I hate automatic updates, like those from Flash, Java, even Windows. I always feel they’re trying to take over my computer. Maybe it’s a remnant from times of limited bandwidth. I disable them whenever possible.
Does anyone else feel this way? Is there any danger in automatic updates?
The danger is in not doing them.
Most of these updates are to patch vulnerabilities. By not applying the patches, you are leaving yourself open to attack.
Yeah. I used to turn off automatic updates on the grounds that “the program works perfectly fine as it is! I don’t need the newest version! This is just going to suck up even more storage space!”
But as beowulff said, most of these updates, particularly Windows updates and Flash updates, patch security holes and protect you from malware. You should always install them.
I don’t use any automatic updates except Microsoft Essentials because I have not discovered how to disarm that.
I want to see what is going into my computer. I do remember to go around an update at my convenience. This way my computer does not lock up when I’m in the middle of something important. Also, as a legacy of the past partly, certain windows updates have caused malfunctions on start-up after an update. With the automatic update I would not have known the cause. Updating “.net” was one trouble maker. And windows always wants to run the malicious software scan. I have my own system for checking those things.
So I will continue to update manually where possible.
You are wrong to be paranoid, as the risk of running un-patched is greater than the risk of getting a problem through the update mechanisms.
I’ve been in situations where I make the updates manually, but that was because I was using some software that required specific versions of Java or Acrobat or whatever to work. So unless you have a good reason, I’d go ahead and update.
Always keep at least the notifications on, if not the automatic installs. This way it just tells you when & what they are but lets you decide if & when to install them. Windows is actually pretty good about not forcing significant updates on you without asking first (like new, whole-number-upgrades of IE) even if you do have auto-install on.
Ditto. I HATE when I can hear my hard drive whirring and I’m not doing anything!
if you are using older versions of operating systems then getting notifications and doing manual installs is a good method. updates may be pushed at you that aren’t appropriate for you.
If you don’t use automatic updates, you are at a greater risk of a virus or some type of malware exploiting a flaw in your software and causing you problems. On the other hand, if you do use automatic updates, sometimes when they fix one problem that may not even affect you it can break something that you depend on.
I am forced to use automatic updates and to keep my system current at work. Automatic updates have stopped something I depend on from working about half a dozen times in the past 10 years. Over that same time period, I’ve been hit by viruses/malware three times, once at work where everything is updated, and twice at home where I don’t do updates.
I don’t randomly surf the net at work, so it’s not an apples to apples comparison (and one vs. two isn’t exactly statistically significant). However, it’s very important to note that with each virus attack I’ve been able to restore the system and get it completely back up and running exactly as it was before within a few days. With two of those automatic updates, things were broken that there was no patch available to fix, and they just stayed broken.
So for me, automatic updates have been far more damaging to my systems than viruses.
Once I get a system running the way I like and it does everything I want it to do, if I have a choice, I don’t touch it.
This is what I do. All of my software is set up to notify me when an update is available. Then I can choose to download and install it when it is convenient for me. This is essential because of my very slow middle-of-nowhere DSL service. If Windows downloads an update while I’m doing something else online, my page loads slow to a crawl, so I’ll usually wait until I’m done with what I’m doing and then start the download.
The problem with automatic updates is that they tend to slow down the computer at inconvenient times, or to restart the computer without asking. I sometimes lose work because of this.
What I do is select the option where the computer informs me that updates are available, which I then download and install at a time of my own choosing.
This is the only way to travel. Lets not forget that MANY of the Windows updates are NOT security related, but trivial add-ons that a lot of people wouldn’t want if they knew what they were without allowing Windows to auto-update.
I also select “tell me what updates are available” and I will pre-select what I feel is necessary off the list before installing. I HATE it when a computer I use has been auto-updated and auto-restarted. F that.
Feel free to go back to a non-multitasking OS, then. I hear DOS is still around.
you’re mistaken. “automatic” updates are to address either “critical” or “important” vulnerabilities. add-ons and shit aren’t automatic.
Amen to that. If you play a lot of “real-time” games (esp. online ones), you probably are familiar with the experience of having a popup screen suddenly come on and crash your game (or at least dump it to the toolbar). I know I am. :smack:
I’m uncomfortable with a computer acting without direction from me. It’s like it’s alive or something.
Well besides using computer resources and shutting down without warning, automatic updates also use bandwidth when you may not want them to, like when using 3G. This could cause large unexpected mobile data charges. In Windows Vista onwards, the computer often delays shutting down to install updates, which is troublesome when you have to shut down in a hurry. I’m not sure if Windows asks before installing a service pack, but I definitely don’t want it to install one on its own, especially without backing up first. I also prefer to wait a few days to see if any bugs arise with patches.
I don’t think my fears are unfounded. In 2010 McAfee’s update 5958 caused widespread system outage http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/21/mcafee-update--shutting-down-xp-machines/ some say numbering in the millions http://news.softpedia.com/news/McAfee-Definitions-Update-Crashes-Millions-of-Computers-140329.shtml
Although I must admit I usually overdo it, as I end up not even checking for updates.
Yes, but that is not an update to windows, that is an update to an AV app, one that not alot of the computer world is very fond of.
It’s not a fair comparison though, as you don’t know how many security problems you’d have had if you hadn’t been applying the updates.
Yes, that’s what I do.
I found that with my Linux Mint 9, I am best of to switch off the automatic update and I had no ill effects happen yet, if I am at some Windows PC with automatic updates on, I have many times encountered the PC to refuse to shut down and I had to wait several minutes to have it switching off.