July 18, 2008

Downloading Microsoft Windows Updates Can Be Bad For Your Health

Earlier this week I downloaded a regular supply of Microsoft updates for Windows XP. As has been the usual case, the updates were downloaded automatically via Microsoft's automatic update utility. I've been using this utility for years with no problem, but recently, every now and then programs simply, just don't work.

My suspicion is that some of the most recent Windows updates have caused programs to stop working. This last set of updates caused a few of the support tools of my Lenovo notebook to stop working, for example. This was merely a hassle, as I don't use the tools, but I don't like anything on my computer to not work.

What's the solution? I'm not sure if there is an easy solution. Very large companies take the time to first test updates and ensure they work on their computers. This process could take several hours to properly test. You don't have the time for that and probably don't have extra computers just waiting to be tested.

Another solution is to sign up with a managed service provider such as CMIT Solutions, Green House IT, Direct Pointe or one of dozens of other national, regional or local managed service providers. These providers will first test the Microsoft update to ensure it's "good". Keep in mind, however, that you might have a particular application that won't work with the update. The only real way to know this is to try it out.

In the end, I resolved my problems by a) downloading service patch 3 of Windows XP and reinstalling the Lenovo applications that weren't working. It was a royal pain, but it worked.

tags: support , windows | 0 comments