The operating systems that run our computers are constantly evolving. Software updates continue to run smoothly and are necessary to add new features, improve speed and performance, fix security holes, fix bugs, and more. .

You can't leave them, but you can check when they happen. Both Windows and macOS offer a number of useful tools to ensure that your laptop or desktop computer installs updates according to your circumstances and in a way that works for you.

Let's see how you can make the most of the possibilities.

How to manage Windows 10 and 11 updates

To find Windows 11 upgrade options, click the Windows button on the taskbar to open the Start menu and open Settings (or click Win + I on the keyboard). From the pop-up window, go to Windows Update in the upper right corner and see how your computer updates itself. In Windows 10, all steps are the same except the last: you click Update and Security in the settings window.

You can click Check for Updates in the page header and force Windows 10 or 11 to look for a newer version, but it will automatically do so on your computer. The options below give you more control over how your computer handles these updates. In Windows 11, click Pause Updates and tell Windows not to apply patches for a period of time - you can use the drop-down menu on the right to stop updates for one to five weeks. Windows 10 has the same stop option, but the keyboard shortcut keeps you in blocks for seven days. To select something else, click Advanced Options and select a date from the Select Date drop-down menu in the Pause Updates section.

If it doesn't stop, Windows will try to install updates during these so-called "active hours" - when your computer is available but not used in a meaningful way. In Windows 11, go to Advanced Options and then Active Clock to find out what Windows thinks is a good time to update your operating system. You can change this schedule by clicking the customization drop-down menu to the right of Active Clock and setting it to Manual. In Windows 10, click Edit Active Clock on the main update settings page, and then click Edit next to your current active time.

If you apply off-hours updates, Windows may restart your computer without warning. If you don't want this to happen, the Notify me when a Windows 11 restart is required to complete setup is immediately above the Active Clock option - toggle the switch to the right to On. You can also turn off the radio button next to Notify me, which makes installing updates a priority, even during business hours. These settings are located behind the Advanced Options menu in Windows 10. Once there, deactivate the radio button in the Restart this device as soon as possible 

Section and enable the Under update notification.

Whether you're running Windows 10 or 11, this screen also has the option to receive updates for other Microsoft products. Checks if you can update other Microsoft software (such as Office 365) with Windows. Meanwhile, downloading updates to connection meters checks to see if your computer downloads updates if you use a mobile connection instead of WiFi (for example, on a Surface Pro tablet).

It's also a good idea to click Delivery Optimization (under More Options in Windows 11 and in the left sidebar in Windows 10). Here you can choose whether Windows sources update the code from other computers on your network and website, as well as from Microsoft. Using multiple sources can speed up the transmission of updates, especially for dirty connections.

Speaking of connection speeds, select Advanced Options on the same page and tell Windows how much of the available bandwidth you want to spend downloading updates. If you are downloading large files for purposes other than Windows updates, you can call some of these settings to make Windows updates have less priority.

Back on the Windows Update main screen, you can select Update History (see Windows 10 Update History) to not only see what updates have recently been applied to your computer, but also to uninstall them and revert to an earlier version than the new one. The patch is causing problems.

How to manage macOS updates

You won't get as much setup and control over your macOS updates as you do in Windows. However, to see the options you have, open the Apple menu and select System Preferences and Software Updates.

If you are waiting for updates to be installed, you can click Update to edit them. If the button is not visible, nothing is available and a message appears stating that your system has been updated. Click More Info to see details about any updates you apply. At the bottom of the dialog box is the Automatically keep my Mac up to date check box - select it to have macOS updates for you, from automatic scanning to new software versions to install on your system. You'll be notified when new updates are ready to install, giving you the option to postpone the process for the night or the next day. It is also equivalent to the main radio button for each check box in the Advanced section. If you check this, all five sub-settings are also possible.

To check the installation of updates, click the Advanced button. To check for new fixes on macOS automatically, select Check for Updates, or you can do so manually each time via the Software Updates dialog box.

The following check box Download new updates as available will do the same for downloading updates: it will happen automatically or when you force it. The Install macOS updates check box selects the final stage and sets your computer to apply the updates when they are available or when you have explicitly confirmed that they will be available.

If you install app updates from the App Store check box, you can configure macOS apps to update automatically as well. To check the status of individual application updates, open the App Store on your Mac and click the Updates link. Back in the Advanced Software Update dialog box, the last option Install system data files and security updates checks to see if key system data and macOS security files are repaired automatically or manually. Even if you don't want the entire operating system to update itself. use this setting to keep track of the most important parts.

Apple recommends that you choose to at least check for updates, download new updates based on availability, and install system data files and security updates to keep your system safe. . If you want, just install major macOS updates.