How to Update Windows XP, 2000, ME and 98

Posted on Dec 27, 2018 by Sean Doyle
update windows

It’s important to keep your Windows installation updated, even older systems. Here is how to update Windows XP, 2000, ME and 98:

  1. Open Windows Start menu.
  2. Open the Control Panel.
  3. Click Windows Update on the See Also menu (on the left side) to go to the Windows Update website.

You can also visit http://fe2.update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx in Microsoft Internet Explorer to access the Windows Update website.

To turn automatic updates on or off, open Windows, go to Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > System and select the Automatic Updates tab in the System Properties window. There are four options to choose from:

  • Automatically download recommended updates for my computer and install them.
  • Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them.
  • Notify me but don’t automatically download or install them.
  • Turn off Automatic Updates.

Notice: Microsoft no longer supports or releases new updates for Windows XP, 2000, ME, and 98. If updates are available, they are updates that have not been installed since support ended. If all updates have already been downloaded and installed, you will not see any available updates in the future. Microsoft stopped providing support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014, support for Windows 2000 on July 13, 2010, support for Windows ME on December 31, 2003, and support for Windows 98 on June 30, 2002.

More Information About Windows Update

Using the Windows Update service is not the only option to update Windows. Updates can also be individually downloaded from Microsoft Download Center and manually installed.