Do I Need This MS Update

Hi,
One of my fearful duties every month is installing the MS Security Updates, I do them but I worry very much every time, if my PC will boot again.
It is more worrying to install the MS updates than it is to install any old program, there is less chance to have your system corrupted.
I have been wondering for some time, if it would be possible to have a post here telling us if it is safe to install the updates after the release by MS.
I have in the past posted the question" Is it safe to install this Update" but never any reply, and yet I read so many times of corrupted systems after updates.
I am sure there must be many Folks out there who feel the same way, who would like a bit of expert advice on the possible problems that some updates cause.
It is also hard for some of us to figure out which ones we need and which ones we don’t need to install MS are not exactly forthcoming in giving this sort of advice.
So how about it I would like to hear from "Whimps" just like me.
Hawk22

 

I agree with Arie, somewhat. I won't say to install every update MS offers, but I will say to install every critical update offered, when offered. There are sometimes conflicts with various software, drivers, etc, but a critical update often addresses a serious security vulnerability, and protection from security threats in today's internet should receive top priority. Get the system patched, deal with conflicts if and when they occur. Better to have one or two apps disfunctional for a bit until a fix is found, than to have a vulnerability exploited and possibly lose sensitive information, files, or possibly everything on your computer because a hacker came in through an unpatched hole. Just one of many possible scenarios when a machine is unpatched to known security issues.

Here's something you can do that should make you a bit more comfortable about installing updates. Install them one at a time, a day or two apart if there's more than one, and always create a manual System Restore point before installation. Many critical updates will create one anyway, but that will give you at least one more place to roll back to if problems do occur.

Did you see what's in the news?

 

I was very apprehensive about installing the Windows XP SP2 update several months ago. Newt and a few others guided me through the process - stressing having a clean machine (AdAware, Spybot, Virus Scans, etc) prior to installing. I installed it with no noticeable problems.

Since then, I have kept my machine (Dell 8400) clean (I hope) and have installed all the MS critical updates as they came available. I have not had any problems that I would attribute to the MS updates.