How to auto-update everything (2025 Edition)¶

TL;DR: Automatic updates = the digital equivalent of eating your veggies. Boring, but it keeps you alive.

Operating system (The “Stop Ignoring Me” setup)¶

Windows:

• Press Win + I → Windows Update → Turn on “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available”

• (Optional) Enable “Advanced options” → “Receive updates for other Microsoft products”

macOS:

• System Settings → General → Software Update → Toggle on “Automatically keep my Mac up to date”

• (For power users) sudo softwareupdate –schedule on in Terminal

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):

sudo apt install unattended-upgrades
sudo dpkg-reconfigure unattended-upgrades  # Select "Yes"

For Fedora:

sudo dnf install dnf-automatic
sudo systemctl enable --now dnf-automatic.timer

Browsers (Where 90% of attacks happen)¶

Chrome/Edge/Brave:

• Type chrome://settings/help → Ensure it reads “Google Chrome is up to date”

• (Force auto-update) Windows: services.msc → Enable “Google Update Service (gupdate)”

Firefox:

• about:preferences#general → Scroll to “Firefox Updates” → Select “Automatically install updates”

Plugins & extensions (The hidden risks)¶

Java (If you must):

• Control Panel → Java → Update tab → Check “Check for Updates Automatically”

• (Better yet) sudo apt remove openjdk-* on Linux

Browser extensions:

• Chrome: chrome://extensions → Toggle “Developer mode” → Check “Update”

• Firefox: Extensions auto-update by default (a thing it does right)

The “Remind Me Later” tax¶

Microsoft found that 60% of breaches exploit vulnerabilities where a patch existed but wasn’t installed (Source).

Tip:

• Set a monthly calendar reminder titled “Pretend to Care About Updates”

• Or use tools like Patch My PC (Windows) or Homebrew (Mac) to batch-update everything

Why this matters in 2025¶

• AI-powered attacks now exploit unpatched systems within hours of a vulnerability dropping

• The “Oops, I forgot” era is over—attackers have automation. Your defences should too.