Soft4Boost Update Checker is a lightweight tool which quickly checks your installed applications and lets you know if some of them have updates available.

The program is very simple. There's no component left running on your PC all the time, and no complex settings within the tool itself - all you have to do is launch it, and available updates will be displayed in a few seconds. If you'd like to take advantage of one, select it, click the "globe" and you'll be taken to the relevant home page. Otherwise, close Soft4Boost Update Checker and check back a week or two later.

How effective is this? Soft4Boost don't tell you which programs it supports, or even how many, which left us a little suspicious. But running it on a few test systems highlighted updates for Adobe AIR/ Flash/ Shockwave, FileZilla, Firefox, GIMP, IrfanView, Skype, SmartFTP, QuickTime, Macrium Reflect, VirtualBox and various Nero and Cyberlink programs: more than enough to be useful.