Windows 10 Settings (Update and Security)

Windows Update and Security settings in windows 10 or any windows version is one of the most important settings sections you have to know when learning computer basics. This section contains most of the settings that are important to both your computer system and other application software.

(i) Windows Update

In this setting page, the first thing you will find here are available updates.
Depending on your computer system, if there are no updates available as at the time you are reading this tutorial you won't see any here, but if they are, it will be displayed under the heading (Updates Available).
Under the updates, you can install them by clicking on the Install now button (note that you need data connection for this).

After the install button, there is also a link View optional updates. When you click on this link, it will take you to another page where you can see updates that you can download if you want. These are updates that are based on your personal choice, so you can choose to or not to download these updates.

On going back to the main page, you will also find few details about the updates you want to download, and after this, you will see the remaining four options which are:

• (a) Pause updates for more than 7 days
• (b) Change active hours
• (c) View update history
• (d) Advance options

When your updates are automatically set to download when you have data connection, you can use the first option to pause (hold) your updates for more than a week. This will stop all incoming and pending updates from downloading.
From the details under this option you can pause updates by clicking on the fourth option which is the Advance options

The next option is the active hours. Active hours is when you use your computer system mostly. You can change these hours by clicking on this option which will take you to another page where you can perform this operation.

Next is the view update history, when you click on this option it also takes you to another page that displays all your downloaded updates sectioned in their different folders.
At the top of this page, there are two links. The Uninstall updates link when clicked on takes you to the control panel of installed updates where you can select any updates you want and remove it from your computer by uninstalling it.
The Recovery option link when clicked on takes you to Recovery option settings page inside this update and security settings section. This will be explained shortly in this tutorial

The last option is the Advance options. When you click on this option, it takes you to another page where you will find the Update options. Under this are various options which you can choose to switch ON or OFF depending on your choice.
Also, in this page under the Update Notification you can turn ON/OFF notifications when your computer system requires you to restart after downloading updates.
Pause Updates is the last option here. Under this you can click on the date and time to set how long your updates will be on hold before it goes back to downloading as usual.
There are also a few links in this page, which are the Delivery optimization and Privacy settings. The Delivery Optimization settings page is what I will be explaining next and for the privacy setting, it has already been explained before.

(ii) Delivery Optimization

The delivery optimization according to the details on this page, gives you windows updates, store applications updates and other Microsoft products which are reliable.

In this settings page, you can also allow downloads from other computer devices by switching it ON.
There are two options below this which you can choose from, The PCs on your local network and Both PC on your local network and PCs on the internet. This means you can also get downloads from local computers around you and also from the internet where multiple computers are connected to each other.

After this you have the Advanced options. When you click on this link, it takes you to another page where you can set the downloads and upload settings.

Lastly is the link Activity Monitory. When you click on this link, it takes you to another page which shows you the Download Statistics and Upload Statistics details of your system.

(iii) Windows Security

The windows security settings is where you manage the security controls of your computer device.
In this settings page, you can click on the button Open Windows Security which will take you to the windows security application home page.

Under the heading Protection Areas there are list of security settings options. If you click on any of these protection areas it will take you to the windows security application page in that particular area.

Simply put, protection area you find above is still found in the windows security application home page.

The first option here is the Virus and threat protection.

On clicking on this option, it takes you to its own separate page where you can perform different operations such as:

• (a) Quick Scanning
• (b) Allowing some threats for personal reasons know to you.
• (c) Viewing your Protection history
• (d) Managing your protection settings such as: Turn ON/OFF Real time protection, Cloud delivery protection, Automatic sample submission and Temper protection. You can also manage folder access here, add or remove exclusions and change notification settings.

• (e) Checking for virus and threats protection updates

• (f) Manage ransomware protection
• (g) Manage security providers such as: Antivirus, Firewalls and Web protection.

The second option here is the Account Protection. When you click on this option, it opens another page where you have link to view your account information, learn more about it and your dynamic lock settings.

The third option here is the Firewalls and Network Protection. Here you can set up your firewalls for your domain, private and public networks.
Here you can also choose to allow some applications through your firewalls, set firewalls notification and also move to advance settings on firewalls and network protection.
Note that all what I am doing is introducing you to where you can find these settings and what they can be used for. Going deep into firewalls and network protection will require another separate tutorial own its own which I will provide for you in future.

The fourth option here is the App and Browser control. In this settings page you can protect your applications you download and also protect your PC when browsing the internet page by turning ON some protection options.
Under the Reputation-based-protection heading you can click on the Turn on button to protect your PC from malicious apps, files and websites.

Clicking on the link Reputation-based-protection settings takes you to its settings page where you can check apps and files, switch ON/OFF SmartScreen for Microsoft edge which can protect your PC from malicious downloads and websites.

You can also blocks apps and download, switch ON/OFF SmartScreen for Microsoft app store which helps to check web contents that microsoft store app use.

After these we also have the Isolated Browsing and the Exploit Protection

You can click on the link Exploit protection settings which will take you to a different page where you will see the system and program settings. Note that this page is a little bit complex to understand, but you don't have to worry much about here because you won't be using any of these settings often. This is just for you to know that such settings exist.

The fifth option here is Device Security. In this settings page, you can view the type of processor your computer device have by clicking on the Security processor details.

In the security processor details page, you will find information about the kind of processor your system is using such as the Specifications and Status.

The sixth option here is Device Performance and Health. In this settings page, you will see the health report of your storage capacity, battery life, apps and software and Windows Time Service. If there issues and anything that needs to be fix, it will show here.
After this, there are also useful information about Fresh Start, which involves installation of new windows 10 but keeping your personal files.

The last option here is Family options. This settings page helps you to set parental control for kids. Parental control helps to protect children from viewing unwanted websites, it helps to keep track of what your kids see and online, what they download such as applications and others.
You can click on the link View family settings to start this process online.
Also to view family devices online, you can click on the link View Devices that is below the heading See your family's device at a glance

Don't forget that at the right side of every page there are useful links you can click on to go online if you need extra help and understanding.

(iv) Backup

The backup settings here is where you can see settings that you can use to backup (keep a copy) of your files either in your One Drive or in a Hard disk drive.

In this page, you can either backup your files with One Drive by clicking the link Sign in to OneDrive. Remember you need data connection for this.
Also, you can backup your file to another hard drive by click on the Add a drive option. Note that you will need a hard drive connected to your computer system for this to work.

Lastly on this settings page you can backup and restore previous version of your windows operating system by clicking on the link Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Depending on the windows operating system that came with your system, yours might be windows 8 or windows 8.1 as the case maybe.

At the right side of this setting page, you can click on the link Learn more about backup. This link will open your default browser and take you to the web page where you can get more knowledge on the backup settings.

(v) Troubleshoot

In this settings page, you can select any of the options when you want to troubleshoot your device. These options includes:

• (a) Run troubleshooters automatically, don't notify me - When you select this option, this will run your troubleshooter automatically without notifying you.
• (b) Run troubleshooters automatically, then notify me - When you select this option, you will be notified when troubleshooting starts
• (c) Ask me before running any troubleshooters - This option when selected will pop up a notification before running your troubleshooters
• (d) Don't run any troubleshooters - When this option is selected, troubleshooter will not run

After the selection option above, the next thing here is the link View troubleshooting history. When you click on this link, it will take you to another page where you can view the history of troubleshooting if there are any.

The next and last link on this page is the Additional troubleshooters. When you click on this link, it also takes you to another page where you can troubleshoot a particular option individual by clicking on it and clicking on the button Run the troubleshooter

(vi) Recovery

Recovery is the process of restoring previous state of windows settings or windows versions.
In this settings page, under the heading Reset this PC you can click on the Get Started button to start up this process.

You will also find another heading here (Go back to previous version of Windows 10) You can also click on the Get Started button to start up this process.

The next heading here is the Advance Startup. Here is where you can use to external hard disk drive or a flash to restore your windows. Clicking on the Restart now button will restart your computer system so you can start the process of restoring your windows.

More recovery options is available when you click on the link Learn how to start fresh with a clean installation windows. This link opens your default browser which takes you to the web page.

(vii) Activation

This activation setting page here displays the edition and activation status on your windows 10. This is seen under the heading (Windows)

Lastly in this setting page, you can change the product key by clicking the link Change product key that is under the heading (Update Product Key).

(viii) Find My Device

In this settings page, you enable finding your device. First there is a link Turn on location setting. When you click on this link, it will take you to the location setting where you can turn ON your location for your computer system.

After turning ON your location, the Change will be no longer grey. You can also click on the descriptive link which you can use to sign into your Microsoft account in order for you to find your device.

(ix) For Developers

This settings page is where you go to if you want to make development changes for your device. Most development settings are not always advisable that is why you must be very careful while enabling or disabling any settings option in this settings page.

In this settings page, you can switch on the developer mode by clicking on the switch button under the heading (Developer Mode).
After switching this ON, it will enable other options for you which are the (Device Portal) and (Device Discovery). Under the device portal heading click on the switch to turn it ON. This will enable remote diagnostics over local area network connections.
Under the Device discovery heading, turning ON the switch will make your device seen to USB connection and other local networks around you.

Next heading after this is the (File Explorer). Under this heading are different options to enable. These options also have their settings which you can view by clicking on the link Show settings that is beside them at the right side.
After you are done with selecting and setting your options here, you can click on the Apply button to activate them.

Under the heading (Remote Desktop) you will also find different options to enable or disable by clicking on the checkboxes beside them.
They also have setting beside them at the right side. Following the same method above to activate them after you have selected and set your options, you can click on the Apply button.

Lastly is the (Power Shell). This is a configuration management framework in windows. There is only one option to enable under this heading which is to change execution policy to allow local PowerShell to run without signing

(x) Windows Insider Program

This setting helps you get started with joining the windows insider program in which you can get previews of windows update before it comes out.
The windows insider program is made up of a community of windows biggest fans that usually see what next features will be available