Joe said:
I am pestered to do automatic updates but can't see any description of what
the updates really are.
All you need do is read the Microsoft Knowledge Base article associated
with each hotfix/patch. Simply go to the following link, and look up
the KB number of any patch in question:
Knowledge Base Advanced Search
http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1
And I am not sure how I will know if the updates
came from Microsoft rather than some hacker.
Microsoft doesn't arbitrarily "send" you the updates; instead, your
computer queries Microsoft's servers to see if there are any relevant
updates available. The updates could be from "some hacker" only if that
hacker first managed to install some sort of malware on your computer to
redirect these periodic checks to an alternate server. For this to
happen, you'd either have to grant that hacker physical access to your
computer or willingly install the malware, either directly, or by
turning off your firewall and anti-virus protection.
Is is better to trust the
automatic updates or to go to the update site periodically.
I really don't like to see people use the Automatic Updates, unless
they take precautions to ensure that no patches get installed without
the user's express permission, given only after he/she has researched
each individual patch to ensure that it applies and is necessary. Due
to the nearly infinite number of possible combinations of hardware,
device drivers, and applications on any given PC, it's impossible to
guarantee that all patches will be 100% harmless. In a very small
number of cases, patches and hotfixes can cause conflicts or other
problems. So, as with all changes to an OS, caution is advised.
In the overwhelming majority of cases, all "Critical" updates
should be installed. These address serious issues that can affect a
large number of computers. There will be only rare occasions when a
Critical update will not apply. Of special importance are those that
address security vulnerabilities. If people had installed the available
critical updates in July of 2003, the Blaster and Welchia worms would
not have spread throughout the Internet the following month. In the
unlikely event that problems do develop, you can always use the Control
Panel's Add/Remove Programs applet or a System Restore Point to
uninstall the troublesome hotfix.
For the "Recommended" updates, simply study the information
provided to see if these updates apply in your specific situation. If
they don't apply, or you're not experiencing the problem(s) addressed,
you needn't install them. For instance, I have no use for WinXP's
MovieMaker, so I ignore any updates to it. Again, in the unlikely
event that problems do develop, you can always use the Control Panel's
Add/Remove Programs applet or a System Restore Point to uninstall the
troublesome hotfix.
In general, though, I've found it best *not* to download the
"Driver" updates from Windows Update, unless they're for a hardware
device originally manufactured by Microsoft. Device drivers provided
by each component's manufacturer's web site are likely to perform
better and offer more features than will the watered-down, "generic"
drivers that those manufacturers provide to Microsoft for distribution
via Windows Update.
(If Microsoft
wanted to simply alert me tothe availability of a particular update they
could do that pretty handily I suppose)
Microsoft has always made that option available to you; it's up to you
to use it. Control Panel > Automatic Updates. Notice that you have 4
options. Choose the one you prefer. Personally, I have Windows notify
me when update are available, and I then research each one to see if
it's relevant to me.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
