Win7 install, Update: Recommended or important updates only?

[Muse]

I'm in the midst of my first installation of Windows 7 (Ultimate 64bit). A screen has come up entitled "Help protect your computer and improve Windows automatically. There are 3 options:

1. Use recommended settings [Install important and recommended updates, help make Internet browsing safer, check online for solutions to problems, and help Microsoft improve Windows.]

2. Install important updates only [Only install security updates and other important updates for Windows.]

3. Ask me later [Until you decide, your computer might be vulnerable to security threats.]


Which should I choose? What do you do and why?

 

[lxskllr]

I choose 3. I want to review updates, and download them once I ok it. That way you know exactly what you're downloading, and have an idea what happened if an update screws your system.

 

[Muse]

I choose 3. I want to review updates, and download them once I ok it. That way you know exactly what you're downloading, and have an idea what happened if an update screws your system.

Well, do you download them one at a time? That's the only way you'd know for sure which update screwed your system? Seems like a lot of work...

 

[lxskllr]

Not 1 at a time, but even with a largish chunk, you get an idea where the problem occurred. If you download a IE update, and your IE goes to hell, it's a good chance it was that update. If Windows downloads and installs automatically it isn't as obvious. You have to go through the logs to find out what it did. Also, you sometimes get advanced notice of problems on the web, and you can reject the update before it causes problems. In practice, I generally take all the updates, but I want to do it when I want to do it. As long as you're conscientious about updating, it poses no security risk, and you have a better idea about what's going on with your machine.

 

[Muse]

As long as you're conscientious about updating, it poses no security risk, and you have a better idea about what's going on with your machine.

Thanks. Windows said I can always change it, but for starters I chose the "recommended" automatic. WTH, I just installed, if it goes to hell the first day I'll just reinstall. I've done two installs just today!

 

[stlcardinals]

I would stick with option 1, you are safer that way. Plus make sure you have system restore enabled, Windows Update will always make a system restore point before it installs updates. Then, if you do have an update that borks your system, you restore the system restore point from before the updates and then selectively install the updates to see which one is the problem.

 

[RebateMonger]

I would stick with option 1, you are safer that way.

I normally recommend Option 1 for desktops. The number of Windows Update problems on desktops over the years is pretty small and the consequences of non-updated PCs nowadays can be pretty big. I also make sure that "Microsoft Updates", rather than "Windows Updates" is being used. The former updates all Microsoft programs rather than just Windows.

Also, a daily system backup update, like Windows Home Server or others, will allow you to restore your system back to the previous day if disaster somehow strikes.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

I almost always use recommended settings, except for certain servers and usually have no issues.

 

[Muse]

I would stick with option 1, you are safer that way. Plus make sure you have system restore enabled, Windows Update will always make a system restore point before it installs updates. Then, if you do have an update that borks your system, you restore the system restore point from before the updates and then selectively install the updates to see which one is the problem.

Is system restore enabled in the System Update utility itself or elsewhere? I'm having a devil of a time finding the usual stuff in Windows 7. For instance, to find Disk Management I had to resort to doing a search in Windows Help! It's humiliating. When I open Control Panel it looks nothing like what I was used to in XP and Vista. Can't find anything! There may be a setting to restore "Classic" GUI, but I haven't encountered it yet. Even in Explorer options, I couldn't find "Use Windows classic folders."

 

[mechBgon]

To get at System Restore, right-click Computer and choose Properties. IIRC, it's a link on the left named System Protection. Disk Management is quick to reach by right-clicking Computer and choosing Manage, and it's in there with Services and some other useful stuff like users/groups.

The one that makes my head spin is Event Viewer on Vista/7. TMI, TMI! That and the Taskbar in Win7, which thankfully can be wrestled into behaving like previous versions.

 

[ginfest]

I use "Notify Me but don't download" That way I can review each update before it installs. I usually check each one out just to make sure that there are no issues.
Currently on my Win 7 X64 Ultimate machine I have all the updates available except the optional "Windows Live Essentials" and have seen no adverse effects.