Downloads Appear in Two Formats

[Guest]

I have a Windows XP Operating System (Home Edition) with Service Pack 2
installed. My ISP is MSN Dial-Up service. When I purchased my computer, my
system was set-up to receive Microsoft critical updates for Windows XP. Up
until a few months ago, these critical updates were always downloaded when I
turned off my computer; the computer stayed on until the downloads were
installed and then the computer shut down or turned off. Recently, however,
the downloads in this format are much less frequent, but I noticed that I now
have a gold shield icon with a black explanation mark in the center on
display with other icons in the tray. This shield is located in the tray on
the right hand side of my screen and it pops up with greater frequency. When
I scroll my curser over the shield it says that updates are now ready for
your computer. Click now to install. Since I have owned Windows XP, my
downloads have always come when I am ready to shut down. The gold shield that
now pops up in my tray is new and I have not seen this before. Does anyone
know what is being downloaded into my computer from the gold shield? Has
Microsoft changed the way it provides critical updates to XP users and is
this their new format for downloading critical updates? I have tried to
ignore the updates provided by the shield, but it automatically downloads on
occasion.When this happens, the gold shield disappears from the tray. Do I
need to be concerned or should I download these updates?
Thank you.

 

[Guest]

The setting for that is in Control Panel, System app. You have probably lost
the setting for automatic install.

 

[Guest]

I checked Systems Application and automatic downloads was checked; however,I
changed the download time to PM in order to make sure that my computer is
always on. I then clicked apply. I also checked Security from the Control
Panel and the information was the same. Is it possible that one of
Microsoft's downloads has changed the format for the downloads?
-or-
I also checked the Windows Update site and had it scan my computer. After
the scan, I checked the schedule automatic updates and the time for downloads
is different. I tried to change the time to match what I had on my system,
but it does not change even if I check OK. There is no apply. Could this be
the reason for two downloads?
Any ideas or advice is very much appreciated.
Thanks again!