Keep Your Software Updated (or else...) - Comments Page 1

Patch My PC is a wonderful program.
Thanks Bob for recommending a long ways back. It simplifies everything and I use it at least once a week to check for updates.
The fact that it does all of the work of updating for you and silently to boot cannot be beat.

Never EVER allow Windows to update automatically!

update driver I use snappy driver it tends to find system drivers and speed up my computer but there is downside some updated driver may slow down your system or cause problem. For example the AMD video driver may stop execution of video programs luckily they provide a downgrade.

I forgot to mention sometime windows update doesn't work if this is the case use the windows creation tool. create a usb iso and upgrade that way

I have my Win 10 Pro set to delay major updates, versions, for 90 days to allow time for them to fix the mess they inevitably roll out the first time. I have routine updates delayed for three week for the same reason.

I do use Patch My PC, on your recommendation and like it a lot. I only update drivers through either Windows or the manufacturer. So far (nearing 30 years) so good. :^)

SUMo has some difficulty with character sizes on my display. Height of some text is clipped,, and overall characters are too small. (I don't want to fiddle with Windows display settings.)
Other than that, it reported 67 OK's, 58 Minors and 36 Majors. some of the Majors are for paid software, e.g Dragon.

Why is it that you buy a NEW CAR and it NEVER gets its software updated. Are car manufactures PERFECT in their original issue software?

Thanks for the informative article on ways to keep programs current. I have found that Glary Utilities does a very good job of identifying apps in need of updating and offers a good path to do so.

As for the comment that new car software never gets updated, well it does if you take the car to the dealer for scheduled maintainance. And there too things don't always go as expected. Our Ford Focus ST ended up having the computer in the car being bricked during a software update and the car sat in the shop for a month totally inoperative before Ford came up with a fix. And it only affected the ST model, not others. They did provide us with a loaner whle the car sat shoved into a corner of the dealer's shop.

This is not an article comment.

This page was using 3.4gigs of memory in firefox just now. I stopped the process and firefox said the tab crashed. Thought I should let you know and wasn't sure how to email you. Figured you'd get this. The tab had been open for an hour. I generally just open them so I'll remember to read them when I get a chance.

I just updated 38 out of 38 apps using PatchMyPC without a hitch. I've used quite a few different update apps over the years and this is the most trouble free I have experienced especially with so many, one after the other. I have tried Sumo and that is just impossible to use efficiently. I also take under advisement the other caveats from our other commenters and appreciate them.

Thank you to all.

If you want to get geeky, try https://chocolatey.org/. Whereas Ninite has ~50 programs in it's list and Patch My PC, 300; Chocolatey currently has 16,212 user-submitted packages/programs. For Linux people, it's like 'app-get'.

It's all command line driven, but simple. After chocolatey is installed just give:
"C:/choco install {programname}.install -y" to install a program. Install as many as you want.
"C:/choco upgrade all -y" updates all programs installed by chocolatey in one command.

Bob,
I disagree with your statement "But the free version (SUMo-Lite) is effectively demo-ware". I prefer the free (SUMo-Lite) version to the paid version because 95% of the battle of updating programs is finding the ones that need updates AND I don't want ANY extra programs running all the time. The free SUMo version checks 177 of my installed programs and in a couple of minutes tells me which ones have updates available. I run it once a day. The couple of programs that it finds each day are easy to find the updates and install them. This "demo-ware" (as you call it) is very effective and useful software.

Has anybody tried "Windows Update Mini Tool"? I kind of like it, but it only seems to update Microsoft programs. I use the free version, and I suspect it is written by Russians. But it seems to work.

Thanks for recommending SUMo (I'm the developper). Good feedback from Bob and users here. Please contact me if you need help with SUMo.

Thanks for writing about Patch My PC ... I see that you have recommended this software previously, I just didn't see it. I downloaded it and it is wonderful!

It got all of the apps that needed updating, downloaded and installed in excellent timing, very short and it was done!!! I know that I am going to enjoy this program. Plus, all of the apps I use ... Are listed. It even reminded me of a couple of apps that I haven't installed, since I had to re-do my computer. Things like a Zip app and a Free Anti-Virus/Malware program.

I know, how could I miss the Anti-Virus/Malware program. I have Malwarebytes and Windows Security stuff installed, so I know that I am "safe" for the moment. But now, it is time to install a good Anti-Virus/Malware program.

This article was great Bob. I found a new program to brag about and to enjoy which will save me time and energy.

I downloaded and ran "Patch My PC" and while it mostly did a good job in the background, I had problems with 2 of my apps. I ended up with 2 versions of "Skype", and it somehow gave me a trial pro version of "Malwarebytes" when the version I had was the free version.

I have used PatchMyPC but it changed several settings within various applications back to their defaults. I now only use PatchMyPC to notify me of what needs to be updated.

The same thing happened with Malwarebytes as happened to jill burt. Since I expect it will revert back to the free version, I just got the Pro version free for ten days.

Bob, I find myself in an uncomfortable spot - I disagree with something you wrote, and that is "You do not need a third party driver updater." (I don't remember that I have ever disagreed with you.) My desktop checks for Windows updates daily, but just for the heck of it -- after I read what you wrote -- I ran the IObit Driver Booster app. It found nine out-of-date drivers on my desktop. I think I'd feel very uncomfortable letting Microsoft decide when I need driver updates.