Keeping Software Updated Simply - Comments Page 2

I tried the PSI once upon a time. It appeared to be too "buggy" at the time and usually required that I spend some time either manually updating (some applications)anyway or the PSI app required a little attention itself. Didn't want to make time for it EVERY day, so I uninstalled. That's not to say the latest version isn't better. What I'd like to see is a FREE or economical version that will update all my PCs on my LAN or in my home. Does this type of app exist?

Thanks for another useful article. Briefly, some thoughts.
1. Secunia: I stopped using Secunia PSI years ago, because it didn't seem to work very well. I have just installed the current version and:
- 44 programs need updating: but in fact only 10 are shown in this section
- 4 of the programs needing updating are shaded out and labelled "Updating": I have no idea what this means, as I set the program simply to inform me, not to download (or install) updates. Incidentally they include Apple Quicktime which is not installed (i.e. has been uninstalled though there is a residual empty folder for it – no .exe, .ocx or .dll files).
- among programs which are described as up to date is CCleaner 4.x - however PatchMYPC correctly identifies this as needing updating to 5.01
- It missed my Antivirus (Panda) and 3 other programs (Ableword, Glasswire and Statpack), while including programs which are only in an old version of Windows on another disk.

However it did give a reasonably comprehensive list of programs - much fuller than Patch MyPC seems able to do. Overall, though, I cannot see that i can "trust" myself to Secunia.

2. PatchMyPC seems potentially useful for a limited range of programs, I will have to see how it goes.

3. Ninite also only covers a very li9mited range of programs, and like some others here I am unhappy about"invisible" operations on my PC.

4. I share the disappointment with FileHippo, which used to be excellent; and Cnet is too dangerous a site for me to want to use.

Hope this helps, og

PS have you found a good driver updater ? Windows does some but not all, and periodically makes false claims / sends me to a non-existent page / etc.
PPS. Could you provide a list of the permissions one must give NoScript to make your pages work properly, as I have to work them out each time (askbobrankin/ aweber are permanently trusted, but ...)

We do appreciate your articles, Bob. We have been using Linux (mainly Ubuntu and LXLE) for some time now. So far notices come regularly to update, without our prompting. Click install and a notice soon comes saying, "The software on this computer is up to date." Simple as that.

I am wondering if MS is catching on to the Open Source idea of free regular updating without major version changes and fees. Win 10 seems to be leaning that way. If they don't make some changes, Linux will take over.

I had been using Secunia for some time and had been happy with it. At some time, it stopped working properly, so I uninstalled it.

Also, blindingly upgrading might not be a very good idea. While, for instance, CC-Cleaner frequent upgrades never brought any nuisances to me (free version), I'm quite irritated by Foxit Reader change in behaviour.

First of all, upgrades erase the customisation of menus, which is a major irritant. Also, the publisher silently foists upon you something called Foxit Cloud, which somehow sends your own pdf documents into the cloud, without telling you about it, without any information about the privacy of your data, and without any obvious way to deselect this "feature". So you have to uninstall Foxit Cloud after each upgrade -- or so it was the last time I checked.

Many users were incensed by this incredibly rogue practice of Foxit when I researched the issue. As a result, I don't upgrade anymore this otherwise fine software -- which might be a security risk. Thank you, Foxit.

Nice article.
I regularly use Secunia PSI.
Works fine for me with one exception...
That being Adobe.
It seems that while trying to update Adobe it takes forever to update. This may be due to the popularity of Adobe and Secunia servers being busy. But I find that Adobe can be updated faster when going through Adobe.
Another issue I have is with the Adobie updater itself. Many times I will get a notification from Adobie of a new version available. I will click on the link and download it. When it comes to the instalation it will say "this version is already installed". I had either been informed of it earlier through Secunia or installed automaticaly by my Windows 8.1 automatic updater. Not sure if other versions of Windows include Adobie but 8.1 does.
I think Secunia PSI is great but haven't tried any of the others..........Alan

I think I'm swimming against the tide here, Bob, but speaking as someone running a 2002 XP computer with Office 2003 and Outlook Express for e-mail, my experience tells me that updating programs can cause more problems than it solves!

Patch my PC is.... GREAT!
Ya gotta look in the bottom right corner to get anything done.
It found 7 OK ones and 5 old apps.
Thanks and I will buy you a Snickers...

Dave in Seattle.

It is the same old story. You download the "free" software; you run it and it finds errors. It will then clean half of them. Then cleaning all of them requires a paid update or am I missing something?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, you're misssing the good ones that I've mentioned here before. CCleaner, Advanced System Care Free, and several other truly FREE tools are listed here: http://askbobrankin.com/seven_free_pc_maintenance_tools.html

I loaded Secunia PSI and it indicated I had a program that needed to be updated. But, it would not update it or let me input to do so!?

Thanks for the Best of 2015 email Bob because it prompted me to install PatchMyPC! And it updated 8 applications that I had failed to update manually!

I ran "Patch My PC", and was happy to see it updated my Google Chrome and LibreOffice. The only thing is that I have a 64 bit machine and it installed the 32 bit of LibreOffice! I found out because the F1 help file key was not working, and while troubleshooting I saw in the Help>About window that the version installed wasn't the 64 bit version.

I had to manually update LibreOffice from the LibreOffice website to correct my LibreOffice application to the correct 64 bit version. Now it works fine.

I posted this as a word of caution to your users.