Don't rush to install windows service packs and updates

There's a good reason why businesses don't install the latest service packs as soon as they become available, the same reason in fact  for not upgrading the operating system - Unproven effectiveness and stability.

It's an all too common scenario that you install a service pack or a hot-fix, only to find out that it actually did more harm than good. Blue screens, degraded device and poor system stability.

There are millions if not billions of different computer configurations in the world. The simple fact is that Microsoft have no way of testing these updates with every system configuration prior to release. Of course - they do release test versions of these updates to a selected bunch in order to gain an overall feel for its effectiveness but by no means exhaustive or conclusive.

It's many businesses policy to not "automatically" install windows updates as they are made available but instead, take a precautionary step back and let others take the lead. This allows for an "extended testing period" from a broader spectrum of users. When all the bug reports have been logged with Microsoft, it's usually the case that a service pack update appears a few months after it's initial release.  It's usually at this point that companies feel more secure in updating their systems.

Microsoft will have you believe it's best to automatically download and install updates automatically. Of course, there's a lot to be said for setting an option that does everything for you, the only downside is, it's very easy to miss important error messages and of course, you lose that degree of control.

If you're willing to take a degree of risk, then we recommend setting Microsoft Updates to download and install automatically.

If you're a small business or work from home and highly depend on your system, we recommend waiting it out a while. Don't rush to install the latest service pack. Do a little research on-line first to get a feel for what exactly the service pack does and if anyone is currently experiencing problems. If you're unsure, call us for professional Business IT Support.