Will Certain Updates open me up to Exploits?

I am just wondering... You can call me a noob if you want =)

My way of thinking is that the least amount of software that you do not use is installed.... that more protected it will be. For instance... I do not use Silverlight whatsoever. Nor do i use Microsoft Security Essentials.

Are there any windows updates that will not effect everyday use such as browsing, movies, music and gaming?

Thanks in advance.

NoelDP said:

Microsoft Security Essentials is an Anti-Virus and anti-malware app.
Silverlight will die soon, as sites and computers become HTML5-compliant.

Yes, you need updates, not only because they may offer new functionality, but also because they plug holes in existing software to actually reduce the number of wxploits that can be used.

Neither MSE nor Silverlight are updates - but once installed they should be updated as often as necessary, as should all installed software.

OK Awesome that what i wanted to know. I know what MSE is, but i'd rather use something else as my gmail was hacked the day after i used my laptop, which had MSE installed. I used it because i was told it was "Sufficient".

And, of course, i ALWAYS install updates. Its actually what prompted my question. =)

Thanks again.

NoelDP said:

Your gmail being hacked has absolutely nothing to do with your anti-virus.
It's purely down to bad security practices by you.
Unless you installed an email client, your GMail resides only on the google servers, and not on your computer - so you must have allowed someone to find and use your password.

Thanks for your input but I'm not an idiot. I change my password every 3 months, has only happened to me after using the laptop, and no 1 would know my password unless they would be able to read my mind. What you are insinuating is that I am the cause and not the security on my computer. I understand where you're coming from but I know how to secure my computer. I do online transactions all the time on my main machine and have never had my bank account hacked. And if I did make a mistake which ended up getting my gmail account hacked them the security software that I use on my main machine most definitely does make a difference because I did nothing different on the laptop.

NoelDP said:

I'll bet that you access a number of different networks on your laptop, and only one (probably wired) on your desktop.

Many networks are insecure, and some have traffic sniffers.

Public networks are inherently insecure and should be treated with caution.

To be honest I stay at the house on my home network with the laptop. I don't even know why I own 1