How to apply Microsoft hotfixes to a Windows 2000 Server that is running IIS

This article describes how to identify and apply Microsoft updates and hotfixes after you install Windows 2000 Server and IIS on your computer. You can use some Microsoft tools to help you check your system for missing patches and then install them. Complete the procedures that are described in this article after you install the operating system and after the computer has access to the Internet.

It is important to understand that programs that are installed after all service packs and patches have been applied can require you to reinstall a patch and, in some cases, the service pack.

How to install all Windows critical updates

Windows Update is the online extension of Windows that helps you to keep your computer up to date. Use Windows Update to choose updates for your computer’s operating system, software, and hardware. New content is added to the site regularly, so you can always get the most recent updates and fixes to protect your computer and keep it running smoothly. To use the Windows Update site to install all critical updates for your computer, follow these steps:

1. Connect to the Internet, and then open Internet Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Windows Update.
3. On the Welcome to Windows Update page, click Express to look for the latest updates for your computer.
   
   A check is run to determine the updates that are available for your computer. After the check is complete, a customized selection of high-priority updates that apply only to the items on your computer is ready to install. A list of categories is also displayed with the number of updates that are available in each category noted in parentheses. We recommend that you install all the updates from the High-priority updates section.
4. Click Install updates to install all available updates and service packs.
   
   Note You may have to restart your computer after you install critical updates. If you install multiple updates at the same time, you can decrease the number of times that you have to restart the computer.

Note You can also use the Automatic Updates feature to install critical updates. With Automatic Updates, you no longer have to visit the Windows Update Web site to scan for critical updates; Windows delivers them directly to your computer. Automatic Updates recognizes when you are online and uses your Internet connection to search for downloads from the Windows Update Web site. An icon appears in the notification area of the Windows taskbar each time new updates are available. You can specify how and when you want Windows to update your computer. For example, you can set up Windows to automatically download and install updates on a schedule that you specify. Or you can have Windows notify you whenever it finds updates available for your computer and download the updates in the background. This permits you to continue working uninterrupted. After the download is complete, an icon appears in the notification area with a message that the updates are ready to be installed. When you click the icon or message, you can install the new updates in a few simple steps. For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to install and run Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA)

You can use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) to centrally scan Windows-based computers for common security misconfigurations. MBSA generates individual security reports for each computer that it scans. For additional information about MBSA, see the following Microsoft Web site:

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about Security Tools and Checklists, visit the following Microsoft Web site: