This section provides tips on using Insider Updates, answers to common questions, and trouble shooting advice.
What’s Not updated
The Insider Updates software scans and updates the files on your locally attached hard disk(s). To update applications on your CD-ROMs or other removable media, either mount the volume before running Insider Updates or copy the application(s) to your hard drive. The Insider Updates software doesn’t update the software on networked Macs, only the one it’s running on.
Apple Computer requires each program on the Macintosh to have a unique Type and Creator code. The Type code defines the type of program - Application, Control Panel, or Extension, among others. The Creator code links applications with its documents. Insider Updates uses this information to help uniquely identify a program. However, some programs have the same Type and Creator codes as other programs. Therefore, Insider Updates does not update programs that violate this basic Macintosh programming principle. If you receive an updater that is not applicable to your software, please contact Insider Software with the updater’s name and we will determine the cause.
Why are version numbers different?
You may notice that the stuffed file delivered by Insider Updates indicates a different version number than the file name of the updater. Each program on the Macintosh should have a ‘version’ resource. These are stored as both internal numbers and the version information that’s displayed in the Finder’s Get Info window. Insider Updates uses the internal version number so if the developer has not synchronized the two version formats, then the file name will be different. If the developer failed to provide a version resource, then Insider Updates does not use the updater.
How often should I run Insider Updates?
We recommend that you run the program once a week. This is often enough to keep you updated without being so frequent that the updaters become disruptive. You will also get the best transmission speed if you schedule the session between 2:30 am and 5:30 am because these are the least busy times on the Internet.