How-To Geek Forums » Windows Vista
hey is installing every update of MS is necessary
(14 posts)
Hmm, this is a judgement call indeed. Security updates should definitely be installed. But updates for components you never use, are questionable. And "optional" ones I only install when I have a problem in this area. You can read about every update on the MS data base (by KB number), but that is tedious. It is sometimes easier to just install them, than go thru the trouble of researching the details. But if they are very big and questionable, it may be worth it.
I would definitly not turn turn the updating service off, just the automatic installation. Then you have a chance to be selective.
As whs mentioned, MS usually denotes the level of criticality of an update. I used to think I was being smart by only installing those that were critical or recommended. Then it got to be more trouble than it was worth to me to keep sorting them out. So I just put it on automatic and let MS do its best at three a.m. on update days. So far there have been no noticeable ill effects of doing so.
Just one addition to what Spacegold says: There were a few occasions where new updates from Microsoft created problems. That is usually pretty soon being broadcast on the internet. For that reason, I always wait a few days after the availability of the updates before I install them. Then I have a chance to sort out the potential trouble makers.
I learned this lesson a while ago when they had sent down faulty updates that did not have an uninstaller (for some reason they sometimes ship updates that are impossible to uninstall). I had to actually reset the whole system to get rid of the buggers. They later fixed those.
Spacegold, You need not "quarantine" them. Just let then sit there and clear the checkboxes. I check every now and then whether something arrived in "available updates" - and I have to do that on 4 systems.
And as far as MS making mistakes - remember, those are people like you and me and mistakes do happen. I was a programmer for 35 years (although I did not program for that many years - had to "manage"), and I remember a lot of bugs I produced. The going rate then was one bug per every 1000 lines of code shipped ( I don't know what rate they are using now, but it would amaze me, if it were very different. They are still "people"). Now make the arithmatic with the 55 million lines of code in Vista. Lots of bugs, I bet. Fortunately many are in code strings we never touch.
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