Security Updates, Update Rollups, and Service Packs

Issue

To ensure that the most recent security updates are applied, you need to install all of the latest service packs, update rollups and individual updates on your system.

Solution

The scan report identifies which service packs, update rollups and security updates are missing on your computer. Users can click the link in the security report to view the Microsoft security bulletin or download page, which includes the install location for the security update. The Microsoft Update Web site also has the latest service pack and security update releases available for you to download for the Microsoft® Windows® operating system and its components as well as other Microsoft products.

In order to obtain and install the latest updates and to effectively use the MBSA results, please observe these guidelines:

Visit the Microsoft Update Web site to install the updates, unless more control is needed in which updates you wish to install or download. The location of the download package is available in the Download column of the report. Packages are typically in EXE, MSI or CAB format, and can be saved or opened after clicking the Download icon.
Register with the Microsoft Security Notification Service to ensure you are notified when new security bulletins become available.
When updating your computer, remember that changes in configuration may require additional use of Microsoft Update or MBSA to check the new configuration for compliance. This is particularly true when installing applications, or adding new optional components such as Internet Information Services (IIS) which may install programs that have not been updated with the latest fixes.
By clicking on Result Details in the report you will be able to identify the updates needed to protect your computer:

Security Updates

Items marked with are confirmed missing.

These updates require immediate installation to protect your computer.

Update Rollups and Service Packs

Items marked with are confirmed missing.

You should obtain and install the latest service pack or update rollup by using the download link provided in the report prior to installing other updates. Service packs and update rollups contain multiple security fixes, and by installing the latest ones, fewer of the individual security updates would be required.

Note

MBSA reports a non-critical check failure if a scanned computer running Windows XP does not have Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed. If Service Pack 1 (SP1) also is not installed on the computer, however, you should consider this a critical failure that should be corrected as soon as possible by installing SP2 on the computer.

Current Update Compliance

Items marked with represent the most current updates protecting your computer. If you have installed a recent update, it may incorporate previous updates that will no longer appear in this list, but are still providing protection.

This section of the report can be used to confirm that the computer is protected by the update that you recently installed. As updates become older, they can be replaced by other updates. If you require more information about the older updates, the fixlist of the replacement update documented by product support should be used. The fixlist and other support information can usually be obtained by clicking on the update description in the report.

Unapproved Updates

In addition to the items confirmed missing, other items may not be approved for use in some managed corporate environments. These updates are displayed with this informational message:

Items marked with are confirmed missing and are not approved by your system administrator.

Because these items are not approved, installing them may cause problems for certain applications or your computer, or your system administrator may be in the process of deploying the update in stages across the organization.

Additional Resources

Microsoft Security Bulletin Search

Microsoft Windows Server Update Services