Software updates? Watch out!

A few weeks ago, I started to talk to you about software updates and why they should always be done. I gave several solid reasons, but today I'm here to talk to you about why updates should always be approached with caution—or sometimes not done at all—and, if you do update, how to minimize any potential issues that might arise from the process. Keep reading!

Planned obsolescence

This time, let’s start with the heart of the matter. You may have heard rumors about this practice followed by big (and not-so-big) companies to encourage ongoing consumerism of both current and future products. Some of the most well-known cases include filament light bulbs (yes, the kind invented by Thomas Alva Edison) that have been lit for over 100 years, with the longest-lasting one located at a fire station in California, now over 118 years old, and the case when Italy fined Apple and Samsung, two of the leading tech companies, for this practice.
The idea is simple: reduce the lifespan of any device so that the user is somehow forced to purchase a new one within a short period of time. The issue is that, beyond being a rather shady practice, in some cases it’s blatantly obvious—forcing people to buy a new product in less than a year.
Originally, this was done through the hardware itself by cutting production costs using lower-quality components, or even by adding a specific chip designed to trigger failures after a certain time. Nowadays, this practice has shifted and is being carried out through software updates, like in the aforementioned case with Apple and Samsung. By catching your attention, they offer functional or security improvements to entice you to update your system, while at the same time introducing changes that cause it to fail or reduce performance.
If this is your first time hearing about this, I recommend the documentary by TVE2 which explores this topic in depth—it’s a must-watch!

Major upgrades still immature

Another reason why you shouldn’t update at the drop of a hat is when it comes to major version jumps. At the end of last year, WordPress released version 5.0 packed with new features, most notably the new Gutenberg visual editor. It was a major update, as it included many improvements and changes, which was made clear by the version jump from 4.9.8 to 5.0.
Many of us rushed to update quickly, but it’s not a recommended practice for beginners, since major changes often come with bugs and issues that still need to be ironed out. A quick look at WordPress’ version history shows that only 6 days later, version 5.0.1 was released, fixing more than 12 WordPress files to resolve bugs.
Another example of this is Microsoft Windows 10 and its updates, like the October 2018 update. These updates were so numerous and problematic that Xataka gathered all of them in one article. Among the issues were the loss of personal files (such as personal videos or work documents), or problems where the screen or sound stopped working.

I am ready to upgrade, what steps do I need to take?

Wait

It’s the first and perhaps most important one. Wait a few weeks to a month to let that version settle and give users time to report potential issues. This gives you an advantage, as you’ll likely be updating to a version with bug fixes and improvements already implemented.

What if I don't want to wait?

At the very least, I recommend you do a quick Google search and dig into the topic a bit. You’ll surely find a specialized forum where people are starting to talk about that update, giving you an idea of potential issues or bugs you might encounter. It’s a great way to stay prepared and anticipate any problems after—or even during—the update process.

I hit refresh now!

😂Alright, alright, go for it — but make a backup of all your sensitive information or even a full system backup so you can restore it to the current version if needed. This step should always be mandatory if you don’t want to fall into the abyss of Googling “How to recover my lost files” for hours with no success...
In the case of Microsoft Windows, it includes the System Restore app and restore points; for iOS or Android phones, they offer cloud storage plans to store your backups and even your personal data; and when it comes to your website (regardless of the platform you use), you can always create and manage your backups through your hosting provider.

I hope that after these two articles you now have a better understanding of what updating means and why it’s not something you should ignore. I hope you feel encouraged to keep your devices up to date and, if you have any issues before, during, or after the process, don’t hesitate to reach out to me using any of the contact methods or through the form at the top right. I’ll be happy to help and get your system running like new 👍🏻