Do you recognize these icons? If you have Windows XP you'd be looking for a Yellow Shield with a Black Exclamation Point. In Windows Vista it's a blue software box with the Windows "flag" logo on it.
Take a look at the start bar "system tray" which is normally located down in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Do you see it?
It's something that causes many of our users to think that our internet service is not working correctly. We take a lot of calls that are solved by simply educating our customers about windows updates and the automatic nature of the windows update service.
We like windows updates, but we don't like the automatic update service of windows.
If you have this icon on your screen when you connect to the internet try putting your mouse over top of the image. A little bubble/box will appear with a status notification. There are three possible status notices you may see:
A. Downloading Updates (XX%)
B. Updates are ready to be installed on your computer.
C. Updates are available - click here to download and install them.
If you see option A. or B.; you need to finish those up.
Option A. is the worst. While Windows is doing it's automatic download, it is eating up your internet connection. This is causing you to think your internet isn't working correctly. You need to stay connected to the internet long enough for the update service to finish the current download (which would put you at option B.). Do not attempt to use the internet for email or web browsing during this download, that will just continue to cause issues with the current update session.
If you see option B. (or you just got there after letting A. finish) you need to click on the icon and let Windows install the updates that it has already downloaded. There may be a few more clicks needed by you at the beginning of the update installation.
BOTH A. and B. ---> Do NOT attempt to use your internet/email services during the download or installation of these updates. Doing so will cause your internet experience to be less than acceptable to you. You will most likely experience "page cannot be displayed" issues and you will slow down the downloading or installing of these updates. AFTER the updates are completed, we recommend restarting your computer (even if windows doesn't tell you to).
If you see option C. you've probably already called us about issues in the past and we've talked you through our recommendations. Just to be sure...you should double check the following settings anyhow.
A. B. and C. options. Now that you've finished the updates that were already in progress, we'd like you to change a setting in Windows related to the "automatic" behavior of the update service. Please follow these steps depending on what version of windows you have.
WINDOWS VISTA USERS
Click Start, type update in the Start Search box, and then click Windows Update in the Programs list.
On left side of screen, click Change Settings link
Click to select the following option:
"Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them."
Click OK.
WINDOWS XP USERS
Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then press ENTER.
Click the Automatic Updates tab, and then click to select the following option:
Notify me but don't automatically download or install them
Click OK.
By selecting this option Windows recognizes when you are online and uses your Internet connection to search for downloads from the Windows Update Web site or from the Microsoft Update Web site. An Automatic Updates icon and message appear in the notification area of your taskbar when new updates are available to download or to install.
Click the icon or message to view the updates. If you do not want to download a selected update, click to clear the check box next to that update to decline it. Click Start Download to download the selected updates. The Automatic Updates icon remains in the notification area of your taskbar while the updates are being downloaded. You can point to the icon to view the download status.
When the download is complete, you receive another message in the notification area stating that the updates are ready to install. Click the Automatic Updates icon or the message, and then click Install to install the updates.
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Please remember that we feel it is VERY IMPORTANT for you to continue receiving and installing updates for windows. We just don't want Windows to determine when you should download them. It is in your best interest to properly maintain your version of Windows by downloading and installing windows updates in a timely manner.