I see this from another perspective. I'm an IT professional and (unfortunately) many of my friends and family members know that. So I end up supporting many AVERAGE computer users. For the average computer user, automatic updates pushed by Microsoft are a horrible idea. The reasoning is simple. If AU f***s up my computer, *I* know that I can roll it back (system restore) or revert to a backup image of the entire boot drive. But the AVERAGE computer user doesn't know about system restore, doesn't back up their hard drive regularly (or at all), doesn't know that automatic update f***ed up their system, and doesn't even know the right questions to ask to get help from someone who DOES know it.
So when (not if) AU f***s up the system to the point where it won't boot, or won't run software correctly, the average user is screwed. If they call me (or someone else knowledgeable) for help, they won't say "Well windows update ran recently and now my OS isn't working right". The average computer user simply doesn't know even THAT much about how their OS and-or AU works. Sad, but true. The complaint won't mention windows update, it will simply be along the lines of something like "my computer isn't working". That is, if it's coming from an average computer user. If you hang out on usenet, you probably are not an average computer user. :)
help! 1997 Hyundai Accent, gear grindingI just bought a 1997 Hyundai Accent (5 speed-manual trans, 136k miles) and it's got a few kinks (as I expected, with that many miles). I'd like to have a better...
I think the best an "average" computer user can do is to install a good anti-virus program and software firewall and turn automatic updates OFF. Of course, getting them to do all that is a challenge in itself. So I'm glad to see certain hand-holding ISPs starting to offer these features (firewall, virus protection, spyware protection) to their customers.
Security Services like AOL and Earthlink now offer will protect the -average- computer user a lot better than MS automatic updates. Plus, the odds of AOL or Earthlink really screwing up your system files are a lot lower than simply turning on AU and allowing Microsoft to push whatever they want to onto your system. On the other hand, I have seen AOL upgrade software trash OS files to the point where the computer will not boot, but not as often as MS automatic updates do. -Dave
