Windows NT/2000/XP Updates

Everybody complains that Windows is full of bugs but surprisingly few people do anything about it. Microsoft is constantly releasing patches and updates that either fix something that was broken or improve Windows' general functionality.

Microsoft Windows Update

Visit the Microsoft Windows Update Site.
Click the button on the left that says 'Product Updates'. Your computer will check to see what updates it already has installed (this may take a few minutes) then a list will appear showing you which updates are available for download, the list will be split into catagories to help you find what you need.
To download an item from 'Windows Update' find the one you want and mark the check box to the right, then click the 'Download' button at the top of the page and follow the instructions for download and installation. You can download more than one item at a time by having more than one box marked when you click 'Download', a few items however must be downloaded seperately for varying reasons (you will be told when this is the case).

Which Updates To Get

The updates listed above are what I recommend but you should also take a look at what else is on offer and download anything else that you think may be of use to you.
Be sure to check the 'Windows Update' site once a month so that you can download any new updates that may be of benefit.

Additional Windows NT/2000/XPUpdates

There are one or two more updates available elsewhere on the Microsoft website that can help improve Windows. Note that the order listed below is the order I recommend you install them in. You may find that some of these upgrades fail to install giving you an error message such as 'This upgrade was not designed for you version of Windows'. This simply means that the upgrade has already been installed by another program and you should not worry about it.

• Routing and Remote Access Server Update - Updates various connection components.
  
• Java Virtual Machine - General Windows update.
  
• Service pack 6a - Fixes various Internet Explorer issues.

Updating Your Modem Drivers

There are two things to consider when you update your modem:

1. What standard does it use? (56k modems only)
   
2. Are the drivers up to date?
   

There are three different standards for 56k modems (A standard is simply 'a way your modem does things'), they are K56Flex, X2, and V.90. X2 and K56Flex were the first standards that came out and were used for quite a while before the industry decided that it needed one unified standard so they created the relatively new V.90. Most good ISPs will still support K56Flex, less will support X2 but it's still quite popular, any ISP with a company value higher than it's subscription charge will support V.90. If your ISP does not support your standard you can still use them but your modem will only be running at 33.6k (This is obviousley unacceptable). Fortunately most reasonably new modems can be upgraded from X2 or K56Flex to V.90 through a processes called firmware upgrading (Contact your modem manufacturer to see if yours can be upgraded).
Firmware upgrading involves obtaining a patch from your modem manufacturer (either from their website or by contacting them), this will usually take the form of a small program that you run and select the options for your upgrade. Please note that due to the vast variety of modems out there I cannot help you with individual modem upgrade programs. Be sure to follow any instructions that come with the program PRECISELY, carrying out this procedure dose bring with it a risk that your modem may be permanently damaged by the firmware (This is not common but I have seen it happen), if this happens you have no choice but to buy a new modem (Make sure you buy a V.90 one this time). Finally, whatever standard you use contact your ISP to see if they have seperate phone numbers specifically for modems of your standard, if they do there is a chance it will improve your connection speed.

You should check your modem manufacturer's website to see if there are drivers newer than yours and if so, download them. Some will come with a special installation program but most will just be a bunch of files that you have to extract to a temporary directory then install through windows, once downloaded follow the instructions supplied with the files. (or send me a copy of NT so that I can see how the driver installation works).

End

Your PC is now up to date, you can now go on to tweak your connection settings.