FWIW, after I finally got (and successfully installed) my updates for my Windows 7 computer on Thursday, I decided to do the updates for my aunt's computer (HP laptop with XP SP3). I set auto-updates to "notify, but don't install" and it took nearly half an hour for the scan to tell me what updates were needed. And when it was over, it was quite a list of updates to choose from ! But since it took so long for the scan to take place I decided simply to have the updates installed in one big gulp, rather than breaking it up into smaller chunks. (I didn't want to have to go through the whole scan process again.) Well, it turns out that there was a total of...... thirty...two.... updates... installed -- and successfully at that !! :-) Just thought I'd mention this in case anyone gets nervous about installing 8 or 10 updates at once. Apparently, large quantity updates can be done ! Scott (no longer biting my nails....)

yes all critical updates listed in the windows update list should be done, even for programs you do not use, if they are on the pc and have a hole in them which creates a vulnerbility it has to be patched or you are wide open to intrusion, makes no difference how often you use it. If you choose to not move up to IE8 and keep IE7 you still need to do any updates issued for that version of IE. this is why the secuina tool is so helpful to keep us updated on all the things we need to be updated on. Secunia Online Software Inspector be sure if it shows java or flash or adobe needs updating to do them they are huge risks for infections with out the latest updates. You should only have the latest versions on your pc, once you have the latest version you can go to add remove programs and remove the older versions to keep the pc safe.

MS.Net Framework Assistant seems to have been installed with other MS updates over a year ago, August 2008 in fact. Did it cause anyone grief in the last 14 months? Who knows? Now Firefox has created a blocking warning so there seems little point in trying to remove it. Plus if it is removed and one seeks further updates and patches from MS as we must do it will simply re-install the thing again surely. All programs written by the major players in the computer world today have control of our machines whether we like it or not. Check your start items and they will be listed and running despite the fact it is unnecessary in many cases but these companies (HP, MS, Apple, all printer makers, and many more) are important in their own minds and have a need to rule where ever and when ever possible. Remember the Lexmark fiasco (probably 4 or 5 years ago now) where they included a rootkit along with the software for all their printers so they could track what ever they felt they needed to track? Remember the one way firewall only stopping incoming traffic so all the programmers installed phone home spies to report back on your internet forays? This at a time when 'high speed' certainly was not high speed and they slowed internet access to all our computers. Surely now Firefox is blocking this it becomes a non issue?

Dee, Please continue to update the way you feel comfortable. The key idea is you let the site scan your system to determine need. Some users download updates directly from Microsoft without scanning. It is recommended by Microsoft to update through the Windows Update utility. Their thinking, and I do support it, is by using the utility it insures that a user only installs the needed and correct updates for their system. Further by using the utility, and I would say also the site scan, cumulative updates only download and install pertinent portions of the update not the whole update.