xp update

I think you are referring to the default setup of Outlook Express 6 - by default it will not allow you to open any attachments - this is 'by design' as MS would say.

To enable the opening of attachments:

Tools > Options > Security > uncheck 'Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus'.

With one or two notable exceptions, which have either been withdrawn or fixed by MS, the updates are OK, but there is always a risk that they may adversely affect some PC configurations.

When making a major install of the updates - after an install of XP - the question of installing in the right order comes into play. Windows Update deals with this problem, but many folk who inherently distrust MS updates prefer to download these to HD and install manually, one at a time with a few days in between each, and check for problems after each install.

Personally I have had no problems with Windows Updates, except the infamous 811493 which slowed down PC's worldwide - this has now been fixed and is OK.

The approach is to read the description of each update and decide if it applies to your PC usage - if it doesn't then you can pass it by.

If you want to download updates to HD go here

For a broader view on updates search the board - there are several threads amd a multitude of opinions