Windows reformatted....Should i use windows update?

I just reformatted my whole computer. And i installed all the sound and video drivers. Everything is working fine again.

One question. Should i install all those windows xp security updates found in the windows update?

There is tons! it will take forever. I usualy never install them.

I need advice what should i do

 

yes, installing security updates is generally a good idea.

 

but i have never been hacked and ive used xp for 3 years and never installed any updates

 

okay, so don't install them. but why did you ask for advice?

 

i was hoping you would say something again to make me change my mind

 

What made you re-format?

Security updates are really quite important.

just one example of a problem is a security flaw could leave access for a key logger to be installed. You may never know its there, how ever it could be collecting huge amounts of data!

 

um.... well i was looking at some pics of naked chicks.... and my avg virus thing told me i had a virus and went crazy... and i thought it would be a good time to try vista but i didnt like it

so im back on my xp but its fast!

 

see, a lot of naked chick site shove lots of crap onto your pc through un-patched holes, usually making the system sluggish...

Hence updates are important.

AVG is ok at best. Do you have any anti-spyware?

Also suggest use of a browser other than IE if you don't already!

 

yea ive been laying off the girls sites more and more... thats the only time i ever get viruses

no i dont know what anti spyware is. wont it slow my computer down? i thought avg did that

whats wrong with ie? ive been using it for 4 years it works fine

 

I am sorry, can someone please explain this thread to me, I think I read stupidity spreaded out all over the place j/k don't take it personally.

Windows Updates are critical. They fix Windows bugs, and repair security wholes which protect you from attacks from worms and trojans. In fact, the main reason why these 2 kind of viruses (if you want to call them that) exists and spread is mostly due to the fact that people don't update their OS... like you!

Let's use your body for example, and experiment *use your imagination, please! We love you! Don't end up at the hospital*.
Take a knife and cut yourself everywhere (imagine, don;t do it for real), on the number of Windows security whole. If you see 1000 updates, then cut yourself 1000 times. Now that you are bleeding to death, go on your local bus that is the most busiest with lots of sick people around you, that caught non-stop. Stay there. Don't heal yourself, don't do anything. This is your computer state without Windows updates. I will take NO responsibility in this, if you try it!

Now, this is your choice. It's your data, your projects, your computer, your personal information, your identity (identity fraud)... it's all up to you. We can't force you to do anything.

I recommend to allow Windows to perform the updates automatically at night when you don't use the computer (your computer must be turned on and awake (not set to sleep or hibernate).

[edit]
As suggest bellow, set your anti-virus/anti-spyware to scan for virus at night. If you decide to perform what I said, than set Windows Update to update your Windows an hour before your anti-virus scans. Why? If you don't like to have your computer turn on 24/7 (most of us here, don't care about closing our computer), you can set your anti-virus (not all of them does that), to shutdown the computer for you, once it is done. Also it speeds things up as your computer won't be busy in virus scanning and updating Windows at the same time. Moreover, it prevent potential conflicts with Windows update which could make your anti-virus/anti-spyware useless.

(This is one of the reasons why I love when computer manufacture and Microsoft forces people to update their OS)
[/edit]

 

So schedule it to run at night or when the computer is otherwise idle.

So that would be MSIE 6, am I right? If you are still using IE 6, you need to be shot.
Use Firefox 3. Much MUCH safer than that old buggy browser.

 

If you're using IE, make sure you use IE7! IE6 is very unsafe security wise. It hasn't been updated in years.

 

Other than security, Firefox allows you to:
- Surf the internet faster than IE.
- Downloads faster.
- Have multiple web sites open within 1 windows (so it keeps your task bar cleared, where you can navigate to the important stuff) (IE 7 also adopted this feature).
- Properly view web sites, the way they were designed.
- Ability to move/add/remove buttons anywhere you want to customize the web browser the way you want it.
- Has great feature such as a complete help documentation that will help you transit from IE to Firefox.
- Has a built in imported so that you can transfer IE settings, cookies, favorites, etc... into Firefox in a click of a mouse.
- Ability to add add-ons. These add-ons allows you to customize your web browser and your surfing experience. From blocking ads to add new features that you would never thought of possible, to customizing the look and feel of the web browser.
- Has other great interesting features as well. No wonder that the market share of Firefox is currently 20% in Janurary 2008, and is growing fast. Reaching over 718 710 612 (http://www.spreadfirefox.com/) downloads today and growing. So popular that their new version Firefox 3 download count reached a world record in 1 day (over 8 million) http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/

You know what the worst part. It's 100% free, even the add-ons, everything is entirely free, no catch. It's an open source project which is controlled with a super well organized community called Mozilla, which manages, improves, developers Firefox web browser.

There is clearly no reason to stick to IE, even if you don't care about security.

 

That is an awesome analogy!

Spyware - as defined by wikipedia

AVG does have some anti-spyware capabilities, but one anti-spyware app is never enough.

For protection, use somthing like Spyware blaster combined with spybot search and destroy (don't both with the tea timer if you don't like your PC asking questions repeatedly).

For removal, Spybot search and destroy, Ad-aware, Spyware doctor starter edition, Super anti-spyware, Malwarebytes anti-malware... and so on - mind there are plenty of rougue programs out there as well!

 

You should NEVER EVER run two anti-virus or spyware scanners simultaneously, as they will conflict and cause each other to possibly notice nothing and may even render your computer unbootable!

 

I lol'd.
Install the updates and get a girlfriend

Look at it from this point of view, if someone offered to put an airbag in your car for free, to make it safer, but the catch was that you had to let them have the car for a day to do the work, would you?
Of course you would. an airbag might save your life.
I know that computer updates wont save your life but they can save you a lot of work. and its not that hard to click "install" and let it go.

 

Also, they shouldn't take an age to download/install unless your computer and/or internet date back to the 80s. They're never gigantic files (try installing and patching Half-Life 2 using steam if you want a sense of perspective on the issue!)

I'd recommend IE8 if you're an IE diehard (though given the general lack of features and useability compared to alternative browsers, I can't see why you'd be )

 

Erm, where have you read this? I usually run AVG and Spybot at the same time during the night, and they catch everything. I usually scan one at a time every other day and it doesn't seem to miss anything.

 

mm vr is correct at 100%.

Perhaps you are lucky and you have no conflict, but usually you do,. Having a conflict can have the following affects:
- No works at all, so show that your system is perfect.
- Say something is bad when it's not.
- Skip a bad item.
- Slower scanning.

EVERY anti-virus and anti-spyware support page says that. They clearly state that having 2 or more anti-virus software will not make your system safer but rather the contrary (for the anti-virus). Same applies for anti-spyware.

 

So you get a virus and then ask us if you should install three years worth of security patches after you had to reformat?

Think about that for a second.