What's the difference between Microsoft Updates and Windows Updates?

Learn to Differentiate between Microsoft Updates and Windows Updates

Many computer owners may not be getting the best out of their Windows operating system. Many are actually hooked up to receive the entire range of Microsoft updates instead of just those relevant to Windows. Maybe Microsoft in their wisdom assumed that everyone who used Windows also used the rest of their programs, and this may well be the case, but not for everyone

That’s why they introduced Microsoft Updates, which not only provide updates for their operating system, but also certain other software suites, the most well known being Office.

While it can never be guaranteed that separating the two update systems will immediately solve any problems being experienced, there may be something very logical in regarding them as separate entities. Especially if the computer in question does not have any of the Microsoft standards installed.

Keeping the two entities apart gives you more control

Windows Updates are a much more complex than general Microsoft Updates. They provide a constant stream of updates for the operating systems and its many components, including the anti-spyware and junk mail filters built into Windows.

In order to separate the two entities, the following simple steps need to be taken.

1. Click on either the Windows Update or Microsoft Update site
("http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx")

2. When invited to click on either Express or Custom, select neither. Instead look on the left hand sidebar, for a link that says "Change settings"

3. You will need to scroll down until you come upon an option that says “Disable Microsoft Update software. Directly beneath this link you will find "let me use Windows Updates only.”

4. Once you click on that, a confirmation page should pop up stating “You have
successfully disabled the Microsoft Update software on your computer" along with a few other items of information.

This simple process is not liable to make any drastic improvements to your Windows operating system's performance, but it may eliminate any errors arising from update conflicts.