How often should you update your computer's software? (2024)

Key takeaways from this article

• Monthly maintenance:

  Set a regular schedule, like once a month, to check for and apply updates on business-specific software. This keeps systems secure without disrupting daily operations too much.

• Be update-savvy:

  Always verify the source of software updates to protect against malware. Check official websites or use antivirus scans for authenticity before proceeding with any installation.

This summary is powered by AI and these experts

• Bernice Roby Dedicated Senior IT Support…
• Nay Chi Phyo Senior IT Business Analyst | Business…

• Bernice Roby Dedicated Senior IT Support Professional with a proven history of meeting company goals to enhance the corporate brand.

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  Typically, server patching and maintenance should be scheduled regularly once a month. However, outside of Windows OPS, it would be wise to check business-specific software and applications for updates and patching when running your normal monthly updates.

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• Muhammad Furqan Iqbal

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  The frequency of updating your computer's software depends on the type of software and its importance to your system. However, it is recommended to check for major software updates at least once per month to keep your applications up to speed and conduct monthly maintenance on all work computers. Additionally, you should update anti-virus and anti-malware software any time a virus definition patch or new release is made available, and allow your computer to update its operating system whenever updates are released. It is also important to update your backups at least once per week to avoid losing all of your data in case anything happens to your work computers.

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• Alban Selaj Cisco Instructor at KNOW.al / Network Engineer-CCNA | MTCNA | MTCRE | MTCSWE | UNS |UEWA...

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  First of all, you need to know which software you are running on your environment and then you have to decide if updating the software will break your production environment services. If you update a certain service software and it fails, you need to have a backup plan in place, restore point, restore file, backup files, downgrade version, etc. If the software are only for your PC and don't impact the servers, services, etc... Then you can update them regularly, but update only to a stable version and not to beta version. It depends on the OS and the environment you're working.

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• Atul Gupta Infosec and GRC, CISSP®️

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  1.Softwares are updated,patched or upgraded basis severity level and implementation timelines defined in security policy of organization.Though different types of software have different update cycles and priorities.2.You should always verify the source and authenticity of the update before installing3.Change management process should be integerated with patch management to ensure a.Changes should go through authorization and approval processb.Changes should be documented to provide details on the type of updates with business justificationc.Changes should be done by authorized individuals and validated post implementation.d.Roll back plan should be documented.e.Changes should be implemented in test environment prior to prod environ.

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  See Also

  Should You Upgrade or Replace Your Computer?8 Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your Computer | Microsoft SurfaceHow often do you replace your computers?What the Tech: How to tell when it's time to buy a new computer - WAKA 8
• Hugo Darino Network Support Web Security Engineer at Harbor Freight Tools

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  The 'canned' answer is as soon as software updates are available. These updates will usually resolve known functional bugs, or close security vulnerabilities.However, I believe that although keeping systems 'current' helps with bugs or vulnerability issues, if one does not first take full inventory of what 'other' software, systems, or processes have pre-dependencies or post-dependencies, updating just for the sake of being current can cause more problems then it solves.First identify other systems that feed that software and ensure updates don't affect those systems. - TESTSecond identify other systems that your software feeds and insure they will not be adversely affected. - TESTBoth have to pass before the 'Update\Upgrade' is 'Safe.'

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• Nay Chi Phyo Senior IT Business Analyst | Business Development and Management

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  Yes! it's. We should take care the unknown sources while the computer ask to update. Sometime it can be a spam links with virus. Even we have the antivirus software, it can be the virus itself.

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  ensure that you have the latest security patches, bug fixes, and new features, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities being exploited.🤝 can be through automatic updates built into the software itself, or through notifications from the developer's website, app store, or other distribution channels. Always ensure you're downloading updates from trusted sources to avoid malware or other security risks.

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• José Neto Costa Coordenador de Crédito e Cobrança | Especialista em Crédito Agrícola | Analise de Crédito | Riscos Financeiros | Gestão de Crédito

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  É muito importante manter os sitemas sempre atualizados, pois através desse updates há a correção de falhas, melhoruas e novas funcionalidades, em pelo menos 03 quesitos:Produtividade - Reduzindo a lentidão, travamentos e outros problemas que atrapalhem o fluxo de informações.Segurança - Programas mal intencionados surgem a cada dia e a desatualização deixa brechas para invasões.Recursos - Novas funcionalidades para problemas que nem sabiamos que tinhamos surgem diariamente.Neste caso, se não diariamente e de forma forma automática, ao menos 01 vez por semana deveriamos fazer atualizações

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• Josh Brookes

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  Update critical software, including operating systems and security applications, as soon as updates are released to protect against vulnerabilities. For other software, a monthly check and update schedule is generally sufficient. However, adjust based on the software's role in your operations and the frequency of updates released by the provider. Always prioritize updates that address significant security risks.

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• Jesus Emmanuel Jaimes Alvarado Telecom Administrator

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  See Also

  How Often Should You Upgrade Your PC for Gaming?
  Debemos saber que es lo que se esta corrigiendo en las actualizaciones ya que eso es una mejora, pero si la actualizacion es por nuevas caracteristicas debemos tener un ambiente de prueba antes de ponerlo en produccion para descartar posibles fallas.

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• Adam Alhassan

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  As soon as there is an update available. You should update regularly because security flaws are routinely discovered and you don't want to give your device(s) loopholes and have them prone to attack.

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  The primary reason administrators need to control software updates and patches is because of the impact they may have to the current system state. 1. Security Updates often include patches for security vulnerabilities and impact to organizational assets, making it crucial for both organizations and individuals to stay up to date to mitigate the risk of cyber-attacks.2. Performance and Stability: Updates may also improve performance, stability, and compatibility with other software and hardware components.3. Compatibility: Sometimes there is a risk that updates may introduce compatibility issues with existing software or configurations, particularly in organizational settings where software environments are complex.

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• Hector Baloyi Desktop Support Technician | Network Technician | System Administrator | Cyber Security | Data Analytics

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  It's generally recommended to update your PC software promptly when updates become available. However, I advise caution, particularly if the update doesn't address a critical vulnerability (CVE) with a high score that could cause significant damage. History has shown that updates can sometimes introduce new vulnerabilities or glitches. Testing updates in a controlled environment for stability before fully relying on them is a prudent approach.

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  In a short note 💬1. Relevance 2. Compatibility 3. Backup 4. Release Notes5. users Feedback By taking these factors into account, you can make informed decisions about when and how to update your software effectively.

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  Before we update the computer or any system, we have to take backup. That'll cover the cause of impact updating. If you use a VM, you should take a snapshot or backup before updating.

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• Daniel Messias Infraestrutura | Governança | Suporte | Aplicações | Projetos | Operação | Sustentação

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  Uma recomendação simplificada é que é mais prudente realizar atualizações rapidamente, mesmo enfrentando a possibilidade de encontrar bugs, do que arriscar ser alvo de exploração por parte de hackers.

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• Matthew Shockley Web Administrator I at ProCare Rx

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  Managing updates automatically through Policy helped us dodge a lot of bullets over the years. I believe we typically tested updates and their effects on our software, security, etc on isolated machines before pushing them to the rest of the company. On several occasions, allowing Windows Updates to go through would have killed our ability to function for hours or even days due to networking conflicts, unexpected errors in proprietary software, etc. In fact, one update we allowed through actually nuked our RDS, locking out a small number of staff scattered around the country. While this hit a minimal number of people, it did interfere with several business operations until workarounds could be deployed.

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