Driver Booster is the best free driver updater program. It's compatible with all versions of Windows and makes updating drivers simple. Driver Booster runs automatically to find outdated drivers. When new updates appear, download them from inside the Driver Booster program to avoid downloading them manually.
- With this software, you’ll forget about any problems with your drivers. Driver Booster. Driver Booster is a free driver updater for Windows OS. It supports all Windows versions and can be easily installed and used even by a non-advanced user. Like Driver Talent, Driver Booster searches for the current PC drivers and checks for their updates.
- Here are 10 best free software to update drivers.These let you update the device drivers of your PC easily. All these device driver updater software are completely free and can be downloaded to Windows PC.These free software offer various features, like: update the device driver of your computer, backup and restore the device drivers of your PC, analyse device drivers, provide information.
- Software Update is the easiest and quickest solution to check and update software installed on your computer. It is specially designed to keep your windows software update all the time and guarantees best performance.
- PC Updater has a database of more than 110,000 files as it searches for an update for your computer. It can notify you when there is an update available and helps you download and install them. Download the PC Updater now and update your drivers the easy way. Visit the Tom's Guide for more of the best free apps for the Windows.
- 11 Best Free Driver Updater Tools Easily update your hardware's drivers with these free tools. Share Pin Email. You need not use free driver updater software to update drivers, but if you use one, don't pay for it. These programs are for your convenience only. When your PC is idle, or even every time you log on to Windows.
A software updater is a program you install on your computer to help you keep all your other software updated to their latest versions.
Install one of these freeware software updaters and it will first automatically identify all of your software and then determine if an update is available. Then, depending on the updater, will either point you to the newer download on the developer's site or maybe even do the downloading and updating for you!
By no means do you have to use a software updater to update your outdated software. Checking for a new version yourself, and then downloading and updating manually, is certainly an option. However, a software updater makes the process really easy. The fact that all of these excellent ones are completely free is even better.
Patch My PC Updater
What We Like
It's easy to see what's outdated
Installs updates for you
Can run on a schedule
Supports hundreds of software programs
What We Don't Like
The interface isn't as clean as most software updater tools
Patch My PC is another free software updater that I like, not only because it's completely portable, but also because it will install software patches — no clicking and no manual update checks!
It's easy to quickly tell the difference between applications that are already updated and ones that are outdated because the green titles indicate up-to-date software, while the red ones show outdated programs. You can update all of them at once, or uncheck the ones you don't want to patch (or, of course, let the scheduled auto-updates do it for you automatically).
There are lots of optional settings you can enable, like disabling silent installs, enabling beta updates, forcing programs to shut down before updating them and many others.
Patch My PC can also work as a simple software uninstaller.
The only thing I don't like about Patch My PC is that the user interface isn't quite as friendly but I wouldn't skip trying this tool just on those grounds.
I really like the fact that it works so quickly, can be run from a flash drive and supports truly automatic updates. These are certainly the most important things I look for in a software updater.
Patch My PC Updater should work with all versions of Windows. I tried it out in Windows 10 and Windows 8 and it worked great.
FileHippo App Manager
What We Like
Very clean and easy-to-use interface
Lets you scan custom folders for outdated software
Can update software to beta versions
What We Don't Like
No one-click, update-everything button
Updates a relatively limited number of programs
FileHippo App Manager, previously called Update Checker, is a very minimal and easy to use program that scans your computer for updates and then lets you download them directly through the program.
The results list that shows which programs need updated, is really easy to understand because it shows the version number for the edition you have and then tells you hold old it is (e.g. Your version: <number> was released over a year ago.).
FileHippo App Manager can optionally hide beta updates, scan for outdated programs on a schedule every day, add custom install folders, and exclude any program from showing up in the update results.
The setup files for FileHippo App Manager is less than 3 MB and takes just a couple seconds to install.
FileHippo App Manager can be used on Windows 10 through Windows 2000, as well as with Windows Server 2003.
IObit Software Updater
What We Like
Very easy to use
In-program updates (no browser needed)
Bulk downloading and updating
Recommends other software
What We Don't Like
Shows features that are only available if you pay
IObit has this really simple and easy to use software updater that has nearly all the features you need in one of these programs.
As you can see in the screenshot above, the current and new program version number is clearly stated so that you know how outdated the program is. Maybe you'll want to skip a version or two if it isn't a huge deal, but either way, you can very obviously see on this screen how much newer the update really is.
The program supports single updates and bulk updates. Automatic updating is an option but it's only available if you pay.
In the settings are options for when IObit Software Updater should check for new program updates; it can update automatically for you or just notify you when updates are available. You can also control whether restore points are made automatically before every installation and if installer files should be deleted after setup finishes.
Pc Software Updater Free Download
Thor Free
What We Like
Fully automatic (scanning, downloading, and updating)
Settings can be tweaked to your preference
Recommends new program downloads
What We Don't Like
Updates an extremely minimal number of programs
Shows several things that only upgraded users can take advantage of
Thor Free (previously called Heimdal) is useful if you want to keep your security-critical programs up-to-date without having to think about it. This program will automatically and silently download and install patches when necessary.
Thor Free can work in what's called 'autopilot' mode to keep all compatible programs updated automatically or you can choose a custom setup.
A custom configuration lets you choose which installed programs should be monitored for updates and which ones should be auto-updated. This means you can have Thor Free monitor some but not update them, or not monitor or update others—it's totally up to you.
Thor Free checks for updates every few hours by default but you can turn off automatic scanning if you prefer. It also includes recommended programs and makes them just one click away.
This program has the unique feature of checking for and updating programs automatically, but it's not very user-friendly. Then again, you shouldn't really need to have the program open often because it will do everything in the background, so you can really just install it and forget about it.
Since this is the free version, you don't get the features that are only in the pro edition, like malware detection and website blocking. Follow the download link below to see which programs Thor Free is capable of auto-updating.
During the installation of Thor Free, choose the free option and then enter your email address to activate the free edition.
OUTDATEfighter
What We Like
Automatically performs a virus scan on all updates
Updates can be found for lots of programs
Also works as a third-party Windows Update tool and software uninstaller
What We Don't Like
Didn't seem to locate as many outdated programs as similar tools
Can't set up an auto-scan schedule to find outdated programs automatically
OUTDATEfighter does just as the name suggests—it protects your computer from outdated software by acting as a free program updater.
It just takes one click to batch download or installs updates in OUTDATEfighter. This means you can place a check next to all the programs that need to be updated to have OUTDATEfighter download them all one after the other and then start launching the setup files. Before downloading updates, the setup files are even scanned for viruses, which is really helpful.
At any time, you can open OUTDATEfighter to check for software that requires updates. You can also ignore any update to prevent update notifications for that particular program.
I really like the fact that you don't need to open a web browser or search for the updated setup file on the internet. Everything is done from inside the program, and you can clearly see the old and updated version numbers (and sometimes release dates) for comparison.
There's also a program uninstaller and a Windows Update utility included in OUTDATEfighter.
OUTDATEfighter can be used on Windows operating systems from Windows XP up through Windows 10. Windows Server 2008 and 2003 are also supported.
Update Notifier
What We Like
Gets updates from the program's original source
Set up a scan schedule
Check for updates in custom program installation folders
Portable version is available
What We Don't Like
You have to download the updates manually from your web browser
Updates aren't installed automatically
Update Notifier installs in seconds and can monitor software installations in the background to notify you when a program needs to be updated. A schedule can be setup to check for updates every so many days and hours, like every 3 hours or every 7 days, for example.
Updates must be downloaded via a browser because Update Notifier does not let you download files directly through its program. However, the files from Update Notifier's website are pulled directly from the official websites of the applications, which help guarantee clean, up-to-date, original downloads.
You can also configure Update Notifier to scan a particular folder outside the regular program files location. This would be ideal for finding updates to portable programs. Like some of the other program updaters from this list, Update Notifier also lets you ignore updates.
A Watch List can be built if you sign up with Update Notifier so you can get alerts by email when new software updates are available.
Update Notifier can also be run as a portable program if you choose that option during setup.
You can use this program on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, and 2000.
Software Updater
What We Like
Works quickly
Downloads updates without leaving the application
Lets you auto-scan for outdated programs
It's easy to see what needs updated and what's already updated
What We Don't Like
Can't download or install updates automatically
Finds less updates than similar software updaters
The lack of settings makes it way less customizable than other programs
Software Updater loads in basically no time and has a very straightforward interface that anybody can understand, even if you've never updated a program before.
Results show up in the program and updating your apps is just a few clicks away. Version numbers are clearly indicated so you know which version you're currently using and what the updated version is.
I'm really glad Software Updater makes it easy to download program updates. After clicking Update next to an outdated program, the setup file is downloaded for you and then opens, ready for you to click through the installation wizard.
Software Updater doesn't seem to find as many outdated software as some of the other programs from this list. There also aren't any many settings that come bundled with it, so you can't do things like hide programs from being updated or enable beta updates.
This program works on Windows 10 down through Windows XP.
Glarysoft's Software Update
What We Like
The updater can start with Windows
Lets you enable or disable beta software scans
Updates can be ignored
Results are easy to read
What We Don't Like
Makes you download the updates manually
None of the updates can be installed automatically
Setup tries to install another program along with the updater tool
Glarysoft has a free program update checker for Windows that isn't much of a program itself, but when you run the checker, it opens the results in your browser and gives you direct download links to the program updates.
Software Update sends the scan results to a file download website called Filepuma that's owned by Glarysoft. From there are download links to the program updates.
You can customize the updater program to ignore beta versions and to run when Windows starts, but that's about it. The results list can be customized too so that you can ignore updates for specific programs or ignore just this one updated version for any program.
Clearly, Software Update is not as advanced or helpful as some of the updaters at the start of this list that can download and update programs for you, but it's still a functional program that's really lightweight and can run all the time without affecting performance.
Once Software Update has finished installing, but before setup closes, you're asked if you want to install Glary Utilities. If you don't do anything, the program might install automatically, so be sure to uncheck that option if you don't want Glary Utilities.
Avira Software Updater
What We Like
The list of outdated programs is displayed within the software
Checks for outdated software automatically
The interface is minimal and easy to use
What We Don't Like
Download links open in web browser
Can't download more than one program update at once
Won't install any updates for you automatically
You can't customize the scan schedule
You can quit searching for updates manually if you have Avira's Software Updater program installed. With just one click it will check your entire computer for outdated applications and tell you which ones need updated.
The program is quick to find an entire list of old programs and gives you download links to open in your web browser so that you can download the updates yourself.
Compared to similar programs, this updater seems to find a good number of outdated programs but unfortunately, it's limited in a number of ways.
Avira Software Updater is just the free, limited version of the paid edition that has additional features.
For example, Avira's free updater will not download or install program updates for you. Instead, just use the link next to any program's 'Update' button to find the download page online.
This program also does not let you choose when it should automatically scan your computer for outdated programs, but it does seem to do so periodically. Otherwise, you need to open it and use the Rescan button each time you want to check for outdated software.
During installation, Avira Software Updater asks you to install some other Avira software but you can just avoid those requests if you don't want them; they won't install unless you click them.
SUMo
What We Like
Finds newer versions of lots and lots of software
Distinguishes between apps that need a minor and major update
Lets you choose the folders in which to look for software updates
Can be run normally or from a portable location
What We Don't Like
Doesn't show the download page to update the software
Searches are usually slow because of the vast number of apps it supports
Won't find outdated programs on a schedule; you have to open the program yourself
SUMo is a free software updater for Windows that's absolutely amazing at finding updates. You can install SUMo to a computer or launch it portably from a custom folder.
The program takes quite a while to scan your whole computer for outdated software, but it definitely found more programs that needed updates than any other tool in this list.
Every program it finds is listed out, even those that don't require an update. The ones that do need updating are labeled as requiring a minor update or a major one so you can quickly decide which programs you may want to update. The version numbers are clearly visible so you can quickly glance at the outdated and updated versions. It can even search for beta releases.
SUMo not only searches for programs installed in the regular installation directory of your computer, as you can even add custom folders and files for it to scan, like if you have portable software stored on another hard drive.
A huge downside to using SUMo is that it doesn't provide links to the download pages for updates. Instead of providing a direct link inside the program, or even just linking to a download page, SUMo simply lets you search for the program on the internet, where you'll then need to find the download yourself, manually.
I tested SUMo in Windows 10 and Windows 8 without any issues, so it should work in other versions of Windows too like 7, Vista, and XP.
If you don't use a software updater, you might be missing out on important patches to some of the programs you use every day. Many programs automatically update themselves so you can be sure that you're always using the most recent (and most secure) version, but this is't the case for all software, and some updaters works in different ways.
For example, you may not be offered updates for programs you don't use very often, and it can be difficult to remember to launch programs just to see if there's anything new to download.
This is where a dedicated software updater can help you out. These handy utilities will scan your computer to determine what you have installed, and will then go online to see if there are new versions of any of your applications available. Some utilities will automatically install the updates for you, while others will simply let you know that there's an update available. Either way, you'll be able to ensure you're running the very latest versions of all your favorite programs with very little effort.
1. Patch My PC Home Updater
Patch My PC has been around for a while now, and it has gained a large following – something you'll understand once you try it out. This is a portable app, making it ideal for sticking on a USB drive and keeping friends' and family's computer updated, and it's delightfully simple to use.
As soon as you launch the program, it will automatically scan your computer, determine which software you have installed, and quickly let you know which needs to be updated. The database of programs it supports is not completely exhaustive, but it's pretty comprehensive.
If there are any out-of-date programs detected on your computer, you can start to update all of them with a single click – there's no need to manually start each updater as each of the updates will be downloaded for you in turn. Many programs will update 'silently' without the need for any intervention, but for some you will be prompted to allow the update to continue. As an added bonus you can configure update checks on a scheduler so you don't need to remember to run them manually. Great stuff!
2. Downloadcrew UpdateScanner
Automatically check for updates to hundreds of applications
Drawing on its sizeable and growing database of software, the Downloadcrew UpdateScanner is able to check for updates across a huge number of titles. The program can be configured to start automatically with Windows and check for updates every time you start your computer, or you can schedule scan for a particular time of day. You can, of course, opt for a manual scan if you prefer.
While the program is undeniably powerful and very thorough when it comes to checking for updates, the way it works is not as smooth an intuitive as some of its rivals. The updater sits in your system tray and a pop up lets you know when something is available to download. Click the notification and the main program interface will appear, complete with links to endless program you may want to install.
Hiding at the top of the screen is a link to download the available updates, and clicking this takes you to the Downloadcrew website where you can download the newest versions of software manually.
3. SUMo
SUMo has nothing to do with Japanese wrestling – not that we really imagined that you thought that! The name is short for Software Update Monitor, and it does very much what you would expect it to. There's a slight problem, through: it does it a little slowly.
As you would hope, the program scans you hard drive for software so it knows what you have installed, and this process can be a little on the slow side.
SUMo will then let you know of any programs which need updating and you can manually select those you want to update and download the latest version from the SUMo website.
If you want the advantage of automatic updating, you'll have to shell out for the Pro version of the tool. There are some nice touches such as being able to check for beta versions of software, and the option to choose to ignore (ie never check for) updates for certain programs. There's also a secondary tool available, DUMo, that can be used to check for driver updates. A perfect companion.
4. OutdateFIGHTER
Not the most comprehensive, but includes some handy extras
In tests, OUTDATEfighter seems to be rather more limited than the competition. The utility found fewer updates than alternatives update tools did, and this raises the question of whether it is going to miss something important when it really matters.
In addition to this potential problem, the program interface serves as an advertising billboard for other products by the same company. You'll find toolbar buttons that link to information about utilities to speed up and protect your computer in a variety of ways.
OUTDATEfighter can also be used to uninstall software you no longer need, as well as managing Windows Updates – it's not really clear, however, why you would want to go down this route rather than simply using Windows' own tools.
Ultimately, your mileage may vary with OUTDATEfighter. You may be in luck and find that all of your installed software is supported and detect. It's worth testing it to find out.
5. Glarysoft Software Update
Great detection rates, but updates aren't automatic
Free Pc Updater Software Download
Free Pc Updater
Glarysoft has a glorious history of releasing outrageously useful utilities for Windows, so the hope is very much that Glarysoft Software Update makes the grade
The good news is that it does. This is a quality tool with a great, professional feel and a high update detection rate. For system administrators and home with multiple computers, there is a remote update option that lets you administer other computers from afar. A lovely idea.
Sadly, as with many other update tools, the update process is a manual one – unless you are willing to pay for an upgrade to the Professional version, in which case it can be automated. A nice touch here is that you are given trial access to the Software Update Professional so you can get an idea of how it works and whether it is worth your money.
A word of warning. Take care during the installation of the program that you do not unwittingly install the extra Malware Hunter tool that's offered to you. You don't need it.