Keeping your Apple Operating System up to date, is by far the most important thing you can do as a responsible owner and user of a personal computer. Apple does its best to deliver a product that is secure and easy to use, but with millions of lines of computer code to check and manage, it is easy to see why sometimes holes occur and why patches are needed. The great folks at Apple have made this easy to do for owners of their most recent operating system, OS X Tiger!

How To Update the Macintosh

To update your Apple Macintosh product, simply use the built in Software Update feature that is pre-installed with Mac OS. Software Update will automatically check Apple's website for any available and needed updates, download them to your Macintosh, and install them for you. All you need to do is get it started.

First, make sure your computer is connected to the Internet. Software Update will not work if it does not have a connection to the Internet. Next, go to the Apple Menu and choose Software Update. Software Update will scan your computer and look for what is installed. It will then talk to Apple's website, ask for any updates, and then will display any available updates on your monitor.

Once you have your list of available updates, you can get more information about an update, by clicking it. If you want the item, click the checkbox next to the displayed update or software item. If you don't want an update or piece of software to install simply uncheck the box next to that item. Note that optional updates/software are unchecked by default. Once you are satisfied with the list of updates or recommended software packages, click the Install button.

After the software downloads, your Mac will automatically install the updates and software for you and may prompt you to restart your machine, if needed.

 

Make Software Update Automatic

Apple has made Software Update even easier to use by providing a way to automatically check your computer for needed updates, download them, and install them on your Mac. To do this, go to System Preferences from the Apple menu and select Software Update. In the box that opens up, click the Update Software tab and check the box next to "Check for Updates." You can then choose a day and time for these to be done. (We recommend daily.) You can also tell Software Update to download and install the updates automatically by checking the box next to: "Download Important Updates in the Background."

Remember, your Mac must be connected to the Internet in order for the Software Update service to run automatically for you.