General Discussion - need information on Windows Update

Author

need information on Windows Update

lillian40

2002-08-31, 4:46 pm

hello everyone....I have been trying to do some pc maintence on my computer and I am a little confused about something. Concerning the Windows Updates, I am trying to figure out which updates I need. I have 98Se IE5 and I am still trying to figure what "critical" updates are need and which ones are not necessary. What is a "formula" for knowing what needs to be updted and what do not. Any information will be appreciated.
Thanks

rhino42

2002-08-31, 5:02 pm

you could go here and download the updates
http://download.com.com/3000-2098-9...tml?tag=lst-0-6
but i am not sure if it tells you what needs updating or not updating. I did have a utility for doing that, i will try to remember what it is. in the mean time try the link.

lillian40

2002-08-31, 5:36 pm

thanks, but I know about the link..I am trying to find out, once I get to the updates page, it lists a lot of critical updates and other updates. I am trying to determine what I need and don't need, but I don't know how.

MistyRing

2002-09-01, 3:05 am

The critical updates are usually security related. The non-critical ones are generally bug-fixes or a new version of some component or other.

thecomeons

2002-09-01, 3:47 am

i download most updates for the popular apps and the o/s. things like ie and media player updates i normally get from covermount cds.

eljefe79

2002-09-01, 2:11 pm

Hey Lillian,

Microsoft attempts to make it easy for the average user by having the Java based windows update site where the dowloaded program probes for your PCs installed OS patch revisions against a current vendor patch list. On a regular basis they identify bugs within the operating system through testing and sometimes hacking exploitations. Once a failure is identified, they are supposed to (in good faith) advertise its existence and post a fix.

As for how you're supposed to tell what fixes are "best" used upon your PC? Well....we who spend our lives in the sea of techology actually read and keep abreast of these postings. Test their effect on "test boxes" before employing them on "live" or as we say "production" systems. Yes occaisionally Microsoft or other vendors do make mistakes in the revisions or patches. These patches will sometimes also limit functionality that corporate users really need. As a result most large commercial entities have people dedicated to reviewing these fixes and enacting a process referred to as "version control" on organizational computers. Subsequently, this burden is removed from the corporate user but is the "total" responsibility of the home or small corporate user.

As Mistyring poined out, make it a point to review the critical updates regularly by reading the "more info" button displayed. You'll find some interesting information that is sometimes not too technical. It'll also warn you about any "side effects" of the fixes which may jeopardize your functionality..such as the outlook attachment security fix which prevents opening program file attachments in outlook. This can sometimes be a pain for some advanced users.

As a point, I usually find that adding most security and program updates are OK however if there is a complete "service Pack" edition, I'll wait a few months for the guinea piggers of the internet to experiment before even reviewing the update.

If you really want some interesting yet boring information to read here's the "best Practices" paper on selecting product updates from "the horses mouth" Ie Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...stprac/bpsp.asp

Oh, I almost forgot...on a regular schedule, backup critical information to a Zip disk or like media...especially before performing updates. If possible back up your entire PC, this can greatly increase your success of surviving both hardware and software errors. Neither people nor the computers made by them are perfect.

Best wishes

lillian40

2002-09-01, 5:53 pm

thanks all for the information, it helps alot. Like always, I appreciate you guys very much.

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