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Windows Automatic Updates - disable/enable?
Hi
I have, with the help of Dell Technical Support, just upgraded my Dimension 3100 (1 month old) from XP Home to XP Pro. The Dell engineer suggested that I should disable Windows automatic updates as this would cause more problems that it would solve. Instead he suggested keeping Anti-virus and Firewall software up to date.
Is this an official Dell view? or one that is specific to the Dimension 3100?
What should I do? ...I am confused.
Secovian
I have, with the help of Dell Technical Support, just upgraded my Dimension 3100 (1 month old) from XP Home to XP Pro. The Dell engineer suggested that I should disable Windows automatic updates as this would cause more problems that it would solve. Instead he suggested keeping Anti-virus and Firewall software up to date.
Is this an official Dell view? or one that is specific to the Dimension 3100?
What should I do? ...I am confused.
Secovian
986
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Posted November 6th, 2006 09:00
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.
Inspiron 16 5630 Laptop and WD22TB4 Docking StationSelf-built desktop for recording studio application986
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Posted November 6th, 2006 10:00
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.986
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Posted November 6th, 2006 11:00
Sorry ...the Dell Engineer who helped with the XP Pro installation ...this was done over the phone.
I then asked the question using dell.co.uk/chat and the Dell guy said "no don't install them if it is working okay".
I have tried getting assistance from Dell Software support and the message there is have it switched on.
So you can see ..different answers depending upon who you ask.986
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Posted November 6th, 2006 12:00
The person who directed you to turn off Automatic Updates is not very knowledgeable.985
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Posted November 6th, 2006 14:00
I have all security apps that allow me the option set to manual updates. I check the update site I cited in my earlier post daily and update the apps listed for that day, as part of my daily maintenance routine. It only takes a few minutes and stops all those update checks from continually using my bandwidth. Apart fom NAV 2007 and Superantispyware, which have more or less daily updates, the others are about once a week or less frequently, yet if you let them they will check every few hours by default. (I know Windows update default is once a day, with option to make it once a week, but as I said, generally Windows Updates are issued once a month.)986
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Posted November 6th, 2006 14:00
I think it is entirely up to you how you prefer to run your PC:
1. disable Windows Automatic updates, but check manually especially after the second Tuesday of each month, when most of the updates are issued (only rarely are updates issued on other days, with the exception of Windows Defender or Live Care updates, if you have those, whose definitions are updated about once a week).
or
2. set windows automatic updates on with one or other of its options (probably best is download but let me choose when to install, so you can avoid installation interfering with anything else you might be doing at the time).
Personally, I have it off and check manually.
A good site to check whether updates are available for many antivirus and anti malware apps as well as Windows and MS apps is
dozleng.com/updates986
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Posted November 6th, 2006 14:00
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?986
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Posted November 6th, 2006 15:00
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.638
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Posted November 6th, 2006 20:00
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.
Secovian
11 Posts
986
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Posted November 6th, 2006 09:00
Is there anyone from Dell who can confirm this?
Message Edited by Secovian on 11-06-2006 05:32 AM