David, You need to install Critical updates from Microsoft. These are almost always security patches with a few of those Windows Genuine Advantage things thrown in. I usually wait 24 hours after release before I install the patches just to see if there are any problems. Critical updates from MS usually don't cause problems. As far as I know only critical updates are included in the update notification that you get in your system tray. If you click on the notification icon or the bubble if it is visible, you will get a dialog window that gives you two options, Express Install and Custom install. Choose Custom install and you will get another window that lists the updates. You can check the ones you want to install and uncheck the ones you don't. If you uncheck one, you will get the option of never seeing that update again.
The problem caused by this latest patch was known before the update was released. That's why Microsoft had the hotfix for the update available immediately. I think they went ahead with it because the update fixed a critical security flaw that was being exploited on the internet and the problem the update caused wasn't particularly significant and could be easily fixed with another patch that was not incorporated in the update. This time I installed the update as soon as it was released on one of my test machines that happened to have Realtek audio and I got the error message you got. When I googled the error message, I got one hit from a Chinese site that I couldn't read. Today when I google that error message I get thousands of hits. That's why I recommend waiting 24 hours. If there is a big problem you'll hear about it. On the windows update site there are two other categories of updates, Software Updates and Hardware updates. You can read through the software updates to see if any really apply to you and install what you want, they are optional. I do not recommend ever installing hardware updates from windows update. If you have a hardware problem you need to go to the hardware vendor's site and get the latest drivers. I think you are worried too much about this, David. When you see the little update notification in your tray, ignore it for 24 hours and then if you haven't heard anything bad, install it. Ben Moore -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Grossman Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 2:22 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: PCWorks: Bubble trouble Thank you, Sue. Does that mean that if I DON'T read about it on these list, then I SHOULD install it? I'm not all that willing to install every "harmless" patch that Microsoft produces. PC Works can tell me if it's harmful. I want to go a step further. I want to know whether it's GOOD or NECESSARY for my system. How do I get that information? David Grossman > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Sue Cubic > Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 10:13 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: PCWorks: Bubble trouble > > > At 08:09 PM 04/05/2007 +0300, David Grossman wrote > > I have no way of knowing whether any of those mysterious updates > >are safe. > > I usually wait a few days and read some of these lists. If there's a > problem, you'll usually hear about it on all the tech lists. > > > > >Perhaps even before that stage: How do I know the name of the > download that > >they want to send me? > > I can right-click on the bubble and have a screen appear, naming the > updates. If you select an update, you should get a description > of it. The > download process is separate from the install process, so you get a last > chance at not letting something install even after downloading. > > Somewhere along the line I've been told that even though I don't > use IE or > OE, I should keep those things updated. At least IE is so > integrated into > Windows that if you don't keep it updated, other things may not function > correctly. > > Sue ============= PCWorks Mailing List ================= Don't see your post? Check our posting guidelines & make sure you've followed proper posting procedures, http://pcworkers.com/rules.htm Contact list owner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Unsubscribing and other changes: http://pcworkers.com =====================================================
