Windows updates occur quite often, and getting pop ups for it all the time can be a little bit frustrating. Windows updates are made for a reason. So, in this article I will cover whether you should turn on Windows Update.
As a general rule, you should turn on Windows Update. Windows should be updated when new updates are released because they provide security, performance, and usability improvements. But, if you use your computer for internet intensive things like gaming, keep it turned off.
There are a few reasons why you may want to keep Windows updates turned off. Below, I will explain what these reasons are, how to turn it on and off, and how often Windows updates are released.
Drawbacks to Keeping Windows Updates Turned On
The reason to keep Windows updates turned on is that it won’t automatically start downloading in the background when you are doing something important on your computer.
A Windows update won’t slow down your computer too much provided you have a medium to fast computer. But, for slower computers it can really make it run slow.
The other thing that can happen is it will slow down your internet connection. Because Windows updates are not released at exactly the same time, it can be very inconvenient. And you will need to quickly pause it, in the middle of doing something else.
Such as if you are:
- Playing an online computer game
- On an important call on Zoom, or Skype
- In an important online meeting
- When you have a tight deadline for university, school, or work
Many computer games are ranked, or penalize your online user account if you disconnect during the game. Also, it can interrupt your flow, which will cause you to make a worse decision in a game, which could ultimately cost you the win.
While most people are very understanding because the internet and computers don’t work perfectly 100% of the time, it’s a good idea to remove it as a variable that can interrupt what you use your computer for.
Reasons to keep Windows Updates turned on
There is only one reason to keep Windows Updates turned on – you don’t need to remember to check for updates by turning it back on yourself manually.
Other than that the reasons to keep your version of Windows updates are not URGENT, and it does not need to be done as soon as an update becomes available. With that said, it’s good to keep Windows updated because a Windows Update:
- Causes your computer to crash less often
- Stops specific programs from crashing and/or not working properly
- Makes it more difficult for your computer to be hacked
- Provides user interface improvements – somewhat personal preference
- Makes it more difficult to get a virus
As you may know, specific programs also get updated from time to time. One of the reasons a program will crash is because there is an issue with how it works with the current version (update) of Windows you have.
For example, if you’re playing a computer game and it freezes randomly, or the graphics look all funny at certain times, this can be fixed by updating Windows.
Or, if you’re using a program like Zoom, or Skype and it freezes and says ‘Not Responding’ fairly often.
Windows Updates also update the drivers to the latest version automatically. One of the first troubleshooting steps that are recommended when an app is not working is to update the drivers, such as the drivers for your graphics card.
So, when you do a Windows update, this will be one less thing that can go wrong with Windows or a specific program. And therefore, it’s less likely you will have issues with your computer.
How Often Windows Updates Are Released
According to Microsoft there are two types of Windows updates and they are released at different times during the year. These are:
- Quality and security updates – released once a month
- Feature updates – released twice a year
Therefore, if you keep Windows Updates turned off, you should check for updates yourself manually once a month at the most.
Is It OK To Never Update Windows
If you have Windows Updates turned off, it’s easy to forget to turn it back on again. It can also be inconvenient to leave it turned on. After an update has downloaded you also need to install it which can take some time, so here is if it’s OK to never update Windows.
Overall, it’s perfectly fine to never update Windows. But, it’s recommended to update it at least once every 6 months. The reason is Windows Updates cause a computer to crash less often, makes your computer more secure, and can stop programs from crashing or having issues.
I personally have a Windows 10 computer that I have not updated for at least a year. Probably around 2 years, but I can’t exactly remember. I had a bad experience when I updated Windows one time, and had to return a computer.
So, I just always leave Windows Update turned off. I’m pretty sure it’s why I can’t play high end computer games on it anymore, which I used to be able to do.
But, I’m not too fussed because I used to waste a lot of time playing computer games anyway. However, everything else works perfectly fine, and I’ve never had a virus, and haven’t been hacked yet.
Is It Safe To Do a Windows Update
A Windows update changes minor things, and in most cases requires you to restart your computer, and wait for it to install. In some cases a Windows update will have an error and can’t finish installing. So, here’s if it’s safe to do a Windows update.
As a general rule, it’s safe to do a Windows update. But, you should not do one directly before you need to use your computer for something very important. A Windows update can take a long time to finish installing and in rare cases it can fail and needs to be troubleshooted.
Although not very common, a Windows update can sometimes fail to install. This will render your computer inoperable. Therefore, if you need to do a presentation, or attend an important call for work, then you should wait until after it’s finished to do a Windows update.
A Windows update can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to complete. You can somewhat guess how long it will take based on the size of the update. For example, if an update is 3GB, rather than 500MB, a 3GB update will take a lot longer.
But, because the time it takes to install a Windows update varies, it’s best to do it when you don’t NEED to use your computer for a few hours just in case.