Do MS Updates degrade XP over time?

There is a huge thread on PCMAG on John Dvorak's column called XP Decay. The gist of which is that XP degrades due to MS updates. The bulk of the responses are complaints and bewilderment with some specific "fixes" for some of the problems.

I've seen so many posts now with 'MS updates" caused a problem, but "which one ".?

The way I try to avoid any potential problems with MS updates:

Shut auto update off. The notification feature IMO should be enough.

Do updates one at a time with time in between - at least a day, sometimes a lot more, during which I don't change the system in any way.

Create System Restore points before the update and then when I decide it's OK, after. This gives me a chance to roll back any update whether it has a unstaller or not.

Since Feb 2002 when I installed XP, only once did I have to "roll back" an update - JVM, it just slowed my system down to a crawl. I don't install all the updates offered either. Rightly or wrongly, I make judgments about the bearing of the patches to my system and circumstances.

I also use the Catalog site to download the updates to my folder and manually install when I feel like it. The advantage is that they can be saved for a time when I reload the system, don't have to go on line for them.

All the above I also practice with software installs as well.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1304348,00.asp The article

http://discuss.pcmag.com/pcmag/messages?msg=29240.1 The thread

Wondering how others handle this issue.

Regards - Charles

 

Wise advice, Charles. I do pretty much the same thing you described. I ran XP Pro for over a year w/ NO SP1, and had very little trouble. On the last reinstall, I put the whole SP1 on, and have been having minor problems ever since. I also did not like the way SP1 changed some of my settings and took things out and put things on. Next time I start fresh, each update will be done on an individual basis. (For example, why download a server update when I'm not running a server and have those features disabled?)

Downloading and saving to a folder is much more efficient for the inevitable reinstall, or when you are helping someone else do an install. You can burn it all to one cd and you are good to go. The thread is very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Johanna

(Whose computer claims to have "IE History ", but does not display it, anywhere, at all. I WILL get to the solution eventually, even if it means starting over. Grrrr...)

 

Hi Johanna,

Yep, SP1, the 800 lb. gorilla!

Here is a list of the indiviual "fixes" contained in SP1: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=/support/ServicePacks/Windows/XP/SP1FixList.asp

Lot of them for Networks.

Regards - Charles

 

Charlesvar,
That bug list is a scary, scary thing, isn't it.
Pardon post/thread interruption but..

Johanna
Have you tried or followed through on the last two suggestions appended to your post, in IE, both by Pete and myself?:

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23012

You never came back to post with update.

 

I never saw the last two suggestions. I tried Pete's idea, but it says "Installation failed ". I tried a similar string from somewhere else that I found and kept getting a could not find dll file. I am going to try your idea of logging in as the admin, Ann, as soon as I get these kids settled and quiet. I will post back. Thanks for the idea, the link, and the prompt.
Johanna