Checking for available updates
From Settings > Windows Update, the Check for updates button lists the updates available for the system.
Installing the updates
Once the list is shown, start the installation. Some updates (the monthly cumulative updates in particular) require a restart to be finalised.
Scheduling restarts
If the VPS hosts a production service you would rather not interrupt in the middle of the day, set an automatic restart window outside business hours, from the Advanced options of Windows Update.
Automatic updates
By default, Windows Update installs security updates automatically in the background. That is the recommended behaviour on a VPS without permanent supervision — disabling automatic updates entirely leaves the server durably exposed to vulnerabilities that have been fixed everywhere else.
Pausing updates temporarily
Updates can be paused for a limited period, which is useful just before a sensitive operation where you do not want an automatic restart to happen at the wrong moment (an installation in progress, planned maintenance). Remember to re-enable updates once the operation is over — a forgotten pause leaves the system without security patches over time.