Tip #4667 - Do You Need Those IE Updates?
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Q:
I no longer use Internet Explorer or Outlook Express, but of course,
updates from Microsoft still come through for them each month. Do
I really need those updates or can I disable them completely?
A:
Wow, you guys have really come
up with some great questions lately. I'm so impressed! And you're
asking the right ones, because this is the type of question I'm sure
several of you have wondered about in the past. Now, before I go any
further, I just want to make sure we're all on the same page with
what we're talking about. So, come along with me as we check this
one out. You don't want to miss it!
As
you all know, Microsoft sends out their Windows Updates at the beginning
of each month, which help to keep our computers safe and secure. Often
times, those updates include material for some of Microsoft's own
programs, such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. But with
so many other Web browser and e-mail options these days, a lot of
you no longer use those applications and it seems silly to continue
receiving those updates. So, is it really necessary to keep getting
them? The answer may surprise some of you.
Yes,
you still need those updates. Even though you don't use those programs
on a regular basis, they're still a part of your computer and you
need to maintain them. That's especially true for Internet Explorer.
If you don't use Outlook Express anymore and you're sure it will never
be used again, you can stop its updates, but Internet Explorer really
is a whole different ball game. As you may or may not know, Internet
Explorer is an integral part of your operating system, as it contains
certain components that help run Windows for you. That's right, it's
not just a Web browser anymore!
Even more, a lot
of those components are used by other applications on your computer
besides Internet Explorer. One example is the HTML rendering engine.
That is used by several other programs to display HTML content, but
the main component lies within Internet Explorer. So, you see, if
you don't run the Windows Updates for Internet Explorer, you will
lose some of your HTML capabilities. That one alone could affect a
lot of the work you do on your computer. And that's just one example
of everything Internet Explorer includes.
So, if you've
stopped installing the updates for Internet Explorer, you'll want
to start receiving them again next month (the next batch will come
through in just a few days for March 2008). If you don't update Internet
Explorer, you're also missing out on the updates for all the other
components I mentioned earlier. A lot of the programs you probably
use on a daily basis rely on Internet Explorer to run properly, so
don't take the chance of ruining those too. Simply install the updates
each month and you'll be good to go. Wow, who knew Internet Explorer
could be so important?!
~ Erin
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