PC utilities forum: Secunia Personal Software Inspector won't connect Internet

I am a little sour on Secunia, but I can forgive them. (1) Their installed application is unnecessarily cantankerous;
(2) I managed to use their scanner, not their installed application,and it gave me a false positive. That is, when compared with File Hippo they denied I had an application that I know I have and that File Hippo confirms=false positive; yup all application update sniffers make mistakes. THEY ALL HAVE FALSE POSITIVES WITHOUT ANY EXCEPTION. The gist: I will occasionally scan online with Secunia and use File Hippo as a mainstay.
QUESTION: Is SUMO still considered malware? SUMo - KC Softwares www.kcsoftwares.com/?sumo . SUMo, which stands for Software Update Monitor. Techsupportalerts by Gizmo Ian Richards has passed them as safe. Are you also passing them? ADVISE .

I can't help, sorry, as I don't use that type of software, and ne3ither do I use Secunia products.

I would ask a question. Why use software to update your other installed software?

Mark

Thanks for writing back Mark,I appreciate it a lot. Your kind colleagues and the entire freeware community concur that miscreants and criminals are forever harassing the honest citizen by setting upon them malware.
Manufacturers of computers, and their ancillaries, as well as software developers regularly give the public patches and new renditions of computer items which are less vulnerable, which is not identical to invulnerable. The function of Application Updaters is just to acquaint the computer owner with opportunities to
receive patches and new renditions.
Kindest regards friend!
Robb

Dear R.Proffitt;
I respectfully request a question,please. What procedure or protocol do you adopt to maintain all patches and maintain secure and modern software,please. I am presuming you are online and not just using a computer for
wordprocessing or something done neatly off line. If you like,advocate for a best protocol.Thanks!

Given how many times I've seen driver updates take down a good machine, I can only guess you haven't seen this enough times.

As to software updates, most of the titles I use such as browsers, OS, Visual Studio have pages I can check for updates. But there again, for Visual Studio we tend to skip updates when in the middle of a development cycle.

I hope you can understand why.
Bob

Driver updates are severely denigrated in the Google forums I frequent,and you know very precisely their danger. Good on you.
May one respectfully request: "As to software updates, most of the titles I use such as browsers, OS, Visual Studio have pages I can check for updates." Elucidate if that is possible. I take it you have a good file,and refer to it. Please explain,and I am honored by your kindness.
Kindest wishes!

The titles I noted have an update check, or I can do so manually. Sorry if this seems unkind but updating is YOUR CHOICE. My choice is to not take updates blindly. With one exception and even that may change if Microsoft blows an update and causes problems or the antivirus same.
Bob

I apologize if anything appears to offend or be cantankerous. I respect you immensely, i hope I express that clearly. Most of my personal friends use something like this:
<<Best Free Software Update Monitor - Gizmo's Tech Support Alert
www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-software-update-monitor.htm
Nov 20, 2011 - FileHippo's Update Checker (UDC) is fast and very easy to use, but detects >>.
I admit, driver updating is risque and flirts with disaster,and I allow that I have seen plenty of people
redownload their OS after flirting with a driver update. I confirm that. "The titles I noted have an update check, or I can do so manually." I allow that occasionally an application provides an update check, but sometimes an obscure one by a small developer does not.
That explains my question, with a lot of respect.
I presume that before you download an application,you observe and discover the update facility it offers. Good on you. I download scads of stuff,try it, reject it, and if it is free from viruses, I guess I am satisfied.
If you do not wish to explain how you get these update announcements, I am very pleased with this interchange and bid you a lovely goodbye. Otherwise, who provides update announcements,CNet? Advise. Thanks ahead of time.

I don't download scads of stuff. Even on my Android, if I don't use an app in a month, I either uninstall or consider again if I should keep it. Less apps means less chances of trouble.

Same for my PC. What I use is on a short list. What I don't use is often uninstalled. The RARE thing I do leave installed is specific to what I want to keep around. EXAMPLE? The tax prep software. Just like the Spanish Inquisition you never know when that may be needed.

I think this is another reason why I don't consider such updaters to be useful. We covered the dangers and now we have this. I only update what I use and what I don't use tends to get uninstalled.
Bob

Dear Mr.R.Proffitt;
Very nice indeed,sir. I am honored. What a refreshing and brisk interchange. You are too kind.
My kindest hopes for your happiness today! No more questions.
Goodbye now.

I rarely install software that I know I am not going to use much, so manual updating is not a chore for me.

Most recognised and professional software developers will have update settings in their Tools > Options, or even in Help > About. I rarely set them to automatic.

Exceptions are, of course, Windows Updates. set to notify me. Firefox browser and Thunderbird email software updates, set to notify me. Adobe Flash, set to notify me, (there have been significant security vulnerabilities patched in Flash recently), Java console, set to notify me.

I can't remember when I last had to update a driver. I use the basic, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" rule.

Mark