Most so-called optimizers have one quiet, dishonest habit: when a check fails — a timeout, a blocked tool, a non-English system — they show a reassuring green "Up to date" anyway. BRUTAL Optimizer refuses to do that. When it genuinely cannot verify something, it says "couldn't check" instead. This page explains where you'll see that message, what causes it, and why it's the most important honesty feature in the whole app.
"Up to date" and "I couldn't check" are completely different facts. The first means the app confirmed you're current. The second means it never got an answer at all. Treating a failed check as "up to date" is the worst possible direction to be wrong in — it tells you you're safe when you might be running outdated software or drivers. So the app keeps these two states separate everywhere it checks for updates, and shows a distinct message (often amber, labelled "COULDN'T CHECK" or "couldn't fully check") when it isn't sure.
The App Updates screen checks your installed programs using Windows' own winget tool. You'll see "couldn't check" or "check unavailable" when:
A known cause is the app running elevated (it must) while Windows hands it a placeholder copy of winget that can't actually launch. The app probes winget before trusting it precisely to avoid silently reporting zero updates. If you hit this, simply scan again — the probe re-runs each time.
The Driver Update scanner uses the Windows Update service and, for NVIDIA GPUs, NVIDIA's own driver service. An amber "couldn't fully check" appears when:
In the background, the Guardian service uses the same honesty rule: if its daily driver check couldn't complete, it keeps your last known result and doesn't stamp a fresh "checked today" — so a failed check never masquerades as a clean one.
When you click Check for Updates in Settings and the update server can't be reached — no network, a server error, or an authentication problem — the app reports a "couldn't check" outcome, never a false "up to date." This exists because of a real past bug where the app and server disagreed on how to talk, every check silently failed, and the app cheerfully reported "up to date" for weeks while real releases sat unshipped. The separate outcome state makes that class of silent failure impossible to hide now.
Is "couldn't check" an error I caused?
Usually not. It means a tool the app relies on (winget, Windows Update, or the update server) didn't answer — often a timeout, a missing component, or a network blip. Fix the underlying tool or connection and re-scan; it's not a sign your software is broken.
Why not just show "up to date" if no updates were found?
Because "no answer" and "confirmed current" are different facts. Showing "up to date" after a failed check would tell you you're safe when you might not be — the most dangerous way to be wrong. BRUTAL Optimizer keeps the two states separate on purpose.
App Updates always says it can't check. What's wrong?
winget (Windows' App Installer) is missing, blocked, or couldn't launch. Install or update App Installer from the Microsoft Store, then scan again — the app re-probes winget on every scan.
Does "couldn't check" mean I have a virus or my system is unsafe?
No. It's purely about the app being unable to reach an update-checking tool. It makes no claim about malware. It simply refuses to report results it couldn't actually verify.