From a fresh install of Windows, is it worth skipping the updates ?

The Matrix · 9 Dec 2014 at 21:25

Ive always noticed that when you do a fresh install of windows the PC runs blindingly quick, once you get that first big update which is around 175 updates to install you can notice a slow down in speed after. Ive just done a fresh install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, i'm debating whether to skip the updates, does anyone else do this ? I have good Internet security, well as good as you can be in this day and age.

gpuerrilla · 9 Dec 2014 at 22:58

If you read the updates you can apply only the ones that fill in the vulnerabilities and security holes if you are paranoid of them bloating you out.

marc2003 · 10 Dec 2014 at 02:50

i skip updates because i'm on pay as you go 3g internet which is hideously expensive. i'd certainly install all updates if i had proper internet. in the past, i can't say i've ever noticed any issues keeping windows up to date. it's 3rd party software i'm more wary of.

ED209 · 10 Dec 2014 at 07:57

I would suggest installing the updates, they fix issues with the OS and anything people can use to bypass issues in the OS.

windows 7 always as 170 odd updates to install from a clean OS

bledd · 10 Dec 2014 at 08:59

They increase performance and security.

Yes, boot times can take a hit from it..

ShakenNstirred said:
must be a setting somewhere
have you tried resetting back to default settings?.

cue the use chrome or FF posts soon lol

Was going to suggest the IE reset too.

Mattus · 13 Dec 2014 at 20:29

For Win7 I had an install disc with most of the updates integrated into it. It's a pain to make it (you can probably download it, I don't know) but it certainly makes installing and configuring Windows a lot faster. Don't know if it would prevent performance degradation, but I haven't really noticed updated slowing down a Win7 system anyway.

If you're going to skip updates then don't skip the security-critical ones.

m4cc45 · 14 Dec 2014 at 13:55

The simple thing to do is install windows, full windows updates and driver updates, install the common programs you use and then use something like Clonezilla to image it to a separate drive.

That way if you ever have to reinstall it most of the updates are done.

I've not noticed any slowdowns with the windows updates and would rather have them than not.

M.

malachi · 14 Dec 2014 at 16:31

Windows Updates are there for reason so always best to install them. Anything related to drivers you get from the manufactures website.

murah · 18 Dec 2014 at 01:59

Win7 updates have screwed my pc up on 3 different occasions, they removed gadgets (Which I re-enabled for one single gadget leaving the rest disabled) and seem to have at some point broken my power options setting.. that being said I install the needed ones but I'm VERY careful about what updates I install now.

Myatyy · 18 Dec 2014 at 03:24

I have never kindles feature updates.. interrupting I think...

Rroff · 18 Dec 2014 at 04:26

The next couple of restarts will probably be slower (pending updates and/or boot re-optimisation) and you can get some temporary performance degradation for a little while after applying updates due to it still doing stuff in the background i.e. .net compiling stuff.

Raumarik · 19 Dec 2014 at 15:05

The Matrix said:
Ive always noticed that when you do a fresh install of windows the PC runs blindingly quick, once you get that first big update which is around 175 updates to install you can notice a slow down in speed after. Ive just done a fresh install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, i'm debating whether to skip the updates, does anyone else do this ? I have good Internet security, well as good as you can be in this day and age.

The fact you're asking this question proves you don't know enough about the purpose behind the the updates. "I have good internet security" Not without operating system patching you don't.

Keep the updates.

Audigex · 19 Dec 2014 at 16:20

Halfmad said:
The fact you're asking this question proves you don't know enough about the purpose behind the the updates. "I have good internet security" Not without operating system patching you don't.

Keep the updates.

This!!!!

You can have the best firewall and anti-virus in the world, but without a properly patched OS it's like having an amazing lock on your door, without bothering to put glass in your window.

There are a lot of updates you can skip, but ALWAYS install the critical/security upgrades. The rest are unimportant, choose what you want/need/care about.

this_is_gav · 19 Dec 2014 at 20:34

For threads like this I always look back to the old Blaster worm. It relied on unpatched Windows versions to infect a computer, an affect of which was to auto-reboot the computer almost immediately after booting, unless you reversed the trigger with a shutdown /a command.

A patch had been released prior to its epidemic, but obviously not everyone was auto-installing patches. I made quite a bit of money fixing affected PCs back then.

TheVoice · 19 Dec 2014 at 20:49

I'd never skip the updates. A tiny performance hit is fine if it means the system is more stable and secure.

bledd · 19 Dec 2014 at 21:15

this_is_gav said:
For threads like this I always look back to the old Blaster worm. It relied on unpatched Windows versions to infect a computer, an affect of which was to auto-reboot the computer almost immediately after booting, unless you reversed the trigger with a shutdown /a command.

A patch had been released prior to its epidemic, but obviously not everyone was auto-installing patches. I made quite a bit of money fixing affected PCs back then.

The first and last virus I ever had. Soon buffed up security after that.

KIA · 20 Dec 2014 at 16:49

this_is_gav said:
For threads like this I always look back to the old Blaster worm. It relied on unpatched Windows versions to infect a computer, an affect of which was to auto-reboot the computer almost immediately after booting, unless you reversed the trigger with a shutdown /a command.

A patch had been released prior to its epidemic, but obviously not everyone was auto-installing patches. I made quite a bit of money fixing affected PCs back then.

It was devastating in the UK because the use of routers wasn't widespread back then.

The XP firewall wasn't turned on by default until SP2.

McGraw · 22 Dec 2014 at 09:39

I got the blaster worm in 2003 ish when I moved house and plugged my xp machine into NTL cable without a router.

I was pretty shocked that you could get a virus like that.

Previous to that I'd been living somewhere without Internet so I must have been unprotected.