BleepingComputer.com: How does the updating of applications on my PC take place?

Hi

It happens quite often to me (like to any other user of PC connected to the Net) that when I turn on my PC I am suggested to download and install some new updates. As my OS is Windows Vista, the most often I receive some Windows updates from Microsoft; however, I knowingly receive also updates from Adobe (Flash etc) or from Norton, and without knowing it, probably also from the host of other providers of applications that can be found on my PC.

Can anyone explain me please how Microsoft, Adobe and others repeatedly recognize that my PC runs their applications? Is it the IP address or the hardware address of my PC that helps them repeatedly identify my computer? In other words: if I changed the IP address of my computer, would the computer be still identified by likes of Microsoft and Adobe according to its hardware address and would new updates still arrive?

Thanks in advance.

Microsoft, Adobe and the rest don't know anything about you as far as automatic updates are concerned.

Let's use Adobe Flash as an example. Adobe Flash comes with a small program that gets run every time you start up your computer. This program knows two things: the version of Flash you have installed and the address on the internet of a server where Adobe puts information about the latest version of Flash. This program connects to that server and finds out what the latest version of Flash is. It then compares the latest version with the version you have installed and decides whether you should update.

Hi Andrew

Thank you very much indeed for making it clear to me.