I've heard about problems with installing Windows and Microsoft updates; should I install these updates?

Sometimes installing an update for Windows, either through the Automatic Updater or the Microsoft site (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com or http://update.microsoft.com), results in a dysfunctional computer. Even though this is rare, some people unfortunately look on Windows Updates suspiciously.

Should I install the Windows updates?

In spite of problems that have occurred with installing Windows Updates, you should most definitely install critical updates as they become available. Three types of updates are possible:

• Critically important updates (e.g., patches, security fixes)
• Important but not critical updates (e.g., patches for non-critical programs, version updates)
• Miscellaneous updates

 The main distinction is that you absolutely need the critical updates, and the rest are not necessary. Critical updates fix major security vulnerabilities in Windows; for that reason, you must apply them. Even though in rare cases some computers have not worked correctly after updating, if you do not apply them, you risk compromise.

How often does Windows break after applying an update?

The stories of a computer refusing to boot or work properly after updates are well documented. Ignoring the obviously false or exaggerated legends, occasionally a necessary component of Windows does not function correctly after an update. This does happen, but it is rare. Most computing consultants have seen a legitimate case or two, but it's rare to have witnessed multiple cases of computers malfunctioning after a Windows Update. In a very large majority of those cases, there was already something wrong with Windows and the update merely revealed a pre-existing problem.

Occasionally an update only appears to break something. For example, service packs can set some Windows settings back to the defaults, but a component in Windows may depend on that setting in order to work. Or the added security functions may not be what you expect; some Outlook Express users, for example, were surprised when a Windows XP service pack resulted in attachments not launching. In that case, attachments were deliberately prevented from launching (refer to the Microsoft knowledge base article 329570 for details).

You can search Microsoft's knowledge base at:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx

The point is that updates, especially the critical ones, can change the way the computer behaves. In those cases, the computer may be frustratingly different, but it is not broken.

What if I choose not to install an update?

Disregarding non-critical, non-security updates is a personal choice, and there's nothing wrong with doing so. Non-critical updates are optional. But ignoring critical updates is inviting great risk. Critical updates are always responses to known security flaws, so to neglect them is to invite the risk of being affected by such a flaw.

Some argue that it's better to accept some risk rather than have to erase Windows and reinstall it from scratch if an update breaks Windows. Others say that if they get compromised, they'll worry about fixing the problem then. The problem with those attitudes is that you would be accepting more than a technical or personal risk; you'd be risking the integrity of your accounts or, worse yet, leaving yourself open to legal risks. If the worst case scenario occurred due to an update, and you had to completely erase and reinstall Windows, you would definitely be severely inconvenienced, you might lose important files, and you may even need to pay to repair your computer. However, if your system is compromised due to an unpatched security flaw, you may lose your Internet access and possibly, in extreme cases, be involved in a lawsuit if a hacker or other malicious individual chooses to remotely use your computer in an attack or other illegal activity. And in that case, you'd still need to erase Windows, risk losing files, and possibly pay for a repair. You would end up with the same problems and additional serious ones as well.

The bottom line is that if you choose not to install a non-critical, non-security update, there's no fallout. It's not mandatory, and no one will force you to do so. But if you choose to ignore critical updates, you invite severe risk, and may create a problem much larger than erasing and reinstalling Windows.