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The Danger of Software Downloads (Part 2)

Windows STILL does it. Adobe and HP Products STILL do it. Now something called Java wants to join in. iTunes, QuickTime, Microsoft Office, and every accounting package on the market... where does it end? Nearly every program on every system will, at some point, need to be updated. These updates are not the periodic upgrades that require a new software purchase, but programming updates such as security patches and fixes to your existing version of the software. This takes us to Part II of our series on The Dangers of Downloading Software...

SOFTWARE UPDATES - THE SYSTEM MADE ME DO IT!

Believe it or not, program and operating system updates cause as many problems as freeware (see 2007 Q4 Newsletter for more). Sometimes programmers, while focused on expediting fixes for their own applications, fail to recognize that what they fix often breaks something else. Applications, once released to the public, never seem to re-enter a stage of platform compatibility testing for the service packs and patches that are always released soon afterward. This leads to new and unusual issues, difficult to troubleshoot, and rarely accompanied by error messages with any sort of real meaning. We have seen updates for Microsoft Windows XP create conflicts with a number of accounting software packages. We have seen updates for Microsoft Office cause Windows to crash. Peachtree and Quickbooks updates, designed to resolve issues with specific functionality within the program, have caused problems in other areas of the same program, or with add-on components to that program. With applications forcing you to update (or annoy you with notifications until you agree to update), it's nearly impossible to avoid these issues; you CAN however, minimize them.

• First, make a note of any application that prompts you to update and ALWAYS respond by selecting No or Cancel when prompted.
• Then, ask your IT Professional to disable the notification if possible.
• For any notifications that cannot be disabled, always cancel or ignore them. Even if you agree to update, you'll undoubtedly receive another notification in the next few days about a new update anyway.
• Have your IT Professional schedule regular, unattended updates to software that will benefit from it, and will be least likely to have problems as a result, such as antivirus software.
• For all other software, have your IT Professional perform manual updates on a regularly scheduled basis. Well informed techies will read or hear about some of the issues beforehand, allowing them to avoid specific updates. Though it is impossible to avoid all problems, when a problem does occur, it may be easier to troubleshoot with a better idea of when the problem began in relation to when updates were performed. For example, the day after updates are performed, if multiple systems begin having connectivity issues to the accounting software database, the updates will be one of the first places to look for a likely cause. Updates can often be removed and documented for future avoidance; and functionality restored in a timely manner.

With update notifications disabled, you may yet receive different notifications stating that automatic updates are disabled. These notifications may appear once or twice each time you restart your system. The message can be closed or canceled and is worth any aggravation it may cause when compared to the risk and potential lost productivity by actually performing the updates.

In Part III of our series, we'll look at the different types of Malware designed to ruin your computing experience and some safe practices to avoid software downloads that can occur without your knowledge or consent.