The short answer: only install updates from your computer’s own settings screen, never from a pop-up, email or phone call. On Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > Windows Update. On a Mac, go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update. If you still use Windows 10, know that Microsoft stopped supporting it on October 14, 2025. To keep getting security fixes, enroll in Extended Security Updates (ESU) or move to Windows 11 (Microsoft).
Before any update
- Back up first. Copy your photos and documents to an external drive or a cloud service. Apple recommends backing up before you update a Mac (Apple).
- Plug in your laptop and stay on your home Wi-Fi.
- Pick a time when you don’t need the computer. Big updates can take a while and restart more than once. Don’t turn the computer off partway through.
Windows 11
- Select Start, then Settings, then Windows Update.
- Select Check for Windows updates. If updates are listed, select Download & install (Microsoft).
- Restart when Windows asks you to.
Windows 10: support has ended
Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Your PC still turns on and works, but it no longer gets free security fixes, so it gets less safe over time (Microsoft). You have two choices:
Option 1: Extended Security Updates (ESU)
ESU keeps critical and important security fixes coming until the program ends on October 12, 2027, and you can still enroll any time before then. Your PC needs Windows 10 version 22H2. ESU doesn’t add new features or include tech support. Microsoft offers three ways to pay: free if you sync your PC settings with a Microsoft account, 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or a one-time $30 purchase (Microsoft). To enroll, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and look for the enroll link. Microsoft’s page explains the details.
Option 2: Move to Windows 11
- Download Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app from aka.ms/GetPCHealthCheckApp, open it, and select Check now (Microsoft).
- If your PC qualifies, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and install the free Windows 11 upgrade if it’s offered.
- If your PC doesn’t qualify, Windows 11 needs at least 4 GB of memory, 64 GB of storage, a supported processor, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 (Microsoft). Many older computers can’t be upgraded. ESU gives you time, until October 2027, to plan for a new PC.
Mac
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then General, then Software Update.
- If an update is available, click the button to install it. Enter your Mac’s administrator password if asked (Apple).
- Leave the Mac plugged in until it restarts and finishes.
In the same Software Update window you can turn on automatic updates. Apple will then install important fixes for you (Apple). Apple currently lists macOS 27 as the newest version. If your Mac is too old for it, Software Update will still offer the security updates it can get.
How to tell a real update from a fake
- Real updates appear in your computer’s settings. They don’t arrive as an email, a text or a phone call.
- Microsoft says it never contacts people out of the blue to offer tech support, and its real error messages never include a phone number (Microsoft).
- The FTC agrees: real security warnings never ask you to call a number (FTC).
- If a website says you “must update” before you can continue, close it. Then check for updates in Settings yourself.
