Mandatory Windows Updates?

Good article here on the possible move by Microsoft to mandatory Windows updates.

Clearly, not updating can leave holes in users' operating systems for worms and viruses to exploit. Automatic, mandatory updates would help insure users protect themselves and others.

The question Microsoft seems to be pondering is: should users even have the choice not to run certain updates? Shouldn't they be required to protect themselves and possibly others from potential problems?

Well, I'm not sure it's that simple.

Besides the general issue of whether Microsoft or I should be in control of my computer, The TechStuff article identifies a few reasons why even users who aren't lazy or stupid might not be keen on mandatory Windows updates.

My comments expanding on a couple points in the article:

No Tricks - Stop making License Agreement changes part of the update components. By tying EULA changes to critical upgrades, Microsoft essentially holds a gun to customers' heads. "You want your computer to continue operating properly/safely? Then agree to whatever is in today's small print." The one small consolation currently is that, as a voluntary process, customers still have the option to decline particular updates if they don't agree with the matching license changes.

Reversible Updates - too many updates these day come with messages that the changes can't be undone. I just don't buy that updates can't be designed to be reversible, and am much more reluctant to install updates that can't be undone and that might later turn out to not work properly. As recent press accounts of specific flawed Windows updates show, this isn't an unreasonable concern.

These issues make me very carefully review the updates Microsoft suggests I install and opt NOT to install many of them. Would I be better off if Microsoft could force me to install all these updates? I'm not convinced.

[Update: You don't have to be as rabidly anti-Microsoft as the Inquirer to think that EULA changes buried in recommended updates are a cause for concern. ]