Think Twice Before Allowing Automatic Updates
Technology is changing at such a fast pace that updates are occurring faster than ever before. However, serious risks exists for those that allow automatic updates without considering what they actually are. Some computer users learn the hard way, especially when they wake up the next morning after overnight updates caused system problems. Not all updates are good for your computer. We’ve got some things you might want to think about before you allow unsupervised automatic updates.
Automatic Updates
The idea of automatic updates meant software could perform functions without the user requesting the actions, which sort of a convenience. If you’re an average PC user, the chances are high that you have more than one software title installed. Each manufacturer has to address software bugs and security issues, which often results in required updates. However, the updates may be specific to certain hardware configurations, combinations of programs (conflicts), and other unique factors. No two user desktops are the same. In fact, you might not even need an update. This is where unsupervised automatic updates becomes problematic. You have no idea of what changes are occurring, when, or how this might impact your desktop, for example. The result could be a simple change, or even the possibility of a change that results in loss of data or your computer failing to start.
Unsupervised Automatic Updates
Many computer users will not have the technical knowledge to decide whether an update is needed or not. At the very least, it’s a good idea to read a description of the update. While one could argue that frequent antivirus database definitions might be a good idea, it’s worth noting that there are still some serious risks with unnecessary unsupervised automatic updates. Some of the risks involve simple annoying changes to serious system problems that send users to the repair shop, often costing $100-$300 bucks to fix a preventable issue. You would not believe how many people fall into this category. Don’t lose your hard-earned money. read on to learn more.
Unsupervised automatic updates can introduce several surprises, especially if the user doesn’t bother inspecting the updates or thinking about how it might change their system. Automatic updates are different than manual updates in the obvious way that one requires a user decision and the other doesn’t. In addition, automatic updates happen so frequently that it’s hard to look back to discover what change caused the problem. At least during manual updating, you know when it occurred and what changed. We highly recommend every user somewhat limit updates, or at least get a little educated about what they mean and if they are necessary. Giving software a blank check to update whenever it wants, especially without your current knowledge is not a good idea.
What Changes?
Updates have an incredible ability to change almost anything on your computer. Unless you have a professional/advanced security policy setup, automatic updates can cause chaos. Here are some examples of what automatic updates can change:
Automatic updates may allow your personal information to be communicated without your knowledge, especially if firewall rules are set to allow unlimited permissions to titles. Even if a company claims your personally identifiable information is not transmitted or shared, that is not completely true. One can gain your information from metadata.
Automatic updates may install third-party software without your knowledge. Some software has been documented to install what could arguably be called Malware or viruses. Online vendors have been known to include forced add-ons, which could seriously change the behavior of your computer.
Automatic updates can change your browser settings and default homepage, which is also a major security issue.
Automatic updates can change Windows Registry entries. This is a very serious security issue, is highly technical, and could result in system failures. Imagine allowing automatic updates overnight just to wake up to a bricked computer in the morning.
Automatic updates may perpetually install patches, which continue to write larger files to the hard drive. Although modern storage drives are huge, one could argue that endless updates will eventually clog the drive.
Automatic updates may gather information from your computer and send it over the internet. The data is not just metadata. Imagine a recent list of file names or trend information being sent to a corporation through the internet. It could be read by anyone or sold to another company. It could contain your personal information. The worst part about this is you will never know when this happens, unless you know how to locate update logs, if they are even being written locally.
Automatic updates can install a newer version of a software title that may no longer work on your system. A good developer would poll your computer for compatibility first, but no computer is the same. A user may have certain software titles that work well before and now they suddenly will not load, surprise!
Automatic virus definition updates are sometimes a good idea, but more experts say that it may be a bad thing that results in false positives. Sometimes Windows files are locked, which could also cause system failure. This is very frustrating for the average PC user to experience, often resulting in expensive trips to the local computer repair place.
Forced Updates
It’s interesting to note that some software vendors force updates, which is arguably corrupt, according to many experts. In fact, Forbes recently ran a story about Microsoft forcing Windows 10 updates. Users no longer had a choice. What kind of good operating system takes away user choice? There was so much outrage that Microsoft may be backtracking on this issue.
Avoiding the Frustration: User Tips
You can avoid a lot of trouble by simply performing your own updates after reading the update descriptions. Don’t give your computer a blank check, especially if you have any personal information on your computer. Not all updates are necessary. Be sure to Google the update and see what other experts are saying about it. If you find a lot of people reporting major bugs, then consider avoiding it, until all of the problems are resolved. Learn from other people’s mistakes. Beware of the third-party add-on practices of many major software download sites. If you are running automatic updates, there is a chance that you may have unknown third-party software on your computer, which could also compromise your privacy.
Automatic updates should involve some amount of user oversight. Never let automatic updates occurred unsupervised, especially if you don’t want the associated risks. Always backup your most important data, just in case of a serious computer issue. If you’re not sure about an update, you can always search for information online or consult your local computer technician.
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