Automatic updates are for suckers.

[VirtualLarry]

Just sayin'

 

[tidy]

.

 

[escrow4]

I have better things to do than fiddle with Windows. If I wanted to grope around in control panels and text files I'd install Linux.

 

[tidy]

.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I have better things to do than fiddle with Windows. If I wanted to grope around in control panels and text files I'd install Linux.

I don't have problems with updates, only the automatic part.

We've seen, countless times, that "bad" updates get sent out, and those people with their Windows Update set to "Automatic" end up with hosed systems.

I really like how Linux Mint's software update manager works. They assign a priority level to updates, based on risk. By default, the three least risky update levels come pre-selected for updates, while the remaining two do not. Of course, the super-user can select any update manually to be installed or not.

 

[yinan]

Microsoft is really in a no win position here. There is no way they can test every possible configuration with a patch, and they would and have gotten destroyed in the past when they didn't set automatic as the default.

 

[Ketchup]

Let's face it. Most OS updates in the Windows world are for security. The problem I see is that pretty much every OS has a lower vulnerability level than the various versions of Windows. Not that Windows is that much better than everyone else, it's just that by far it is the biggest target.

So it can't just sit around like Mint and say "well, this one is the safest, so if hackers get through this other way, oh well." It is in the best interest (theirs and ours) to include every update they have on patch Tuesdays. Is it perfect? No. Is it better than constantly holding back? I think so.

 

[Berryracer]

The problem I have is, before any updates, my system feels twice as snappy as opposed to after all the updates have been installed.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

We've seen, countless times, that "bad" updates get sent out, and those people with their Windows Update set to "Automatic" end up with hosed systems.

I've always found "notify, but let me decide when to install updates" to be a good compromise.

Also good for laptops. There is nothing more annoying then trying to squeeze those last minutes out of the battery, and then windows decides to install 10+ updates...

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The usual and established advice for driver updates urges downloads and installation from the hardware-maker's support page. But M$ offers WHQL driver updates.

I choose the "download with notify" option, or just "notify." I tend to strip out any or all hardware driver updates when I've already got my own preferred handle on the situation.

Any other problem I've had with Windows Updates seemed to dwindle away through newer generations of the OS. The only problem I had with Win7 Windows Updates occurred more than a year ago due to the corruption of the update program components -- in turn a result of faulty hardware (RAM and PSU). Update failure was the first symptom of the trouble.

By the way. Does anyone remember what it was like back in 1994, attempting to grab the latest version of Internet Explorer through a 56K dial-up connection? I was SO . . . FREAKIN' . . . PLEASED -- that my download was successful and installed perfectly -- after the some 20 hours it took to complete!!

 

[cabri]

The problem I have is, before any updates, my system feels twice as snappy as opposed to after all the updates have been installed.

Given the number of updates; then your system is running slow as molasses

 

[Insert_Nickname]

By the way. Does anyone remember what it was like back in 1994, attempting to grab the latest version of Internet Explorer through a 56K dial-up connection? I was SO . . . FREAKIN' . . . PLEASED -- that my download was successful and installed perfectly -- after the some 20 hours it took to complete!!

You got 5-7KB/s on a good day. Not to mention you usually paid per minute (at least here in Denmark), so getting updated could turn out a bit expensive.

Thank god for the companies T1 line.

 

[ninaholic37]

By the way. Does anyone remember what it was like back in 1994, attempting to grab the latest version of Internet Explorer through a 56K dial-up connection? I was SO . . . FREAKIN' . . . PLEASED -- that my download was successful and installed perfectly -- after the some 20 hours it took to complete!!

I remember using BBSs then Netscape, so never had that problem Most annoying thing was "waiting for java to initialize" or something...

 

[blackangst1]

The usual and established advice for driver updates urges downloads and installation from the hardware-maker's support page. But M$ offers WHQL driver updates.

I choose the "download with notify" option, or just "notify." I tend to strip out any or all hardware driver updates when I've already got my own preferred handle on the situation.

----snipped----

+1