Here are the steps to take to keep your Windows laptop or PC safe from Meltdown and Spectre.
Install the emergency Windows patch
Microsoft has released an emergency patch for Windows 10 users.
It should pop up and ask you to restart your pc so it can be installed.
If you haven't receive such a notification, go to Settings > Update & security and see if there are updates waiting on the Windows Update page.
If you are running Windows 10 version 1709, the patch you need is: Security Update for Windows (KB4056892).
For older Windows 10 versions, the patch numbers are:
Windows 10 version 1703 (Creators Update): KB4056891
Windows 10 version 1607 (Anniversary Update): KB4056890
Windows 10 version 1511 (November Update): KB4056888
Windows 10 version 1507 (Initial Release): KB4056893
Manual install route
You can manually install the patch by going to the Windows Update Catalog page. For Windows 10 version 1709 (64-bit version), it's the option named "2018-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1709 for x64-based Systems (KB4056892)."
How can I be sure I'm protected?
To check to see if you have installed the necessary patch, go to Settings > Update & security and click View installed update history.
Under Quality Updates, check that Security Update for Windows (KB4056892) was installed.
You can also check by going to Settings > System > About and scrolling down to the Windows specifications section. After installing the KB4056892 patch, the OS Build will read 16299.125.
Firmware update
Because this is a hardware issue, check in your system's vendor website for a firmware update that can add another layer of protection in addition to updating Windows.
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