Patch Tuesday is the name given to the day each month that Microsoft releases security and other patches for their operating systems and other software.
Patch Tuesday is always the second Tuesday of each month.
Most of us will experience more of a Patch Wednesday/Thursday because this is the day we notice our computers running slower and the updates installing when we shut down/restart.
(Some half-jokingly refer to the day after Patch Tuesday as Crash Wednesday, referring to the troubles that sometimes accompany a computer after the patches are installed.)
Please follow instructions here for restarting: https://vod.video.cornell.edu/media/Restarting+Computer/1_0cqaveqh/67738041
Please be patient during/after restart! If your computer gets “stuck” on a blue or black screen, take a break, leave it for a few minutes – it’s completely normal for it to be sitting on that black screen for awhile (sometimes it can take upwards of 20 minutes!). Forcing it to shut down and restart by holding the power button down while it’s installing updates can damage your operating system and require the wiping and re-installation of Windows.
What can we do?
- Allow extra time during the second week of the month for your computer to shut down and boot up.
Be sure you are properly shutting your computer down at night (instead of just locking it/putting it to sleep). Restart once a day during patch week.
I have a reoccurring event on my calendar for the second Tuesday-Thursday of each month so I am reminded to give myself more time in the morning to start up and at night to shut down, if I need to take my laptop with me. - Computer running slow during the day? Restart it.
Restarting your computer allows the downloaded updates to finish installing. Sometimes you will need to shut down completely and then turn back on your computer if it still has more updates to install. - Never, ever force your computer to shut down during updates.
Interrupting the update process can be very detrimental to your computer and software. If you interrupt it (such as forcing your computer to shut down by pressing the power button) during a major update to Windows or the Office software, Windows may not boot up or your Office programs will not open.
When this happens, you’ll need to reach out to me for assistance, and most likely will have to reinstall Windows on your computer.