errors that can harm users. Therefore, it is very important that the windows system is updated all the time, however, there are some users who are unable to update due to many reasons. For example, there is no Internet, slow speed, or you just need to take your grandmother to the village and update her computer there.
Typically, Windows updates are automatically downloaded to computers when they connect to the Internet via Windows Update. Many users find it difficult to download a patch of about 1 GB without problems and they accumulate many times, so the update amount can be about 5 GB. Therefore, we will figure out how to use it correctly Microsoft Update Catalog to download updates manually and then install them on any computer where there is no Internet. You will also have access to Microsoft Office, windows server and all Microsoft products for manually downloading updates.
- This article will help you.
Download Windows update packages for manual installation
To download these updates, you need to go to the website update center directory . And the first thing we will see is a simple site where there is nothing except the “Find” line in the upper right corner.
The ideal way to use this page is to search directly for the name of the updates, for example the cumulative patch KB4016637 Windows 10. We can download updates to a flash drive and then install them on another computer where there is no Internet.
For example, we can click on the name itself and see the Review and information about what this update package includes.
To download the update, click Download, you will be redirected to another page where you need to click on the link and the update patch will download.
This way we can download any updates for any system, be it windows 7, windows 10, windows 8.1. We take our downloaded file and simply move it to a flash drive, CD card, or even to a mobile phone. We connect the device on which our file is located and click on the executable file itself. In a word, we inserted a flash drive into another computer and launched the downloaded file by double-clicking it.
How to use Microsoft Update Catalog if we don't know the patch
As I already said, it is better to use this service with the exact name of the update patch, but for example we want to find all the updates windows 10, windows XP, windows 7. Just enter in the search bar windows 7 and you will be given the entire list of updates for this system, and click sorting "Last update".
How to find out what updates are installed in Windows
In all versions of Windows, open the command line and enter the following command:
- wmic qfe list
We observe our patches of installed updates kb4022405 and to the left is the installation time.
Windows 7: Open " Control panel", type in the search panel " View installed updates" and select from the list.
Most software updates are automatic by default. But, nevertheless, you should know how to check for updates and update the program yourself. By keeping your computer software up to date, you increase the stability and security of your computer.
Operating system update
Installing the latest operating system updates is one of the most important processes in protecting your computer from viruses, malware, and other online security threats.
Windows
To update Windows OS, open Control Panel. In the search bar type update and select "Check for updates".
The installation may take significantly longer than searching for updates, so during this time you can break away from your computer and grab a cup of coffee. Once the installation is complete, you must restart your computer for the updates to take effect.
Mac OS x
To update Mac OS X, open the App Store and click the Updates button in the top bar. OS X updates will be at the top of the list of available updates. On the right side of the screen there are buttons for updating individual applications and an "Update All" button to apply all available updates.
Software updates
For many programs, regular updates are not that important, since they will only come with some improvements or new features, but not security improvements, so there is no need to update them frequently. However, for more essential software, such as a web browser or antivirus software, updates are just as important as operating system updates.
Most programs automatically check for updates. If there are updates, the program will notify you about it. Well, for other programs, study the program menu yourself and find out how to start the update.
For example, Kaspersky antivirus: you can start the update in the control center.
Updates make changes to the performance of Windows 7, eliminate various errors and glitches, and also add new features. Microsoft is still releasing security patches and fixing system issues.
Update centre
The Windows 7 Update Center is responsible for downloading the latest “seven” patches. The icon for opening it can be found in the program list Start or in Control panels. There you can install the latest versions of system components.
Settings
In Update Center, open the menu " Settings». 
Initially, the system operates in auto-update mode. But this function can be disabled, in which case it will be necessary to use the manual function. To do this, activate the search for the latest versions. 
The dialog box will display a list of components for which any changes have been made. They are divided into three groups. 
There are three groups of updates:
- Important. This group includes significant or critical system changes related to data security and the functioning of various Windows components. Any innovation from the “Important” group should be installed immediately when it is released. This will keep your computer and its data in better condition.
- Recommended. This includes fixing non-critical PC problems, but still quite significant. Their installation will make the operation of your PC more comfortable, eliminate existing problems or avoid their occurrence in the future. Both auto-update and manual download are available.
- Optional. This group includes those innovations that do not make significant changes to the functioning of the computer and do not correct serious problems. They are designed to make the system more user-friendly, but are not considered important or critical. They cannot be installed automatically; downloading is available only in manual mode.
Read about ways to disable auto-update of the system in ours.
An important nuance: anyone can update Windows 7 for free. No board is required to load any system components from the list. But you should understand that the procedure consumes Internet traffic. This fact must be taken into account by users with limited connections.
Selecting Components to Install
The user has a choice of components to install. For example, if you have a third-party antivirus installed, there is no need to download the latest version of Windows Defender. 
In the same way, you can disable the installation of other components. But if you are not sure of their significance or do not know the function, it is better to leave everything as is.
In any case, it is highly recommended to download updates from the first group, from the second, too, but from the third, if desired.
Recommendation: if automatic mode is disabled on your computer, it is advisable to update the system yourself. This will support the latest version of Windows 7, which includes new features as well as fixes for old problems.
Possible problems and their solutions
Various problems may occur when trying or during the process of updating Windows 7. Let's look at the most popular of them.
Problem 1: Auto-update does not work
Initially, the system is configured in such a way that it automatically downloads all new versions and installs them when the computer is restarted. But in some situations this feature is disabled or does not work.
In the first case, you need to enable auto-update. This is done through a special service:
In the second case, you need to update the OS manually.
Problem 2: Cannot update the system manually
When installing new versions of Windows 7, various problems may occur. First of all, you should check your Internet connection. Installation files are downloaded from Microsoft servers, and if there is no Internet connection, downloading them is impossible.
When trying to update the operating system, you should disable any anti-virus programs and computer protection tools. It is advisable to close all unnecessary programs.
If you want to download a specific Windows component, but this cannot be done, you can download the installation package yourself from the developer’s servers.
Official Microsoft Download Center page - https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/download/default.aspx
There is a search area at the top of the page. Enter the name of the required component into it and click on the icon in the shape of a magnifying glass. 
Problem 3: The system has crashed
If, as a result of the update, the computer began to work worse or any problems arose, then you should roll back Windows to its previous state. The corresponding function is located in the control panel. Read more about this in our article “Windows 7 System Restore”.