Do you use Windows Update

[jiewmeng]

I sometimes find Windows Update annoying and bloating my HDD. Apparently, for no noticable difference. Is it a good idea not to update Windows. Currently, I use "Notify me of updates but don't install automatically"

Is it enough to just update other stuff like anti-virus, anti-malware, firewalls etc?

[MagicAndre1981]

no it is not enough to run a AV tool and Firewall. ALWAYS install the updates!!!!

[Guest]

Delete the backups (don't know where they are stored in 7) and it wont bloat your system. All it is doing is replacing a file with a secure one.

[Mexxi]

I never used the update feature in any Windows version. Never had any problems. Also never had those that would have been solved by those updates. As for security: I have firewalls running in two cascaded routers and use common sense to eliminate the weakest link in the whole system: the user. This is of course not recommendable to inexperienced users, but if you know your way around and also don't have any instabilities or problems that require updates, then there's no reason to waste hdd space and precious time on this feature.

[MagicAndre1981]

Delete the backups (don't know where they are stored in 7) and it wont bloat your system.

no longer possible since Vista (applies to Win7, too)

[ricktendo]

I dont care how many firewalls you are behind, if you visit a web page that contains a exploit that you dont have patched your f***ed...and not olny do I use Windows Update but I also turn on Microsoft Update to get more updates for even more Microsoft stuff

Delete the backups (don't know where they are stored in 7) and it wont bloat your system.

no longer possible since Vista (applies to Win7, too)

Windows Vista/7 do store updates but they use the winsxs folder and cannot be deleted to save space unless uninstalled

Edited January 14, 2011 by ricktendo64

[Mexxi]

I dont care how many firewalls you are behind, if you visit a web page that contains a exploit that you dont have patched your f***ed.

Not necessarily. If it installs malware then that also has to get through the firewalls. Btw, I mentioned common sense as a major part of my setup. Most exploits are shipped by three means: infected ads, emails and shady websites. I have an excellent ad-blocker which eliminates the first problem. Emails are effectively scanned and filtered before they even reach me and even then I don't open them mindlessly. I also don't visit shady websites, so there's no way to get infected. Never had a virus, a worm, a backdoor app and I also never suffered from an exploit. Never happened in the past 17 years and I doubt it will in the future. Btw, most exploits are executed through IE and ActiveX, so not using that is a major step to not suffering from exploits.

[Tripredacus]

I use Windows Update, but I read what the update is for before installing it.

[ricktendo]

Not necessarily. If it installs malware then that also has to get through the firewalls.

LOL not port 80

[Guest]

I also don't visit shady websites

You don't have to visit shady websites to get infected. You could get infected here at msfn,org. Most exploits use compromised sites and load an invisible iframe with the attack code. Since you are not using IE you are probably safe from most exploits. I'm just putting that out there for those that do.

Not all attack vectors are through IE though. See MS10-026 as an example.

This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft MPEG Layer-3 audio codecs. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opened a specially crafted AVI file containing an MPEG Layer-3 audio stream.

[Tripredacus]

You don't have to visit shady websites to get infected.

Right. Wasn't there something in the news awhile back where people were getting malware from msnbc and other big sites? Something about how someone hacked the ad service that multiple sites were using at the time.

[Guest]

http://www.google.com/search?q=nobel.org+hacked

http://www.google.com/search?q=nytimes+malware

[submix8c]

I update occasionally, but not "directly". First, go to the Update website, choose "Custom", let it find them, save the list, go back and choose the catalog (or MSdotCOM and search by KB), find them, download them, install them, offload the downloaded elsewhere.

Everyone is aware allowing Update to download and install keeps both the "downloaded" and the "uninstall" portions, right? (approx. 2x the space occupied per Update). Maybe I'm missing the boat and am wrong...

Not updating is just begging for trouble. If a burglar has a way to get into your house by bypassing your alarm system, better see if there is a fix to prevent it... Firewalls don't always stop attackers and good A-V software helps (but not always). I have both (and within the router inbound) in addition to the occasional "patching". Better safe than sorry...

P.S. (ever hear of "drive-by's"?)

[blackturbokitty]

I always use Windows updates. It saves me a lot of trouble and headache.

[HarryTri]

As far as security updates and problem fixing updates are offered I think the best thing to do is to use them.