Windows update woes
SHOULD YOU INSTALL EVERY UPDATE STRAIGHT AWAY? IT MIGHT NOT BE AS SAFE AS YOU’D THINK.
AN OFFICIAL SECURITY patch, released by Microsoft on April 9th, caused users of many popular third-party anti-virus packages from companies like Sophos, Avast, and McAfee to suffer slowdown on their machines so extreme as to make them unusable. The update, one of Windows 7’s final security patches and also released on Windows 8.1 (though not on Windows 10) was quickly pulled – but users who received it before it was withdrawn were forced to wade through treacle to install a new version of their anti-virus software. If we were sensationalist, we might even dub the update akin to a virus in itself.
PROTECT YOURSELF
This isn’t the first time a Windows update has gone haywire, and it likely won’t be the last. Windows, frequently updated as it is against the latest threats, is extremely complicated, and the number of distinct interactions it can make with its apps is almost infinite. Credit to Microsoft for putting on the brakes as soon as the glitch was uncovered; the company is known for delaying major updates to make sure they’re ready for release. But the problem isn’t so much the updates themselves, but the automatic way in which they’re often rudely applied. Windows updates roll out gradually to groups of users at a time. If you happen to be one of those unlucky users to receive a broken update first, you’ll have to deal with the consequences.
So what’s the answer? There are a couple of ways to protect yourself from rogue updates. First, make regular backups of your files. You can use the Windows 10’s File History tool, which automatically copies everything important to an external drive, but we’d also recommend creating regular System Restore points, which let you roll Windows back to a previously usable state. It’s also important to note that, however much Microsoft might try to encourage you to always be on the latest version of Windows, you do have a choice to defer automatic updates. Check the Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update section to set the options to your liking.