Messing with computers used to be easy. The hardest thing was scraping up the money to buy one. Nowadays it's almost a full-time job.

When I meet with the folks who run Internet providers, I tell them the same thing. Home users have become --- whether they like it or not --- network administrators.

In my own home --- and I admit this is a tad excessive --- I have a network of seven computers. Some are part of a wired network, others connect wirelessly. So I have to watch over security, making sure all are protected behind a firewall. I'd be nuts to ignore viruses, so I use Norton Anti-Virus. Each year, I pay to update the subscription to that.

But it's not just the money I am forced to spend on my computers that bugs me. Let me tell you why I get the shakes each time Microsoft introduces a patch for Windows.

A patch is a small program designed to correct recently discovered problems, or to add new features. Windows gets patched more often than a country boy's bluejeans.

Microsoft recently released a huge collection of patches --- called Service Pack 2 --- for Windows XP. This service pack amounts to a massive collection of patches, all in one program. When it became available, my e-mail box was filled to overflowing. Readers wanted to know whether installing it was a good idea.

Like a lot of good questions, there is no good answer.

Here's the deal: Service Pack 2 fixes a lot of problems with Windows XP. Your protection against hackers is greatly improved after it is installed. Besides, it has some nifty new features, including the ability to block many of the annoying pop-up ads that litter your screen almost every time you open a Web site.

So deciding whether to install it sounds like a no-brainer.

But it isn't. Let me explain.

When any major change is made to an operating system --- and Service Pack 2 sure qualifies --- there is the chance of problems. When the massive patch is installed, you basically have a new version of Windows. That offers new opportunities for conflicts with your existing programs and devices like printers and scanners.

It's not a new problem. In fact, commercial computer networks have considered upgrades a major headache for years. The professionals at those companies know it is almost inevitable that some patches will create problems that can bring the network to its knees.

But these giant networks at big companies have advantages you do not. For one, there are computer professionals who can weigh the benefits and risks of adding the patch and make a good decision. Second, if they guess wrong, they're computer-savvy enough to have a good shot at fixing the problem. But the third advantage is the real ace in the hole.

That third advantage is that --- in almost every case --- businesses test each major software revision on a computer or even a small network, to see if it will cause problems. That way, before the patch is ever installed on the big network, they'll know how the upgraded software gets along with the software they use and the machines that run it.

Most of us don't have that luxury at home.

It would be easy to blame the software manufacturer. But this isn't unique to Microsoft. Almost any major upgrade, from any manufacturer, can cause problems.

That's because computer systems are as unique as your fingerprint. What works on one computer may not work on another. My computer has different devices connected, compared to your computer. They're made by different manufacturers. I have my own combination of programs running. It's likely your mix of programs is different.

So that means an upgrade that works fine on my computer may explode like a Fourth of July firecracker on your system.

This is about the place in this column where I should offer you the definitive solution, a way to avoid all those problems. After all, that's what I get paid to do. And I've been around the block a few times when it comes to computers.

Truth? There is no perfect answer. Now you know how it feels to be a network administrator. Instead, there are things you can do to reduce the odds of failure.

First, spend some time reading about each new patch. Microsoft has tons of information, not just about Service Pack 2 but about each of its patches. So before installing, click on the link that is always furnished to read what the patch does. Then use your search engine to browse the Web and read about the patch. There will be times when the patch fixes a problem you don't need to worry about.

Next, don't be a pioneer. Wait a week or two and see what others have experienced after installing it. Here's what I do: I plug the name of the patch into my favorite search engine and go to various Web pages where computer users share their experiences with that patch.

Before you install a patch --- and, for what it's worth, I think you should install Service Pack 2 --- spend time backing up the information on your computer in case something really nasty happens.

I wish I had a rabbit to pull out of my magic hat that makes the decision an easy one. Instead, all I can do is tell you is that you're not alone in thinking that this stuff is too complicated and too time-consuming.

Computers are terrific machines, and you already know how much joy they can bring. But I keep thinking that if using a telephone were this complicated, I would get downright shaky each time I make my weekly telephone call to my mom.

tecbud@ajc.com