> Windows's auto updates though can be annoying, ensures that the average computer is up to date.
> The average user cares that their holiday photos, documents or credentials don't get stolen or ransomed.
Are both true. However, windows updates also occasionally cause restarts in the least opportune moments (e.g. when you have unsaved work and left for the day), or make a restart take 40 minutes when you need your computer right now (in the middle of an important phone call). Both of these have happened to virtually every Windows user I know, prompting some of them to disable Windows Updates.
Other issues with windows updates are bandwidth abuse (getting Win10 downloaded automatically on metered mobile connection), breaking some software/drivers/configuration, or installing unwelcome telemetry spyware. Each of these only happened to one or two persons I know.
The average user now keeps all their holiday photos on their mobile phone / cloud, but they do care about documents and credentials.
You are not wrong, but the way Microsoft Update behaves, you have to choose the lesser of evils (potentially get ransomwared, vs potentially avoid things listed above). It is not patently clear that Windows Update is universally the better option.
And it wouldn't be a choice between evils in the first place, if microsoft didn't try to advance their agenda by stopping the practice of "security updates" vs "other updates". Microsoft deserves all of the blame for the disdain to Windows Update, and therefore a big chunk of the sorry state of its users.
> The average user cares that their holiday photos, documents or credentials don't get stolen or ransomed.
Are both true. However, windows updates also occasionally cause restarts in the least opportune moments (e.g. when you have unsaved work and left for the day), or make a restart take 40 minutes when you need your computer right now (in the middle of an important phone call). Both of these have happened to virtually every Windows user I know, prompting some of them to disable Windows Updates.
Other issues with windows updates are bandwidth abuse (getting Win10 downloaded automatically on metered mobile connection), breaking some software/drivers/configuration, or installing unwelcome telemetry spyware. Each of these only happened to one or two persons I know.
The average user now keeps all their holiday photos on their mobile phone / cloud, but they do care about documents and credentials.
You are not wrong, but the way Microsoft Update behaves, you have to choose the lesser of evils (potentially get ransomwared, vs potentially avoid things listed above). It is not patently clear that Windows Update is universally the better option.
And it wouldn't be a choice between evils in the first place, if microsoft didn't try to advance their agenda by stopping the practice of "security updates" vs "other updates". Microsoft deserves all of the blame for the disdain to Windows Update, and therefore a big chunk of the sorry state of its users.