One of the more recent scourges of the internet is “foistware“: software you don’t want that is installed – foisted on you – with software you actually do want. Avoiding foistware can be tricky and requires constant vigilance, even when updating software you’ve previously installed.
Ninite is a free bulk installation service and utility that allows you to choose from a selection of applications and install or update them all at once. Best of all, they’re scrubbed of any foistware or malware.
Let’s install some software using Ninite.
Ninite: Install and update all your programs at once
That’s the tag line prominent on the Ninite web site.
It’s mostly true.
If you scroll down further, you’ll see you can select from a list of applications that Ninite supports. It’s not quite “all your programs”, but it’s a very useful list of common and popular programs, including several I use and recommend myself.
Installing software using Ninite
In that list, click the various and sundry packages that you want to install.
I’ve selected an assortment of software that I use and recommend.
Click Get Installer.
At the bottom of the next screen, your computer will likely ask your permission to run or save the installer.
You’ll probably want to Save the program. As we’ll see in a moment, you may want to run it again in the future.
After the download completes, Run the downloaded program. After a UAC prompt, Ninite goes to work downloading and installing all the software you’ve selected.
Eventually Ninite completes, and you can close it by clicking on its Close button.
That’s it! A few simple steps, and a number of applications have been installed – and installed safely.
Updating software installed by Ninite
To update the software that’s been installed by Ninite, just re-run the installer you downloaded.
Seriously. That’s it.
The installer will review all the installed programs to make sure they’re up to date. If they aren’t, Ninite downloads the installer for them, and updates.
If you decide later you want to add additional software to your Ninite downloader, just visit Ninite again, select all the software you want it to manage, including the new ones, and download and save the new installer.
If the software you use and care about is on Ninite’s list, it’s difficult to come up with a simpler or safer way to install and keep that software up-to-date.
I recommend it.
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Great article Leo.
A recent update of something, likely one of my anti-virus/ anti-malware apps, even though I try to be alert and careful, changed my search engine, and when I changed it back to AVG I had lost the ability to mark unsafe searches, which was the reason I loved the AVG search.
After trying to correct over and over I just gave up :-(
Ninite sounds like a great option for any future installations and updates.
Leo, I find this very interesting as so many of these free programs are ones I use. However, I am assuming that Ninite is going to download versions that it will then “install” and this will impact my registry. Is this correct
Of the programs listed in Ninite, I have the “portable” versions (from http://www.portablefreeware.com)of Chrome, Opera, Firefox, KeePass2, Skype, 7-Zip, PeaZip, VLC, KMPlayer, Audicity, TeamViewer, Imgburn, Teracopy, Revo, InfraREcorder, GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, Faststone, Foxit Reader, LibreOffice, Sumatra PDF, OpenOffice, FileZilla, NotePad++, WinSCP, WinMerge, and SpyBot.
I could also download the portable versions of Pidgin, Thunderbird, AIMP, foobar2000, Winamp, Inkscape, Greenshot, LibreOffice, Python, Eclipse, qBittorent, and eMule.
I carry with me a mini SD card (with a “bug” type USB reader) everywhere I go. I am often asked to help friends “make my PC run faster” or respond to “how can I do this or that?” I can quickly go to their computer, copy a program into a folder, “send” a shortcut to their desktop so they can make use of this new software.
So, what are your thoughts on portable, freeware apps?
Yes, Ninite does run the installed, not portable, versions. Portable’s nice, but I end up going back to installed versions for convenience.
Can I setup the PC so it runs Ninite automatically (for instance once every week) so it updates the installed software? That would be even more convenient.
Yup, you can do that by using Ninite with Windows Task Scheduler.
TO be honest, I’m not sure. I don’t see why not, though, using Windows Task Scheduler.
Ninite will update any supported software that you sellect, even those that where installed previously. You are not limited to those initialy installed by Ninite.
Another very nice feature is that it will get the 32 or 64 bits version according to your OS, and install/set the softwares in your language, if it’s available. If a particular language is not available, it will default to english.
Alain’s comment sort of answers my question. Does that mean if I already have most of these programmes installed already it will correct them and remove toolbars, etc?
Unfortunately, once the toolbar is on your computer Ninite can’t remove it. Ninite only prevents is from being downloaded and installed. The good news is that in most cases, it’s not difficult to remove the foistware after it’s been installed.
https://askleo.com/how-do-i-remove-pups-foistware-drive-bys-toolbars-and-other-annoying-things-i-never-wanted/
No, it will not remove foistware – that’s software unrelated to the programs you installed that happened to get installed at the same time. You’ll need to get rid of those yourself.
Thanks, good article. I have been using Ninite for quite a while. I first learned of it from the WindowsSecrets news letter.
I’m not grasping how Ninite works with already installed programs. For instance, if I already have a program installed, does Ninite just sort of note that or does it install over it?
It’ll note it and update it if required, is my understanding.
I have a paid version of several programs, for example, MalwareBytes. Ninite shows the free version, will I start a problem with updates if I run Ninite?
Simply don’t select MalwareBytes in Ninite.
Like Imre I too have paid versions of several programs that Ninite shows free versions – will Ninite update paid versions or does it only do free versions?
I’m pretty sure it’s only free.
When Ninite is installed and takes over updating does it turn of the program auto updater or is that a manual task?
Ninite makes no changes to the installed programs, as I understand it. It just installs them.
You forgot to mention that it installs everything on the C drive whether or not you have the program on another drive. Sorry, I normally like your articles but this one sucks.
I normally spend about one hour updating my programs once a month, I just spent that long running Ninite and now it will take at least that long to get them off my C drive, then I’ll have to go back to the old way to update.
Your case is a bit unusual as in most cases people want programs installed on the C drive. Here’s an article that explains about installing programs on a drive other than C: https://askleo.com/how-do-i-change-the-default-install-drive/
My article “sucks” because a program I recommended doesn’t handle an uncommon usage case properly. Got it. Sorry to have wasted your time.
If you had an accident and got killed and an ambulance team resuscitated you bringing you back to life, you would probably complain that it was raining and you should have been left dead in the street. Grow up man! If Leo could anticipate EVERY unusual usage on every computer, he would be eligible for the Nobel Prize.
Sounds like a great program. Can Ninite update software you already have on your computer? For example I have Audacity installed but would like Ninite to update it automatically.
Thanks for many, many great articles!
Yes. It will download and install the latest version over the older one. If you already have the latest version Ninite will ignore the update.
Leo,
Great article, however, I tried to download Ninite.com and all I get is “503 Service Unavailable
No server is available to handle this request.”
Please help.
Gerry