Update Notifier - Free Software Update Program

Update Notifier – Free Software Update Program

by Johnny Karp 13 July 2009 10 Comments

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Overview

Update Notifier is a small freeware program that scans your computer for installed software and then searches for updates to the respective programs. It’s easy to use and it also has a portable version that can be run from an USB stick.

Review

I’ve been using Software Informer as my favorite free software update program for a few months now and overall it’s been a good experience. It’s a very good freeware program but as you already know I’m always ready to try something new. John wrote a comment a few days ago recommending Update Notifier and asking me to compare it with Software Informer. Okay John, here we go!

After installing the program Update Notifier will scan your system for software and then look for the updates. The process took around 3 minutes on my PC. A great thing about Update Notifier is that you can run it from an USB stick, no need to install it if you don’t want to.

After those three minutes Update Notifier found 76 programs installed and told me that 38 of those programs are ready to be updated. I know for sure that I have more than 100 freeware programs installed on my PC if you only think at the recent 94 freeware programs that I presented in the 2009 Freeware Mission Megapack. The interface looks neat though…

I immediately opened Software Informer to see how many programs it can find and indeed it found 130! You know, I have many freeware programs installed and waiting to be tested, some of them have been waiting for months Just an example of a program that was present in the Software Informer report but was totally absent from Update Notifier: the great open source game called Freeciv!

Although it looks nice and generally works like a charm Update Notifier can’t compare with Software Informer’s performances just yet. Maybe the future versions will be better but so far Software Informer is way ahead.

Version Tested

1.1.6.141

Author

CleanSofts

Operating System

Windows 2000, XP, Vista

Download link

Summary

Small and easy to use.

It has a portable version that you can run from an USB stick.

Way less powerful than Software Informer.

Rating

Verdict

I hope that John is satisfied with the comparison although his recommendation didn’t really work out. However, Update Notifier looks quite promising, a good interface and the portable version might be a good start to build a better program.

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10 Comments »

daniel said:

Hey guys,

I used to have filehippo earlier, after readin this page. I have just downloaded software informer to check, and I couldnt believe it got 23 updates out of which I knew 8 of them and dint update, but still it could show 23-8=15 new updates which the filehippo couldnt figure out. So filehippo guys, if u check this page, u need to work smarter

# 21 July 2009 at 7:49 pm

Patrick B said:

I found Update Notifier to be more thorough and flexible than FileHippo, Secunia’s PSI, or SUMo. However, I found 5 days ago that cleansofts.org website is not responding. I hope that is a temporary situation.

PB

# 22 July 2009 at 3:44 am

Johnny Karp said:

@Daniel
If you ask me FileHippo’s updater is not even in the same league as Software Informer…

# 22 July 2009 at 12:38 pm

Daniel said:

Hey Johnny,

You know what, from the tests that I have done through Software Informer, I have noticed that its showing 8 wrong updates, which are Lenovo system update, real player, Google talk, Internet explorer to name a few. When I googled after seeing the updated version numbers, those are related to either Windows Vista or some other version whereas I am using WXP on my Lenovo laptop. For example, I have real player 11… something and its showing as 12… I went into the real player site to see the latest version and its rite thee is no 12 version there. I do not know which version it picked and showing in the result. Another example is google talk, its showing as 1.00.05 where as google has launched only 1.00.04 and same for power manager lenovo update, its showing vista’s version of power manager. I could figure it after going into the lenovo’s site and verified the versions with wxp version its the latest. YOu know what its not even showing the skype update whereas filehippo is showing an availble skype update (beta), i have checked show beta versions in software informer. So both the packages have flaws in them . Do let me know if you have any concerns.

# 23 July 2009 at 8:25 am

Johnny Karp said:

@Daniel
I agree that both programs have flaws but overall I think that Software Informer is better, maybe just for the fact that it detects almost all the programs that are installed in my PC, which Update Notifier obviously doesn’t.

# 23 July 2009 at 8:52 am

Daniel said:

Hey Johnny,

U Know what, I really liked your site a lot….. It gives such a good information about all the most used software …that too free. I really appreciate ur work. Its such a good thing ur doinig to the world. I could get information about almost all the software which are mainly useful. Thanks once again on behalf of everybody whom i Knew. Are you a programmer, I mean r u working for any IT company, or its ur hobby. Just curious.

# 23 July 2009 at 9:13 am

Johnny Karp said:

Daniel, thanks for the kind comment. I’m not a programmer, software is just a hobby for me. I’m a journalist covering human rights and social issues and stuff like that

# 23 July 2009 at 11:54 am

Daniel said:

Hey Johnny,

U r a philanthropist. Keep it going , bi for now.

# 23 July 2009 at 5:30 pm

Johnny Karp said:

Daniel, I’m not a philanthropist but a journalist. But if you consider what they pay me for that you can say I’m a philanthropist, you might be right

# 23 July 2009 at 8:02 pm

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# 24 July 2009 at 7:56 pm