Questions re Windows Update Options

[George Tyndall]

Although we are strongly advised by the manufacturer to allow Microsoft to download and install Windows updates automatically, I have never done that. Instead, my setting is to be notified before downloading and installing any updates.

My reasoning is that some of the updates, such as the Bing desktop, I do not want on my machine. I've read the argument that it’s very easy to uninstall an update that one does not want, but my understanding is that Remove Programs does not always remove everything that was downloaded, and the result is gradual buildup in the registry and elsewhere of, er, let’s call it “junk.”

Question: There are now 12 optional updates that Windows has been asking me for a very long time to install, as depicted below. Most are driver updates. But if Windows and all my devices are working well, is there any compelling reason for me to install any of them? The reason for my caution is that I clearly recall updating a driver for an NVIDIA GPU a year or two ago which caused the device to cease to function. Luckily I was able to roll back to the previous driver.

Thanks for your advice.

Windows Updates.JPG

P.S. The "important" update, not shown, that Windows wants to install is IE10 for Windows 7. I'm also ignoring that update, as I've read here on muvipix that there are some sites for which IE10 does not function well, possibly because of the security enhancements in this new browser. Am I wrong to ignore this update? If I install it and I do have problems that cause me to roll back to IE9, will the state of my machine be exactly the same as it was before the download?

Thanks again.

[Steve Grisetti]

I always install all optional updates, except for Bing and Windows Live (because I hate Windows Messenger). My results have always been great.

But I'll be interested to see if Bob or Chuck or others who work in IT have another opinion.

[Peru]

I'm using PPro CS5.5 on my W7 Pro editing computer and have not done any updates (except for Microsoft Security Essentials) for about two years. I only connect to the internet when I need to download directly.
It works just fine, so I won't "fix" it.

On my other main machine (W7 Pro), I update about every three months (except for MSE which is set to auto update), waiting that long so that I can find out if other users have problems with particular updates. I never use optional updates if it involves drivers unless I am having problems. Again, I don't try to fix it if it isn't broken.

[AllieB]

Although I have Windows Update configured that I always will be noticed and I manualley accept the monthly updates, inclusive the optional, I never had a problem connected with these updates.

Mostly my problems are operator oriented or one of the cleaners (not CCleaner) had removed drivers or parts of programs.

[Bob]

I also set my Windows Update options to notify me of updates but let me chose whether to download and install them. Security fixes and other critical updates, I generally install right away. Optional updates I like to age a little while to let any problems surface. Thirty days seems to be sufficient. There are websites where you can learn of update issues. For example, http://www.askwoody.com/. That site is run by a Woody Leonhard, a Senior Editor at Windows Secrets Newsletter and a Senior Contributing Editor at InfoWorld. It's not just about patches and updates, there is also a goodly amount of news and tips.

Problems do occur. For example, look at KB 2670838. This update is a prerequisite for IE 10 and provides changes to how graphics and video are handled. When it was first released, many people with AMD video cards started having Blue Screen errors. Microsoft withdrew the update and reissued a revised one later. There are still a few AMD cards that have incompatible drivers, but the update now scans for them and won't install if present. Some people also had an issue with Firefox not rendering fonts correctly, but there is an easy fix for that. It's now considered OK to install KB 2670838 unless you have one of the problematical AMD video cards.

[George Tyndall]

Optional updates I like to age a little while to let any problems surface. Thirty days seems to be sufficient. There are websites where you can learn of update issues. For example, http://www.askwoody.com/. That site is run by a Wood Leonhard, a Senior Editor at Windows Secrets Newsletter and a Senior Contributing Editor at InfoWorld. It's not just about patches and updates, there is also a goodly amount of news and tips. Problems do occur.

My thanks to everyone for their opinions. So far, I've been of the same opinion as Peru, "if it ain't...," and the reason is that, as Bob alludes, there have been a number of times when I'd needed to use System Restore or Rollback-Rx to, er, roll back my system.

Bob, if I understand you correctly, you do install all the optional updates after waiting a while, provided you don't learn of any issues from the sites that you frequent--even if your system is running perfectly. But that brings up a question: Aren't the optional updates that appear dependent on what particular devices one has installed on one's particular machine? And if that is the case, then how is one to ascertain that woody's site has experience with the particular updates that I am being asked to install?

BTW, I see that Woody is enthusiastically recommendng the installation of IE10 on Win 7 machines. Thanks for sharing that valuable site, which I've just added to my Favorites.



P.S. To posters who are contemplating clicking on a link while still in the Preview mode here on muvipix, don't do it, as your post will disappear into cyberspace before you have had a chance to click the Submit button--unless, that is, you've copied your post to the clipboard before clicking on the link as I had. (An even better technique, IMO, is to compose longer posts in one's favorite word processor and then copy and paste into an open muvipix editing window.

[Bob]

Bob, if I understand you correctly, you do install all the optional updates after waiting a while, provided you don't learn of any issues from the sites that you frequent--even if your system is running perfectly. But that brings up a question: Aren't the optional updates that appear dependent on what particular devices one has installed on one's particular machine? And if that is the case, then how is one to ascertain that woody's site has experience with the particular updates that I am being asked to install?

It's not just the optional updates that are dependent on what hardware and software are installed. Some updates have prerequisites and/or corequisites that have to be present in order for the update to be offered. That's why it takes several rounds of Windows Updates after you do a fresh install of Windows. If you don't install the necessary prerequisites and corequisites, you may not even be offered updates that patch vulnerabilities or fix problems that you may be having. That's why it's important to install the recommended/critical updates. Sometimes, the recommended/critical updates are unchecked. That's typically because your configuration may be having issues with that update and the patch hasn't been released by Microsoft for that specific configuration. But, it could be unchecked for other reasons. I don't usually apply those until Microsoft changes the status and it becomes checked and it appears that the issues, if any, are fixed.

Optional updates are, well, optional. I don't install the features I don't want (Bing Desktop, Silverlight, etc.). But, I do install features that would normally be included in a current OS distribution. I won't necessarily use that feature, but I want to have a level playing field and avoid potential prerequisite/corequisite issues.

I don't know if Woody has a contact in Microsoft, but even without that, word of problems spreads quickly and you'll see postings in the various support forums. He's in a position to hear of many of these and I would expect that he'll also get a lot of email telling him of problems. With the vast number of user's out there, it's likely you'll see reports for most configurations.

[George Tyndall]

Sometimes, the recommended/critical updates are unchecked. That's typically because your configuration may be having issues with that update and the patch hasn't been released by Microsoft for that specific configuration. But, it could be unchecked for other reasons. I don't usually apply those until Microsoft changes the status and it becomes checked and it appears that the issues, if any, are fixed.

I was wondering what to make of those unchecked recommended updates. Thanks for that guidance.