In computing, a patch or an update is a small piece of software designed to update or fix problems with a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing bugs, replacing programs with newer versions and generally improving the security, usability or performance of your computer.

Today, patch installation generally occurs automatically. Most programs, including Operating Systems such as Micrsoft Windows and Linux can update themselves via the Internet with very little or no intervention on the part of users.

Security patches are the primary method of fixing security vulnerabilities in software. Currently Microsoft releases their security patches once a month, and other operating systems and software projects have security teams dedicated to releasing the most reliable software patches on a very regular basis.

It is critical that you ensure your computer is setup to receive and install these updates and patches automatically.