We’ve touched on this slightly in our post Basic Computer Maintenance 101, however this will provide further info regarding the benefits of regular Operating System updated.
Whether you’re running Mac OS, Windows, Linux, or something exotic on your machine, you need to consider the importance of regular system updates. Updating your computers Operating System provides many benefits.
Security Updates
Arguably, the biggest benefit to regularly updating your Operating System is that new updates are often focused on security. Vendors are constantly working on security improvements and updates as hackers and malicious actors figure out new ways to exploit systems.
Performance Improvements
In addition to security updates and patches, vendors also work hard to continuously improve their systems performance. Regular updates ensure you are on the latest version of the software with the best current performance enhancements.
New Features
New features are often released with Operating System updates. If you enjoy the cutting edge of technology, regularly update your system!
Bug Fixes
In the world of software, there are going to be bugs. It’s virtually impossible to release a software package 100% free of bugs. Post release bug reports are fed back to the vendor through various avenues. Bug fixes are also bundled into Operating System update releases. Have you been having an annoying issue since the last update? Perhaps the latest one has a bug fix for it!
Recommendations
Every type of Operating System has built-in ways to keep your system up to date. Even if you don’t want to automatically update every type of system release, you can typically select which types of updates will be automatically downloaded and applied. I recommend you review Operating System updates at least once per month. I also recommend that you automate at least the Security Patches. This will ensure you’re always running on a secure system.
