Keeping MS "fixes"

[Donna In Montana]

Yea! I've been looking for a forum for information and advice!

Do I have to keep (in my Program list under "Start-Control Panel") all of those MANY 'hotfixes' and updates for Microsoft? Once downloaded, is the problem fixed internally and would deleting the fix be okay or would it convert back to the 'broken' state? The wording, when I start to delete, seems to imply that it is NOT a good thing to do but boy, I sure hate having to donate all that space to MS's fixing.

I had an Internet buddy for some time that advised me on these things but Billie has passed away.

Thanks so much for your advice!
Donna in Montana

[Dustyn]

All of those updates and hotfixes listed by Microsoft sure make your Add/Remove Programs menu look pretty ugly. However, if you choose to remove any of the listed hotfixes/patches from the Add/Remove menu, you are also removing the entire fix from your machine which can leave you vulnerable to a specific attack which has been identified from Microsoft. Futhermore, the update will re-appear as a new download you need to get from Windows Update/Microsoft Update. If you are running Win2K SP4 or Windows XP SP2, just "check mark" the option to HIDE UPDATES so that they are not listed in Add/Remove Programs menu.

Keeps things looking much more tidy.
Please do not remove them.

~Dustyn~