The issue focused on software updates for PCs running Microsoft Windows XP and Vista. That hardware platform does not come with any automated update mechanism. Instead, computers must manually download software updates through their manufacturers. In 2010, software vendors introduced automatic updates that automatically downloaded software updates when devices connected to the internet went offline. As of January 2011, software vendors began updating machines based on machine identifiers rather than PC IDs. When machines connect to the internet again, software vendors require machines to authenticate themselves using passwords rather than IP addresses.