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