Update and Reboot Your Computer Regularly - Reminder

Contributed by Karen Compton

ITS would like to remind everyone about a few things you should be doing to keep your computer well-maintained.

Install operating system updates when prompted

Both Windows and Mac computers have an automatic update feature that downloads and installs updates for the operating system. When new updates are available, you should see a notification to install them. Please don’t ignore these prompts! The updates are often security related and should be installed as soon as possible.

Shutdown and reboot on a daily basis

While it may take a few extra minutes a day to wait for your computer to go through the start-up process, it’s an important “best practice”. For college-owned Windows computers, ITS uses the Novell login process to deliver certain kinds of updates to your computer. It’s important to shutdown regularly so that your computer can get necessary updates when you reboot and login to Novell.
Also, leaving your computer off at night helps to save energy and protect your computer from unauthorized access. And no matter which operating system you use, your computer will run better if it has a "fresh start" each day.

If you have any questions please contact the Helpdesk at helpdesk@ithaca.edu or 4-3282.