With how Windows is constantly getting all up in your face with reminders to update and nagging
you to restart your PC, have you ever wondered, what if you just didn't bother updating Windows
ever? Unless you're running a version of Windows older than Windows 7, the day to day may not seem
too different if you mostly use your computer for basic tasks like social media, video streaming,
or writing Techquickie scripts. But under the hood, you're going to be putting yourself
at a real disadvantage if you just stop updating. For starters, your computer may actually lose
functionality as time goes on. Windows versions that are outdated may not support new standards
or get new drivers for newer hardware. Like for example, at the time we shot this video,
neither NVIDIA nor AMD provide drivers for their current GPU lineup for any Windows version older
than 7. And with that OS already at end of life, there's no guarantees that developers will bother
continuing to support it as the years go on. But suppose you're already on Windows 10 and you're
wondering about simply refusing to install those current updates the Settings app keeps bugging
you about. Well, in case you aren't aware, Microsoft is not planning to launch another
version of Windows that we know of. And instead, we'll continually update Windows 10
with two major updates per year and smaller updates in between as needed. This means that
Windows 10 should change dramatically over the coming years and in some ways, it already has.
The operating system is already over five years old and the current update is already substantially
different from the launch edition with more customization options, a Linux subsystem,
redesigned emoji, and dark mode in File Explorer, among many other changes. In fact,
the next major revision coming out in late 2021 is going to feature a sweeping visual redesign,
which should make Windows 10 almost feel like an entirely new operating system.
And keep in mind that while we've mostly talked about new features so far,
future software and drivers may not support older, non-updated versions of Windows 10.
But let's pivot and talk about the other big reason to keep your system updated,
security. Newer Windows versions have given users more encryption and security options,
such as allowing users to log in with a pin instead of a password.
But even more importantly is that security holes are constantly being passed with updates.
You see, a piece of software as huge and complex as Windows 10 is bound to have
security vulnerabilities. It's simply impossible for the developers at Microsoft to know every
single possible security hole ahead of time or how hackers will try to attack the OS in the future.
Also, as Windows 10 adds more features, it means that there will be new attack vectors,
meaning getting subsequent security updates in between major feature releases is extremely
important. To top it all off, outdated Windows versions, including older builds of Windows 10,
stop receiving updates from Microsoft after a certain period of time.
Attackers are fully aware of this and often target systems running older OSes because they
know that any new holes they find will never be plugged, making businesses and other organizations
that have cheaped out on updating their fleet of PCs, especially if vulnerable.
Okay, I get it, it's really important to keep Windows updated, but can I stop it from constantly
nagging me, sucking up my bandwidth, or restarting at bad times? Although it's not always obvious
how to do this, you certainly can. And if you're interested, we'll tell you how in a future video.
Of course, some folks don't want to update Windows because updated versions might break
legacy applications or retro games. If this is the vote you're in, it's a good idea to keep an
older machine for these programs separate from your daily driver and ensure it cannot connect
to the internet by unplugging any Ethernet or phone cables and removing the Wi-Fi adapter.
I don't think that old Windows 95 machine you're keeping around to run MEC Warrior 2
would fare too well on the modern web anyway. Do you?
So thanks for watching guys, if you liked this video, hit like, hit subscribe,
and hit us up in the comment section with your ideas for topics that we should cover in the future.