Secunia PSI still good program for Windows 7 users

In a previous Good Boot I recommended Secunia PSI to XP and Vista users, but with so many upgrading to Windows 7 I want to recommend it again.

But first a quick seminar on software version numbers.

Software programs may not include a version number in their title, but if you open their “About” pane you’ll find they have one.

For example, Adobe adds a whole number to designate its Photoshop Elements versions e.g., Photoshop Elements 9 while Corel and Microsoft name their versions. Corel WordPerfect X5 is version 15 and Word 2007 is version 12.

Note: When most software vendor release a significant new version of their software they’ll increase its version number by one whole number.

However if a program’s version number includes a whole number followed by decimal that decimal indicates a minor program improvement has been added, a bug has been fixed or most important a security problem patched.

Rule of thumb: Unlike a whole number upgrade for which you’ll be charged, you’ll not be charged for a decimal point upgrade.

It’s all well and good that you’ll not have to pay for a minor upgrade, but if a program does not have an automatic update download feature or an automatic update alert when you open the program how do you know when a vendor has released an update?

The answer is you probably will not know. And by not knowing you’ll not be privy to valuable program enhancements, fixed bugs, and important security patches. And if you have upgraded to Windows 7, you may not be aware of the upgrades that have been made to your software programs to insure they’re tweaked to take advantage of all that Windows 7 offers.

So how can you insure you’re made aware of all the available enhancements, fixes, and patches for your software?

My recommendation is to download Secunia PSI (http://secunia.com). It’s a must have, free utility!

Secunia PSI’s most important feature is it’s security tool designed to detect vulnerable out-dated programs and plug-ins which can expose your computer to hackers. And when it does detect an out-dated program or plug-in, provides the means to expeditiously download an appropriate update or security patch.

For a detailed description of all Secunia’s features go to Secunia’s Web site.

If you do decide to install it I can almost guarantee you’ll be shocked at the number of updates, fixes, and security patches your software programs are missing.

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.