Avoid Patch Crash: Tips for Staying Safe

Don't let buggy patches goad you into disabling Automatic Updates. Instead, take charge with these steps.

1. Install at your command Set Windows Update to automatically download patches, but to install them only when you say so. Open the Control Panel, choose System, and then click the Automatic Updates tab. Select Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them, and click OK.

2. Check for problems When you're prompted to install patches, select Custom Install (Advanced) to see a short description of each patch, as well as its Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) number. Use that KB number to search for any reported problems at Microsoft's Security Response Center Blog or the company's Windows Update security newsgroup.

3. Prep a rollback Set a restore point before installing patches so you can always revert to a working configuration. You can also remove most patches via the Windows Add/Remove Programs utility, which lists the date and KB number for each installed patch as long as you check the Show Updates box up top. Remove critical patches only as a last resort.

In Brief: Firefox Plugs Holes

Mozilla.org has patched a half dozen critical security flaws in its Firefox browser. Versions 1.5.0.2 and newer or 1.0.8 and newer will protect you. You can download the latest version of Firefox at www.getfirefox.com. For more info on the bugs, click here.

Bugged?

Found a hardware or software bug? Send us an e-mail on it to bugs@pcworld.com.

Stuart J. Johnston is a contributing editor for PC World.