Those computer updates are annoying, but necessary
It’s important to address bugs and fix security issues
Computers and mobile devices are wonders of technology but even when they’re running well they can end up becoming terrible time wasters. For instance, consider the Windows Update service, a good example of an ongoing technological nuisance.
People resent wasting time waiting for yet another update to be installed, usually when they need to use the computer right away or shut it down. I’m often asked why Microsoft didn’t wait to get things right before releasing a version of Windows.
Yet, as irritating as updates are, there’s a reason for them. They’re necessary to repair bugs and more importantly to fix security issues that are the result of nefarious types constantly looking for security holes to exploit. Windows updates are released on the second Tuesday of each month, called “patch Tuesday,” and roll out over several days. Windows 7 users often ignored updates so Microsoft changed its tact with Windows 10 and now you get updates whether you like it or not, although you can delay them for a period of time.
Unknown to many people an update usually includes a security tool called the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT). It is installed with the update and silently runs once to try and detect evil and often destructive malware on your computer. After scanning your computer the removal tool either attempts to remove any threats it finds and reverse changes, or if nothing is found it shuts down and is replaced by another version during the next update.
The good news is that it’s free and another layer of protection for your computer. The bad news is that it only runs once a month and any malware that manages to get on your computer has until the next update to work its evil processes.
To address this concern Microsoft has made MSRT available as a stand-alone download in case you want to run it whenever necessary. The instructions are at the malicious software removal website (https://tinyurl.com/yb8rwbek).
There is another variety of update however that is truly annoying because it may contain nothing you need, doesn’t address any security issues, doesn’t give you the option to install it or not, and may take over an hour to install during which time you can’t use, unplug, or turn off your computer.
It’s called a feature update and the one delivered to your Windows 10 operating system last October was version 1709, called the Fall Creators Update. The most recent one was version 1803 which was installed on your computer sometime during or after this past April. If you have a ton of unallocated spare time, Computerworld has a webpage which gives the details of every Windows 10 update ever delivered (https://tinyurl.com/y796vdmf ).
A feature update might plug some security holes and fix a few bugs but its main purpose is to make major changes to the operating system, assign it a new version number, and give you features it’s been determined you need. The April update had several new features such as a timeline which lets you resume a task you were doing previously. You may have noticed a new icon on the taskbar in the lower left which looks like a little filmstrip. That’s the timeline icon, or you can access it by pushing the Windows logo key and the tab key at the same time.
Other features made it easier to sync items such as photos between your computer and your smartphone and another feature allows you make your Android smartphone look like your Win 10 desktop. You can see all of the features briefly described at the April Update website (https://tinyurl.com/yas6ude6) and decide if any of them are useful to you and were worth the huge download and update process.
By the way, if you have an iPad or iPhone you know that updates are not unique to Windows. Apple will constantly notify you of an update with a popup window on your device and ask you when to install the update, but never ask if you’d like to skip the process entirely.