What The Hell Is Wrong With MS?

[David E. Gervais]

AT, All I did way back when is update to SP2, get all the 'critical updates' and then turned off 'auto-update'. I have not updated my Win XP in close to 10 months. (My system is working fine, why on earth would I install updates when my system is running fine?) I think too many people get 'lured' into thinking that 'all updates are critical' they often run into problems like you are having.

The only exception I have to 'updates' does not involve MS.. I will update my graphics driver if I find a new game does not work/run. (Since I cannot afford new software/games this is no longer an issue) My last graphics update was driver v84.21 march 2006, they are up to v93.71 november 2006. I suppose that since no new driver has been made since november 2006 I should update it to this version but.. "Why would I update if everything is working fine?"

Seriously, if everything is working why the need for an update? 'Security updates' are imho close to 'bogus' they seem to fix a specific problem on a specific configuration. 99% of the time it does not affect your own system security needs.

here are some words of advice.. "If it aint broke don't fix it."

anyways, sorry for the rant, too many people get 'hooked' into thinking they 'have' to update their systems. It's like spending time/money to get the latest HDTV big screen technology to watch your VHS collection. Duh!

Cheers!

[NullAshton]

The newest nvidia driver do have several optimizations to make games run better. They have some bugfixes for the newest games, but they also add a few FPS to your games, which is always good.

And you really should install at least the security updates, if nothing else. Several worms exploit security vulnerabilities that were patched several weeks earlier. The Blaster worm, for example, exploited a vulnerability that was patched by Microsoft an entire month earlier.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

'Why would I go to the every year doctor when I feel fine?'

[Suicide Junkie]

You go to your doctor regularily for checkups (delete these two viruses and call me when you boot), not surgery.

[NullAshton]

Suicide Junkie said:
You go to your doctor regularily for checkups (delete these two viruses and call me when you boot), not surgery.

What about vaccinations and flu shots, then?

[Suicide Junkie]

That is literally an anti-virus update.

[BlueTemplar]

Windows updates, what updates?

Seriously, this all is just a giant FUD operation towards the computer challenged people.

For the same reason I don't use an anti-virus, because the only thing they do is to slow down your computer (the same thing that some viruses do).
I sometimes check a suspicious file with a web-based anti-virus, and every six months or so check the whole computer, but so far I've NEVER been infected (since I'm the only one using this computer, that means in three years).
But that's also maybe because I don't use IE, and have a NAT router that blocks everything I tell it not to...

[NullAshton]

If you're doing everything that you should be, you shouldn't need anti-virus protection, correct. But shouldn't you still patch your computer, just in case you do in fact get a virus?

And anti-virus programs don't slow down my computer all that much.

[Suicide Junkie]

As long as you don't have the boat anchor that is norton running...

[NullAshton]

AVG has worked fairly solidly for me. No annoying popups, it's not crippleware.... along with the (free) version of Kerio, it keeps my computer safe.