For the past few years though, Microsoft and
other prominent software vendors have managed to let a few software
updates out the door that weren’t quite ready for daily use.
Such problematic updates taught most software
vendors to more rigorously beta test all updates, but the
rush to market nature of software development often hinders software
quality.
Avoid the Bleeding Edge Software Updates
You can avoid some of this risk by waiting a
few weeks before installing any updates that have been very recently
released.
Let the IT professionals in large companies
endure the pain of bleeding-edge software updates, while you sit
back and wait for the dust to settle.
Besides waiting a few weeks, what else can you
do to minimize inherent risks with software updates?
Backups Rule When Performing Software Updates
Always make sure you have at least one
or two full, verified and tested system backups before installing
updates.
Along the same lines, if you’re running a PC
with Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4, be sure your Emergency
Repair Disk (ERD) is also current.
Test and Start Slowly with Software Updates
If you have a similarly configured spare or
test system, or even a PC at home, that’s not considered
mission-critical, start by installing the update on the less crucial
PC.
And then proceed slowly, until you build more
confidence, with a companywide deployment.
You’re better off taking a little longer and
having one angry user with a broken PC configuration, than the wrath
of your entire company.
Don’t assume that a software update is
innocuous until you’ve proven it yourself.
That’s why you first should install any
planned software updates on a spare or non-essential system.
Software Updates Action Items
How often does your company install interim
updates to software applications?
Who usually installs these updates: users,
an internal guru or a computer consultant?
How often do you wait after a software
update is released before installing it?
What backup procedures do you follow to
prepare systems for software updates?
Do you do any lab or spare system testing
of software updates before rolling these updates out to PC users
company wide?
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