How do I update software safely?

There is a genuine tension here: updates fix security holes but occasionally break working setups. The resolution is to separate small security patches, which should be applied immediately, from major version upgrades, which deserve caution and a backup.

What you'll need

• Your device
• Backup drive or cloud backup (optional)

Step by step

1. Apply security updates as soon as they arrive.These patch known, actively exploited holes. The risk of delaying them is much higher than the risk of installing them.
2. Back up before any major version upgrade.A new operating system version is the one update that occasionally goes badly. A current backup makes that recoverable.
3. Delay major OS upgrades by two to four weeks.Early adopters find the problems. Waiting costs you nothing and avoids the first round of fixes.
4. Check compatibility for software you depend on.Specialist or older applications, printers and scanners are the usual casualties of a major upgrade. Check before, not after.
5. Turn on automatic updates for browsers.Browsers are the most exposed software on any machine and are patched frequently. There is no good reason to manage this manually.
6. Update firmware for your router and other network devices too.Routers are routinely forgotten and are directly exposed to the internet. Check yours once or twice a year.
7. Restart when asked.Many updates are not actually applied until the restart. A machine that has been asked five times is still unpatched.
8. Remove software you no longer use.Unmaintained software is an unpatched attack surface. Uninstalling is the most complete form of updating.

Tips

• Schedule updates for a time you are not working. Interrupted work is the main reason people postpone them indefinitely.
• Old devices eventually stop receiving security updates. When that happens the device is no longer safe for banking or email, regardless of whether it still works.
• Note the date of a major upgrade. If something starts misbehaving a week later, that timing is the first clue.

Common mistakes

• Postponing security updates indefinitely — Known holes are exploited within days of disclosure. Delaying these is the genuinely risky choice.
• Upgrading the operating system on release day — First releases carry the most bugs. A few weeks' wait avoids nearly all of them at no cost.
• Upgrading without a backup — Major upgrades occasionally fail. Without a backup, that is a data loss event rather than an inconvenience.

Questions people ask