It is required to keep a system updated with the latest operating system and third-party application updates, to avoid functionality issues by acquiring necessary software patches. For example, over the years, Microsoft’s Automatic Updates have not only provided new and improved applications for their users, but also added required hot-fixes to address system issues being caused by incompatible drivers, bugs, hardware compatibility issues and various others. Patch My PC is a portable application that searches for critical updates for installed software and Windows Update, in order to patch up existing and potential vulnerabilities of your PC. The supported third-party programs include a large number of widely-used applications, including Adobe Reader, Mozilla Firefox, Oracle Java, Apple Quicktime, iTunes, Microsoft Silverlight and many more.

Patch My PC has a CCleaner-style user interface, and provides numerous options located on the left side of interface. These options allow you to look up for common application updates (Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Mozilla Firefox, Java, Silverlight, iTunes and Skype) , Optional Software (Chrome, File Zilla, VLC Player, CCleaner, Winrar, Dropbox etc), Windows Tools (such as Disk Defrag, Command Prompt, Windows Backup, etc) and Windows Updates. To search for application updates, select your required programs and click “Run Common And Checked Optional Updates”.

This will start downloading and updating the selected applications. It must be noted that you will require closing all browser windows for the updates to take place. Make sure you have saved all your work, and closed your browsers before running the updates. When a software has an outdated version, it is marked in red, whereas the green ones are applications with the latest versions.

For a demo of Patch My PC, check out this video.

Patch My PC works on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, including 64-bit architectures.

Download Patch My PC

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Updating Windows is a necessary task to ensure security and privacy, as well as to apply bug fixes. Windows Update provides an easy and automated installation, but for someone running a network or a multitude of PCs, this could mean a lot of manual work as well as wastage of internet bandwidth. AutoPatcher Updater is a useful tool allowing a user to install Windows updates offline and on multiple computers with one download.

Recently, AutoPatcher has added support for Windows 7, making this utility even more essential.

To use this version, download the package and run the apup.exe file. AutoPatcher will build its own program from the most recent updates. You have to select all the Windows builds that you want to get the updates for.

Click Next and let the program build its executable file.

Once this is complete, a new file with the name autopatcher.exe will be created in your initial download folder (the one where you ran apup.exe from). Run this new file, agree to the license terms and tell the program which updates you want to download and, optionally, install.

This is a portable tool, hence the updates you have downloaded using this can be applied to other systems simply by transferring them to a USB or optical drive and executing on the target machine. You also have the liberty to grab updates for other versions of Windows than the one you have.

Download AutoPatcher

[via Lifehacker]

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Windows Update basically works in conjunction with the registry and different DLL, OCX, and AX files. In case these files go corrupt, most features of Windows 7 including Windows Update will stop working. Fix WU is a free light-weight and portable utility to fix this problem in one click.

It basically re-registers a total of 114 .dll, .ax, .ocx files required for the proper functioning of Windows Updates. Simply download and run the tool and hit the Fix Windows Updates button. It will take some time before you receive the process completed dialog box.

Download Fix Windows Update

It works perfectly on 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. Enjoy!

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Do you get annoyed every time Windows asks you to search for the latest driver using Windows Update? It is great way to update the device driver, but if you have the driver on a CD or you want to download it manually from the company’s website, then you can turn it off.

To disable it go to Start and type gpedit.msc in the Start Search and press Enter. Once Local Group Policy Editor is open navigate to,

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Driver Installation

Now from the right sidebar open the key named “Turn Off Windows Update Device Driver Search Prompt” and select Enabled and click OK.

Now Restart your computer or Log Off and then sign back in. That’s it. Now Windows bother you any more. Enjoy!

Note: This will not disable the Windows Update, it will only stop prompting you to update the device driver using Windows Update. You will still be able to update the driver by manually going to Windows Update.

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