I have Windows set to let me know what updates are available and to not automatically download and install.

This is why I wanted to go ahead and get Win 7 because I'm hearing in Win 8 you will not have that option.

I'm not wanting to just blindly allow MS to do whatever they want to my computer's OS... even though they claim it's not mine... the hardware IS in fact mine, and as such I retain the right to decide what changes I want to allow.

Is there a place to find out what Windows update are really, really needed and which ones are bunk?
Like an email list er something where someone has studied these updates to see what they really do?

If you want that much control over your operating system...I think you need to ditch Microsoft entirely, and start using a open source OS.

I use mine for business, and so far there's not enough biz apps that I like for me to consider going that direction, and since Win 7 is so solid, it just makes more sense to stay with it for now because I do need to work instead of playing with my computer all the time... which is always fun.

I was just hoping there was some resource out there that studied all these MS updates so folks could know which ones are critical (not just cause MS says they are), and which ones aren't worth messing with.

My current desktop is running XP Professional and I've not allowed it to update for well over a year now since they came out with Win 7 full time. I do this because some drivers that Windows will update are supposed to be backwards compatible, but actually aren't causing problems with my XP install because... they'd like to herd me towards buying Win 7 which I'm not going to do on this system cause it functions perfectly as is and will be my second system as I'm about to get a new desktop system that will have Win 7.

Somethings do not need to be changed or upgraded as they are working fine. Besides, I like having XP on a second system as one can never have too many computers... expecially if you rely on computers in your business as we do.

Every Windows updated as a KB (knowledge base) number attached to it. (e.g., KB2541763)

Every such update has a knowledge base article describing exactly what it does, e.g, for the above example it would be:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2541763

Feel free to study them all and determine which updates are needed for you and which are not.

Too time consuming... I was hoping there was some service out there that kept tabs on MS Updates, but maybe there isn't.

I just would like to decide what goes on my computer and what doesn't since I paid for it and I have to use it...

http://www.msfn.org/ Might find some helpful info there...or not. I certainly have enjoyed the Win98 projects on the forum there.

Too time consuming? You paid for your computer and you decide what goes on it. It's your job to maintain it, not anyone else's.

You were hoping that someone else would spend their precious time just so you don't have to spend yours?

Even assuming such a service by some random do-gooders exist - why would you trust the opinion of some random folks on the internet more than you trust Microsoft's?

Really??? They have services for everything else, and I'm not opposed to paying for it either... if there were a service as such.

I'd like to invite you to keep your bad attitude to yourself... if you don't like my question, don't answer and ignore!

And I'd advise you to be respectful to senior members of the forum you just joined looking for answers...

If you don't like the answers that you're given, feel free to look elsewhere and refrain from accusing other folks of having bad attitude.

Yes, I respectfully invited the guy to ignore my question if he thinks it's an idiotic one... I have to ignore other people when I think what they are saying is stupid, so he can do the same, right?

We're not all going to agree on everything, so if he thinks I'm stupid for asking if there is a particular service out there... then I'd really like for him to just not answer cause I'd rather not listing to someone's viewpoint that does nothing but cause trouble towards others.

Is that so unreasonable to ask?