Optional updates for new laptop
- Thread starter chrcar59
- Start date
ubuysa
The BSOD Doctor
The true answer is it depends. It depends on whether you use whatever features and/or hardware items that these fixes were designed for. You can click on each update and then click the More Information menu item to find out more about what this update is for, but if you're not a computer person that won't help you much.
I would recommend that you do install most of them. Those that I would advise against are the first two, they are driver updates for hardware that Windows Update has detected that you have. I generally only update drivers if I have a problem or if I need the new feature(s) provided by the updated driver. "If it ain't broke then don't fix it" is a good maxim. In any case I would probably go to the hardware vendor's website (Intel in this case) and look for updated drivers from there if I needed them. By the way, you can tell these are driver updates because they don't start with the words "Update for".
I generally do install all other Recommended updates, that way if I do begin using that feature and/or hardware that the update is for I'm already sorted.
Windows Update also sometimes delivers new software for you. In the example above the Bing Desktop is one of the optional updates (it's just off the bottom of the screen). You may also see Silverlight offered via Windows update too. Generally speaking if you don't have a need for these items then don't install them. You can always do a Google (or similar) search for them to find out what they are for.
Later Edit: Do be sure that you have System Restore turned on for your Windows drive or partition. Right-click on Computer and select Properties, then click System Protection in the menu on the left. Check that Protection is On for your System drive (it can be off for any others). With this feature turned on Windows Update will write a restore point before installing any updates, this gives you an easy way to back-out these updates should you later discover there is a problem with one or more of them (that's very rare though).
I would recommend that you do install most of them. Those that I would advise against are the first two, they are driver updates for hardware that Windows Update has detected that you have. I generally only update drivers if I have a problem or if I need the new feature(s) provided by the updated driver. "If it ain't broke then don't fix it" is a good maxim. In any case I would probably go to the hardware vendor's website (Intel in this case) and look for updated drivers from there if I needed them. By the way, you can tell these are driver updates because they don't start with the words "Update for".
I generally do install all other Recommended updates, that way if I do begin using that feature and/or hardware that the update is for I'm already sorted.
Windows Update also sometimes delivers new software for you. In the example above the Bing Desktop is one of the optional updates (it's just off the bottom of the screen). You may also see Silverlight offered via Windows update too. Generally speaking if you don't have a need for these items then don't install them. You can always do a Google (or similar) search for them to find out what they are for.
Later Edit: Do be sure that you have System Restore turned on for your Windows drive or partition. Right-click on Computer and select Properties, then click System Protection in the menu on the left. Check that Protection is On for your System drive (it can be off for any others). With this feature turned on Windows Update will write a restore point before installing any updates, this gives you an easy way to back-out these updates should you later discover there is a problem with one or more of them (that's very rare though).
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