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A Horror Story
I personally do not install upgrades unless literally forced to do so. (And I do not install new software except when absolutely required.) Some time back while using an earlier version of IE, I was forced to upgrade. The results were disastrous.
I first tried upgrading IE to
latest version, 5.5. But I never could get it to run. I dropped back to version 5.1, which ran, but unpredictably.
My system became unstable. Lots of memory collisions (GPFs) that crashed some program maybe two dozen times a day. Even IE was not running properly and became
program most likely to crash. Other stuff was happening that required restarting
computer 5-6 times each day. If you have been there, you know how much this slows you down.
Further, several of
programs I use routinely, such as Eudora, began failing with troubling regularity. And two would no longer run at all.
My only option was to retire a perfectly good computer less than two years old and buy a new one. Then install all
latest software all at once. This meant chucking some stuff I liked, then hunting up replacements. Both time consuming and tedious.
So What Went Wrong?
I have no idea, really. But
most likely cause of this failure was in overwriting one or more DLLs with later versions required by IE that my other software could not handle. That is, my other programs were designed to run on
previous versions, not
latest.
What This Means To You
If you are a casual user of your computer, and load up something new about once a month,
chances are you will never face
problem described above. The worst that is likely to happen is that as new software is added, older programs do not run in quite
same way.
If you are a serious computer user, and depend upon one as an integral part of your business, take
position you won't upgrade or install new software unless you are absolutely forced to do so.
My tale is not an isolated case. All heavy users of contemporary PCs have had this experience, even if not quite so severe.
If you need a program, by all means install it and go. But be hesitant in playing
game, "I think I'll try this." Why risk it?
