Working in I.T I have met many people who are afraid of running  software updates on their computer and their mobile devices.  Even fairly infrequent computer users will be familiar with the little boxes that pop-up whilst using the computer asking you to make software updates. 

Even though they normally take a few minutes to download and complete, many people choose to leave it for a rainy day or ignore them altogether. However, these updates are actually very important. Not only do they help in keeping our computers and data, safe and secure, they can also help our computers run smoothly and, from time-to-time, they may even deliver new features! If we don’t update security software or postpone it, our computers can become vulnerable to attack from malware and viruses that can steal our data. They may not be labelled “ Disable threats from hackers in Kiev”, but even minor updates can have an effect on eliminating threats.   Updates can help save time and make our computers more efficient and using them a more enjoyable experience by fixing bugs in software. Both Microsoft and Apple will release fixes for problems through updates. It’s a good idea to do any security updates as soon as they appear.

Driver updates often allow our computers to interact with more devices or make it easier to do so with the ones we use already. Drivers are special programs that allow our computers to talk to other devices. Without them your printer or camera, for example, cannot talk to your PC. They are normally included when you buy the device on a CD or DVD, and are usually available on the manufacturers website too. Manufacturers often release updates in response to feedback to fix bugs or improve the performance of their products.

We have heard quite a few reasons why people don’t install updates!  Many are afraid they will lose data and will have no idea how to get it back. Sometimes updates can take a while to download and install due to the size of the file. Some require you to restart the computer before they install. Some updates will require an Administrator password to authorise the installation or it could be that it takes several clicks of a mouse or track-pad to complete. But do you really want to leave your credit card details on display or inform all your email contacts of where they can buy cheap Viagra?!

Perhaps you have concerns about the legitimacy of the update. Websites such as Secunia have tools that can help you verify the authenticity of the update. If you are worried about your data then back-up anything important first, before you do the update. Whether you copy it to an external drive a usb stick or even onto CD, back it up. This is something ALL computer users should be doing on a regular basis anyway. Backing-up your data can ease the pain if your computer dies all of a sudden or another mishap means you can’t get to something on your computer.  If you’re not sure how to go about this, drop into our store, or call us free on 0800 0820 609.  We will be more than happy to advise you. Inbay monthly or annual IT support also comes with free online back up, meaning that you don’t have to worry about buying the right hard drive or plugging everything in on a regular basis to update!