If I use the Kaspersky anti-virus & anti-spyware software,they recomend that I do not download any service packs at all...If I use PC Tools anti-spyware software,they recomend as far as what I can remember that you download all service pack updates...On the internet I do go through my experimentation phase & what I mean by that is that I let my browser down to let cookies in (on selected pc only for it's life span)& at other times I keep my browser up (on another selected pc that I will keep out cookies permanently)...I have noticed though that if you keep out cookies that it is more likely that your pc will last longer depending on the sites that you visit e.g.😛orn,eBay & the associated popup sites will do some damage...The eBay site I have noticed at one time do something to my pc (this amd pc that I am using now,duo core only...After having it on the internet for 1 to 2 days,I recalled that when I visited eBay almost straight after this pc lost quite a lot of it's 3.2 GHz forcefullness...(Gigabyte MA74GM-S2 mainboard with a X2 260 amd athlon II x2 processor @ 3.2 GHz dual core with 2.0 mb cache & 1x1GB stick of Kingston 800MHz of ram...))...For intel users those amd motherboard specs are similar to an intel G31 chipset...This pc has got an OEM xp pro sp3 opoerating system disc on it & when it gets too bad I will just reformat this HDD & reinstall the operating system...I have got a retail boxed windows 7 pro on a pc,but it is not used much & with no updates being downloaded at all onto it...