How/When do you update?

[Spinal]

I'm writing an essay for my Security course, and decided I didn't agree with the lecturer - who believes there are VERY few people who don't allow automatic updates.

So, the poll is; do you allow automatic updates? If not, when do you update?

By manual update, I mean you manually go to windowsupdate.com, (or sophos.com) and download the update. Semi automatic means you get a little pop-up telling you there is an update. Clicking on it automatically downloads and installs the update.

Michele

Edit: I've left it so you can vote on more than one simply because I update my OS automatically, while I so semi-manual updates on my of my other software...

 

[A-AvantGarde]

I generally always go for semi-automatic. Allow Windows to automatically download updates but I choose when to install them. At work almost all of our Windows servers are manually updated Just rolling out Server 2003 SP2 at the moment.

 

[Andyni]

I always let windows automatically download the updates but usually only install them every two to three months.

 

[WLeg]

Desktops - full auto, servers, let someone else test drive it first....so give a few weeks or a month or so....not that I don't trust MS patches.....

AV - definition check hourly though.....

 

[GrahamC230K]

I presume we are talking home users, so at home I auto download, prompt to install, then custom install to see what I am installing. HTH.

 

[robert.saunders]

I'm a semi-manual man

 

[pammy]

Windows auto - others by the prompt and then decide.

 

[Gollom]

I'm semi-manual too. But also poll-challenged as I selected the wrong option

 

[mattc]

Windows i update on prompt; other, security stuff i do myself 2 couple of times a week

 

[imadoofus]

Semi-auto for Windows, full auto for my spam/vrius/firewall software.

 

[Spinal]

Thanks for all the replies; I'm going to quote this thread as "evidence" to support my claims if the admins don't mind

I presume we are talking home users, so at home I auto download, prompt to install, then custom install to see what I am installing. HTH.

I didn't think of that, but yes - I did mean "home" users...

Servers are a particularly touchy topic... We install security patches on an almost daily basis, but general updates are rolled out 2 times a year.

Antivirus software is another interesting one; I use NOD32, which seems to update itself every few minutes "just for the sake of it".

So far; out of 22 votes, only 10 update automatically... Looks like a fair bit of people don't do automatic updates

 

[Benzowner]

Like my car, why buy an auto and not use it? Fully automatic me

 

[glojo]

Never auto-update as it has caught me out and caused no end of problems. I now look and select what I either want, or need. I always install the secrity items.

Regards
JHohn

 

[jpskiller]

semi-auto, check the updates avail for any problems found before i install them, MS patches have a uncanny ability to mess things up

 

[6CylinderMerc]

I presume we are talking home users, so at home I auto download, prompt to install, then custom install to see what I am installing. HTH.

Same for me

 

[Sp!ke]

Here at work, IT download and test each update and once a month we push each tested update to each client PC via our internal SUS server.

The exception to this rule is where there is a critical update that is deemed so critical that it needs pushing immediately. In these cases, the critical update is pushed to 100 or so clients and if there is no reported issues it gets pushed to others within 24 hours.

 

[ROBB]

Spyware/firewall/anti virus etc full auto. windows full manual, check every 2/3 months (wife installed SP2 couple of years ago and killed the PC )
rob

 

[Alfie]

Automatic for critical/hipri updates (except those like the dreadful IE7) that I've chosen not to download.

Manual download for non hipri stuff like MS orifice.

 

[masqueraid]

Security, download - read the M$KB and usually load

Updates M$ as above although don't always apply them (I hate WGA with a passion - not that I don't have an entirely legal install on everything - just that it continually calls home - I guess I'm a bandwidth miser!)

Hardware updates - almost certainly avoid like the proverbial from M$ and go to the manufacturer's site (although this is a bit off topic as M$ rarely push hardware updates).

My latest moan is about M$ pushing updates even though you've said "No"

Other software updates as & when. I have a Vista "test box" that I use (mainly for Virtual PC) and that is set to grab everything automatically including Office and SQL

Wasn't sure where this put me so voted Weekly Manual

 

[MikeL]

Slightly OT

Updated the firmware on my iPod Classic yesterday, end result - instant paperweight!

Shall troll up to the Apple store on Friday........

Mike