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Here’s why you should set your PC on Automatic Update

4 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Setting your Windows computer onautomatic updateis supposed to save time that you can use on actually putting the computer to work. And, for the most part, it does.

Nobody enjoys staring at their computer, literally counting up from 1 to 100%, while it kicks thoseupdatesinto effect.

If you know your way around your Windows computer, it may be best to take back control of Windows updates.

This way you can choose whichupdatesare important, which aren’t, and which could inconvenience you or actuallyharm your computer.

As scary as it may sound, Microsoft has had a few howlers where their botchedupdateshave released bugs thatunintentionally exposed people to hackers.

Which is the latest version of Windows 10? Find out from our constantly updated article!

Now, you may want to rush to the settings page toturn off the auto update.

But before you take that drastic action, you want to be sure you can consistently monitor developments around Windows for the reallyimportant security updates.

Also, make sure you have the technical skills to properly install the saidupdatesas soon as they are released.

Enable automatic updates to block cyber attacks

We say this because, as risky as Microsoft’s ownaccidental bug releasesare, the threat of hackers exploiting your systems due to bad Windows patches is far more serious and a lot costlier.

And even though these accidental bugs set on you by Microsoft will disturb the normal functioning of your computer, and, in some cases, break some important features, the software company always follows up with a fix.

Microsoft’scyber securityspecialists also have their pulses on the goings-on incyber securityand are in a better position to foretell malware andransomware attacksandrelease security patches, in the nick of time.

Even when they are unable to stop these attacks from happening, Microsoft engineers can fortify the Windows OS to minimize the effect of such attacks.

For this reason, it may be better to let the folks at Microsoft keep patching your computer without you even knowing about it.

Rolling the dice back, managing theupdatesyourself could be a good idea if, as we said earlier, you can keep up with theupdates.

Yes, Microsoft themselves haven’t quite figured out how to release patching files without setting off bug tripwires that may have slipped through the cracks.

But they may also have sneakier reasons for preferring that you keep your Windows computer on auto update.

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There was quite some backlash when, in 2016, Microsoft released patches that prompted users’ computers to automatically upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 toWindows 10without seeking their permission.

The problem is that suchupdatesdon’t always come in at the most convenient times for the user. Some users evenlost their workas a result of the forced upgrade.

The company eventuallyaddressed the issue, but there is nothing to suggest this won’t happen again.

Windows 10has suffered some rather unexpected competition from its supposedly inferior forerunners. And the software giant may be forgiven for trying to give one of their biggest ever product releases some leg-up.

But doing that while alienating your products’ loyal users isn’t a smart strategy.

You get a sense of the frustration people feel when Windows 10 is literally forced on them when they take the drastic action ofstopping their Windows computers from auto updating altogether.

But the truth is software engineering can be challenging and is fraught with challenges, some of which sneak up on, and flummox, even the most skilled engineers.

In the end, it is the responsibility of every computer user to actively secure their own systems and have proper contingency measures to abate the effect of software bugs, whether they are malicious, or accidental.

Microsoft will not always get it right and we should, perhaps, learn to cut them some slack.

More about the topics:PC,windows updates

Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.

Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.

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Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.