| With easy access to Broadband and DSL the number | | | | become available? First of all - patches are usually |
| of people using the Internet has skyrocket in recent | | | | released the second Tuesday of every month. Often |
| years. Email, instant messaging and file sharing with | | | | these events are commented in the news and other |
| other Internet users has also provided a platform for | | | | media. Users should also signup for email alerts or |
| faster spreading of viruses, Trojans and Spyware. | | | | MSN Messenger alerts at Microsoft's security website |
| Being on the Internet without proper protection is like | | | | at to be aware about updates. |
| walking in the rain with no umbrella - you're gonna get | | | | Once patches are available Microsoft recommends |
| wet no matter how fast you run. | | | | installing them immediately. Depending on the |
| With so many computers installed in home offices it | | | | confidence level of the user this should be done fairly |
| becomes critical that home users install the latest | | | | soon after the patch release. If a user has several |
| Microsoft patches when they become available. Older | | | | systems available it is recommended to test the |
| operating systems like Windows 98, Windows | | | | patches on the least critical system first before |
| Millennium, Windows 2000, or Windows XP prior to | | | | updating all machines. Only one machine at a time is |
| Service Pack require the user to initiate the process of | | | | recommended to keep track of things and to be able |
| checking for security patches. Windows XP Service | | | | to fix problems. In Windows XP it is also |
| Pack 2 has changed this and the default settings are | | | | recommended to create a restore point first so that |
| now notifying the user of available updates | | | | the system can revert back to the existing state |
| automatically. This has increased the level of security in | | | | before patching. Home users should closely follow the |
| some areas, but there are a very large number of | | | | media about virus outbreaks and updates. Waiting a |
| users and computers that do not install security | | | | few days with patching a machine can make sense if |
| patches or hot fixes provided by Microsoft. | | | | some critical work is done on the computer an |
| How should home users actually handle the task of | | | | important deadline needs to be kept. Nothing is more |
| patching their computers? As businesses home users | | | | annoying than having to fight computer problems with |
| should do some research about the patches that are | | | | limited time at hand. Speaking of time - never install |
| being installed? Just installing them and walking away | | | | patches without having enough time at hand. Users |
| will work for a while, but sooner or later home users | | | | should allocate 60 minutes of time just in case. If |
| will run into an issue that a patch breaks something | | | | something goes wrong time pressure is the last thing |
| and eventually renders the system useless. So, what | | | | you want to face when troubleshooting a machine that |
| should home users do when new Microsoft patches | | | | is down. |