I've been using the Simplix UpdatePack for my Windows 7 installations for a while now, and I can share some insights from my experience. First off, the tool has proven to be quite reliable for me. It's essentially a compilation of all available updates for Windows 7, which helps keep the system secure even after Microsoft's official support ended in January 2020.
When it comes to safety, Simplix has a pretty solid reputation in the Windows community. However, as with any third-party solution, I recommend downloading it from reliable sources to avoid tampered versions. In my usage, I haven't encountered any issues that would suggest it's unsafe, but I ensure to back up my data just in case something goes wrong.
The installation process is relatively straightforward. The pack is designed to be as hands-off as possible, which is beneficial if you're not keen on manually downloading and applying each update. You just run the executable, and it handles the rest. It does require a bit of time to complete, depending on your system's current state and hardware.
Regarding update coverage, Simplix does a thorough job of including essential security updates, excluding some specific ones that may be optional or deemed not highly critical unless necessary for your system setup. Occasionally, there might be updates released after the pack's latest version that you'd need to install separately, but these are generally few.
A minor consideration is to ensure that your system is compatible with the updates provided by Simplix, as it covers both important updates and some recommended ones that might not be strictly necessary for all setups. This could occasionally result in redundant updates if your setup already includes some recent patches.
In terms of performance, I haven't noticed any degradation post-installation, but this can vary depending on your system's configuration and what updates it needs. Also, it's worth keeping in mind that while Simplix covers updates well, it doesn't provide the Extended Security Updates (ESU) that Microsoft offered at a premium.
I find keeping a list of which updates Simplix doesn't include handy, so you can manually check for those if they're critical for your specific use case. If you're concerned about potential impacts, you could always test it on a secondary system or a virtual machine first.
If you're considering using it, I'd say it's a solid choice for keeping Windows 7 secure. Have you tried any other third-party update solutions, and how do they compare for you? I'm interested in hearing others' experiences as well.
