Service Packs and Security Updates

Issue

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

Solution

The scan report identifies which service packs 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 Windows 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.

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

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 Windows 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 update as being under one of the following 3 headings:

Security updates confirmed as missing are marked with a red X

These updates require immediate installation to ensure the strongest security of your computer.

Products using a service pack not at the latest version or have other warnings are marked with a yellow X

Service packs: If the description for an item is ôThe latest service pack for this product is not installed.ö, you should obtain and install the latest service pack by using Windows Update or the Microsoft Download Center prior to installing other updates. When using the download center, simply enter the name of the service pack at the Keywords prompt, and follow the instructions on the page.

Updates: Other items in this page will typically have a newer than expected file version and are usually of strong security. Because the installed file(s) having a greater than expected version may have been provided directly from Product Support Services or from an update or product that was not security related, these items may require additional confirmation to ensure the specific security fix has been included. Addressing such items is an ongoing aspect of the release process for Microsoft, and allows MBSA to become updated automatically with understanding of the newer file versions.

Security updates that the tool cannot confirm as installed on the scanned computer are marked with a blue asterisk

These updates cannot be detected with adequate precision due to the complexity of the updates or platform configurations. You should refer to the bulletin details for file versions, registry keys, or the Add or Remove Programs entries to confirm these updates have been installed. Because these updates cannot be exhaustively detected, they will remain in the MBSA results even after you have installed them.

Notes

Windows Update does not carry non-Windows security updates such as Microsoft® SQL Server™ or Microsoft Exchange updates, and users should view the Microsoft security bulletins for these product security updates using the links provided in the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) scan report. Users can also download Microsoft Office security updates from the Office Product Updates Web site.
Please visit the following site for details on Office products supported in MBSA 1.2 and scanning limitations: MBSA Version 1.2 Support for Microsoft Office Products.

Customers can also subscribe to the Microsoft Security Notification Service, a free service that sends e-mail messages to users when new security bulletins are released.

Additional Resources

Microsoft Security Bulletin Search

Microsoft Strategic Technology Protection Program

Microsoft Software Update Services