How to Update Root Certificate Windows XP

By Jon Kaufman

Root certificates help keep your personal information safe and secure
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Information transferred within networks such as the Internet, inter-office intranets, and home networks can be susceptible to many security issues and attacks. Certificates allow these types of information sharing to be private and secure without the use of individual file password protections. Root certificates embedded in your Windows operating system check these transactions against a list of trusted sites. You will receive a warning if you try to pass data to a site not on this trusted list. Updating your root certificates should help keep your personal information safe and secure.

Step 1

Close any and all open programs running on your computer. You may also want to temporarily disable your anti-virus software.

Step 2

Open your computer's Control Panel. Click on the "Start" Menu and then "Control Panel". Double-click "Add/Remove Programs."

Step 3

Click the "Add/Remove Windows Components button. Check the box next to "Update Root Certificates."

Step 4

Update your Windows software. Click on the "Start" Menu, then click the "All Programs" menu, and then click "Windows Update." Choose "Express" update and follow the wizard.

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