Automatic Microsoft Updating - Yes or No

02.02.12: Extract from a helpful computer newsletter I receive regularly. 

You may not want to allow Microsoft to automatically apply updates. 

Because software is not be perfect, that doesn't mean that the designers cannot make improvements that bring it closer to perfection. 

This is the purpose of software updates and patches. 

Mozilla, the creators of the Firefox browser, for example, release updates from time to time when something breaks or can be improved. Microsoft releases updates and patches to Windows every second Tuesday of the month (referred to as Patch Tuesday). In order to keep your Windows system stable and secure, it's important that you install the latest applicable patches when they're released to the public.

A lot of users configure Windows to automatically download and install patches when they become available. While this automatic process relieves the user of the burden of manually downloading the patches, it does pose the risk of blindly downloading a patch that may cause conflicts either immediately or the down the road. Also, when Windows Updates is set to run automatically, it seems to always want to reboot (to install the patches) right when a user is in the middle of something.

Did you know Windows Update can be configured to do exactly what you want it to do?

Configuring Automatic Updates

Microsoft recommends setting Windows Updates to do its thing automatically. Many users like this as they don't have to lift a finger. But this method forces you to give up a lot of control and you run the risk of downloading a patch that you really don't need or that could cause a conflict.
Just because a new patch is released to the public doesn't mean that all the kinks are worked out of it. Sometimes it takes several days (and a lot of user complaints) to weed out a defective patch. 

If you prefer to wait a few days to see if a patch is worthy of installation, you can configure Windows Update to do this by selecting the 2nd Automatic Update option (Download Updates but let me choose whether to install them).

Another option is to have Windows Update notify you only when new updates become available. Windows will simply tell you when important patches are released but it won't download or install them. This gives you more power over what gets updated but also makes you do more of the work on your part. Many users like this kind of control over their system. This setting will generate a dialog box listing each available patch along with its title. Each patch listing will have a check box next to it, so you can choose whether or not you'd like to install it.

If you really don't want the bother, you can opt to completely turn off Automatic Updates. Microsoft doesn't recommend this for most users. But if you're the type of user that keeps their finger on the pulse of technology, then invoking Microsoft Update manually isn't a problem.

Automatic Updates and Firefox

Windows Update requires an ActiveX plug-in to scan your system and check which patches will benefit your computer; as such, a version of Internet Explorer is required. 

If you use Firefox, there's a plug-in you can install. All it really does is pop open IE from Firefox but it's worth a try if you use Firefox exclusively.