Windows survival skills: 8 things every PC user should know how to do

This is the knowledge you need if you want a PC to survive, and thrive.

- BY MARK HACHMAN

Your PC will die, someday. Or it will slow down, generate error messages, or worse still-get hacked. While you could always call a professional, why not solve the problem yourself? And you can, just by learning some basic Windows tasks yourself.

You've learned how to take care of yourself in the real world. Your PC is no different. You'll need to maintain it, protect it, and keep it fed with data at all times.

Nothing in this checklist is particularly complicated or even hard. But it's basic knowledge that you should already have. And if you don't, we're here to help!

HOW TO MANAGE WINDOWS UPDATE

Windows Update governs all of the changes Microsoft brings to your PC. Some of these are critical updates to Windows itself, needed to solve some unexpected vulnerability or bug. Others are new features that Microsoft wants to add to your PC. Finally, Microsoft periodically adds new virus signatures and other improvements to the Windows Defender anti-malware system, allowing you to surf the web without fear.

Most of the time, Microsoft's Windows Updates take place in the background, without your intervention, as a convenience. But it's important to know where to look (inside the Windows Settings menu, then in the Windows Update submenu) to understand what Windows Update can and can't do (fave.co/4iYbEYu). Would you like to try out the latest updates as soon as they're available? Conversely, would you like to pause updates (fave.co/3EpLT4c) for a certain period, like during an end-of-quarter reporting period or exams? Or even roll them back (fave.co/4idHGyG)? Would you like Windows Update to manage other Microsoft products, too?

Windows Update is one of the least intensive tasks within Windows. But it's also critical to the safety of your PC.