Windows Automatic Updates - disable/enable?

If you disable automatic updates, you will not get critical security updates automatically.  You will have to manually go to the windows download site to check and update. 

 

New Dell's come with the automatic update enabled, so I would think that is probably Dell's position.

---

Secovian wrote:
yes ...I would have thought so as well ...but the engineer directed and told me to turn it off!

Is there anyone from Dell who can confirm this?

 

Dell doesn't respond to posts on these forums, and the engineer wasn't competent.

The person who directed you to turn off Automatic Updates is not very knowledgeable.

The issue of automatic updates seems to me like automobile buying, do I get standard or automatic.  There is no right answer.  Each has its place.  With each you must accept the consequences of your decision.  Although this thread started out as a Windows question, should we also addressing automatic/manual updates of Anti Virus and Anti Spyware software? 

The answer is, you get all the critical ones, period, since many of the new ones are Zero Day based.  The only option you should even be thinking  is a manual install vs an auto install.

I'm with JRosenfeld on this one. No autoupdates, and no notifications. Manual install for all.

 

dozleng.com is my first stop, (you're not going to contract anything there!) and not only is it up to date, but occasionally alerts me to problems with updates, false positives with AV/AS updates, etc. Takes a bit of discipline, but worth the few extra minutes.

Never wait on a critical update.  Many of these updates are dealing with Zero Day Vulnerabilities which means you are already late.

For the benefit of new users, and speaking as someone who maintains systems that are set up both ways, if you have to ask about enabling automatic updates, then automatic updates were created with you in mind.  If you have the time and expertise to manage patches on a "when I get around to it" or "when I'm sure they won't mess with beta or other experimental software" basis, you might be in a position to install them piecemeal, but if you don't fall into that latter category, you're exactly who MS developed automatic updates for.  I've overseen the installation of a lot of updates the automatic way on a lot of different systems, and can't remember the last time one adversely affected a reasonably well maintained PC.  On the other hand, I can think of LOTS of PCs that have been affected by a failure to regularly update them, and the results weren't at all pretty.

 

The tech who recommended disabling Automatic Updates is either horribly misinformed, or couldn't be bothered to take the time to properly address any problems you may have been experiencing.  In either event, you were the victim of some very poor advice.  I'd be interested in knowing whether your "upgrade" was a clean installation to a formatted drive (always preferred), or a true upgrade installation over the top of the original OS (the occasionally quicker, but often problematic route).

 

When in doubt, and particularly as applies to the average home user, turn on System Restore, and  enable automatic updates for both your operating system and your anti virus software.  The day may very well come when you'll be glad that you did.

Turn it on and custom install all critical updates.  Anything else is just like playing with fire.