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This is why I have turned off my Windows 7 Update Service and then, if I wish, I can then go and find any real essential updates that I need.

Yes, I know that I got downvoted for this the last time I said this but in this game there are no assurances other than that something is going to bork your machine and applications. It may be a hacker or someone breaking into the machine or it may be an update which breaks everything.

At the moment I have taken the path which, for me, offers the least risk. That, alas, is the one with the update services turned off. And the stuff which I do my real work is only fastened to the internet for one hour a day and it does one thing on there: ftp to a known good site (my own) and then turns off. Yes, it's not foolproof but it's better than updates borking the machine and updates being not backward compatible with my applications.

For example, the later versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer isn't compatible with some of Microsoft's own software components even though they aren't even in the same ballpark of functionality.

Some of these updates and improvements are complete show-stoppers.

Some aren't but just a downgrade. I am still, for example, resisting the updates to Skype because the version that I am on is a lot better than the new hipster frappe-latte-chino bollocks that they're trying to foist onto me.

If I were to allow Microsoft to update everything at will then I may as well close up my business tomorrow and start serving petrol at the nearest garage instead. Except that I can't. My mate is already doing that.

The comparison is, of course, with tablets. These update all the time and I accept that. On the other hand, I don't use my tablets for essential stuff and never will.

This auto-update is nothing short of an ill-thought out presumption which should be dropped entirely.