Ok, one of you tech wizards out there should be able to explain this stuff to me in small easy words, so I'll understand?

Yesterday, having read about yet another worm called Zotob, I went to Microsoft Support and downloaded their Updates and something called Windows XP Hotfix.

Today when I went back online I found everything had gone into slow motion due to the Updates being loaded. I only have a slow dial up, and this made it almost impossible to load a page, so after going back to read the latest about Zotob and finding out that it seemed to be only targeting Windows 2000 and older systems, I went to the control panel and removed the Updates and left the Hotfix. The effect was to bring me back to my original speed.

So-here's my question. What are the Microsoft Updates FOR? Do they automatically provide new patches, or do they simply give information about the latest viruses, worms, etc? Are the patches free, or do I need to pay for them?

Am I leaving myself vulnerable by not keeping this update feature on my computer? But if so, what can I do about the slowing up of my downloads?

I do have anti-virus software, and a firewall, but is that enough?

I'd appreciate you're explaining what I should be doing to make sure I'm as protected as I can be, but not brought to a standstill by updates!!

Thanks ahead of time..xx..e