Garg, why would anyone... willingly... *not* update any system produced by Microsoft? You know what a security swiss-cheese it is. When a machine works perfectly, don't fix it. Right. And when it doesn't, do.

A couple of the programmes essential to my work won't run on Linux. So it's not relevant either to the world I share or the one that I inhabit all by my little self.

Of course I keep backups. On three external HD's, four stick-drives, printed hard copy, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Doesn't really solve the annoyance of disappearing desktop shortcuts, though.