How To Check For Program Updates

Whether it's freeware, commercial software, shareware or Windows itself, keeping your installed software upwardly to date is a good thought. New versions often bring security updates, bug fixes, enhancements and new features. Checking for updated software yourself is not very appealing especially if you lot take a lot of programs installed. Some might have an automated update function somewhere within the settings, simply many exercise not.

Using a programme to bank check every bit many of these software titles every bit possible for you lot, and telling you if updates are bachelor or not, could be a potential time saver.

Here are 4 unlike tools that tin aid tell you if your electric current software is out of date.

ane. FileHippo Update Checker

File Hippo is a well established website and they too accept a tool called Update Checker which scans the software y'all have installed and checks the event against the latest versions listed on their website. You can then but download and install which software you want from their servers which are a clean and trusted source.

FileHippo Update Checker

The program couldn't be any easier to use, simply run the executable and it will pop upward a small progress window which only takes a few seconds. On completion Update Checker will open a webpage in your browser showing the results of what it'southward found. A list of programs will be displayed that show you what version of the software you currently have installed and what newer version has been found that can be downloaded.

Update Checker Results

Simply click the green push button to download the newer file. On the right of the webpage are some filter buttons to show or hide beta versions and the installed path of the software. There is a settings window accessible form the progress screen where you can add together custom software locations if they're not in the default install path and choose a custom browser to open up the page in.

FileHippo Update Checker works on Windows 98 or in a higher place only requires Microsoft .NET Framework ii.0 to be installed on annihilation older than Vista. An installer version is available if y'all want to keep Update Checker on your machine.

Download FileHippo.com Update Checker

2. Software Updates Monitor (SUMO)

SUMO is a program which shows a lot of promise considering information technology can find a vast array of software titles and also gives options of including specific executable files or folders in non standard locations. Multiple locations are scanned to find whatever software such as the Program Files folder, Windows folder and the registry.

SUMo Wizard

When y'all run the program it volition pop upwards a small wizard window where you lot demand to click to discover your installed software, and and so check it for updates. After that the wizard can exist closed and you will see all the detected applications and the icons to show whether each one has major, small or no update available. Entries can exist excluded from scans or removed altogether, or new ones added via the File menu.

Software Updates Monitor

Sadly, although SUMO offers what appears to be the facility to get the updates of the software for you, it really doesn't which is quite disappointing. When you double click on a program or striking the Become Update push button, all that happens is you're sent to a webpage full of ads which lists the recent versions of the software. The download link takes you farther down the same page and but offers a search for the software at Google or a few download portal sites such equally Softpedia or FileHippo. It's far easier to just go to to the official website using the "Web" push if at that place is one about the top of the page.

SUMo web button

SUMO is a slap-up tool for notifying you if one of your programs is out of engagement, but the part where it offers you the chance to get the update is next to useless. Also, you lot have to be very careful to download the correct zip or 7zip portable files, or the lite installer version equally the normal installer and "nork" versions contain adware/spyware. SUMO works on Windows XP and in a higher place.

Download SUMO

3. Software-UpToDate

Software-UpToDate past Bernd Ott is a simple update checking program that does what it claims to exercise and zip more than. The database of recognized software is large and kept updated and appears to exist quite accurate, matching SUMO pretty much in all the software it tried to detect.

Software-UpToDate

After installation all you have to practice is select if yous want the program to check for beta versions, a scheduled check and whether to use SSL for the connexion. Then when the primary window has loaded click the UpToDate push and your software will be checked for any updated versions. The red arrowed icons are the programs that have an updated version bachelor and the correct side will give details well-nigh the current version, with a listing of all the known versions that are newer than the one yous have installed.

The tick boxes will hide whatever software and plough information technology into unknown which tin then be subconscious using the filter buttons. Like SUMO, Software-UpToDate doesn't offer direct downloads or a links to a download folio, a homepage url is near the best yous will get. This does mean yous accept to do a little scrap of manual piece of work to become the latest files to install the updated versions.

Software-UpToDate works on Windows XP and higher up.

Download Software-UpToDate

4. Software Informer

This is an interesting utility because if you lot want information technology to, Software Informer tin can sit in your system tray and notify you lot when a software program becomes out of date. It also makes use of the Software Informer community giving yous quick access to information similar user contributed ratings, comments or questions near any ane of your installed applications.

Later on install the program volition run an initial browse to decide what you lot have installed and then tell you if anything is out of engagement. Any entries in pink are identified as outdated and clicking on a program volition show the data about comments, users etc, and likewise a useful menu where you tin can include or exclude various notifications. In addition to software, the program is besides able to inform you nigh possible commuter updates bachelor from the Drivers tab.

Software Informer

If you open a webpage from startup or click the "xx are not upwardly to engagement" link at the meridian of the interface you will exist taken to a guest account webpage at Software Informer. The plan falls in between FileHippo's tool and SUMO because some links will exist available to click and download an update, others require several clicks through advertizement filled pages after which yous might just stop up at the developers chief webpage.

Software Informer Update Results

Because the Software Informer website doesn't seem to be quite as quick at updating as FileHippo, it's results aren't equally accurate equally Update Checker and the other programs mentioned hither. At that place'south is though a handy software launcher window that can be setup to exist launched when you right click on the start button. Compatible with Windows XP, Vista and 7.

Download Software Informer

Important Notation: Do exist enlightened there are a lot of these updater programs effectually the net simply many of them have been abandoned or are badly outdated. Out of appointment software could pose a security risk and software wrongly telling you an former version of a plan is up to engagement could make your arrangement more vulnerable.

We were especially disappointed with the free version of UpdateStar because it only notifies you of major revision number updates. For example, it told us Malwarebytes Antimalware v1.33 from 2009 was upwardly to engagement because it's still on version ane.20 today. This restriction could be potentially very dangerous.