Win 8.1 recommended and optional updates: On or Off?

[sneak3]

Should I leave the "give me recommended updates" on or off, at the windows update settings?

I started wondering about that when I received tons of recommended updates and couldn't figure out which one was worth installing. Microsoft's information is shamelessly bad. Now I'm thinking that blindly installing everything they push might end up ruining my surface pro. I'm on the 3rd hard reset due to bad updates, but I'm not sure what caused the errors.

Could RECOMMENDED updates be bad?

And what about OPTIONAL updates?

What do you think?

 

[Laura Knotek]

Recommended updates are a good idea to leave on, since they include security updates.

I've never had optional updates on to automatically install, though, on any version of Windows. I decide on my own if I want those or not.

 

[The_New_Normal]

Firmware are IMPORTANT updates, which is presumably what you are both calling RECOMMENDED
I have it set to check, but let me decide on installation.
It's a bit manual (need to install security updates every day), but worth it to avoid bad firmware.

IMO firmware updates should NEVER be automatic

 

[sneak3]

Nope. There's important, recommended and optional.

I always install the important ones, but recommended I'm not sure. Optional rarely.

 

[The_New_Normal]

...I always install the important ones...

If you're worried about errors with updates, disabling automatic firmware changes may be a good place to start. Why that's the default position I will never understand.

You are correct regarding the three types; I was mistaken after reading Laura equate recommended with security updates.