The is not a tedious chore; it is a power-up for your toolkit. A $50 scanner with the latest software is infinitely more useful than a $500 scanner running three-year-old firmware.

But here is the dirty secret of the budget scan tool world:

Unplug the scanner. Plug it into your car’s OBD2 port. Turn the key to "On" (don't start the engine). If it connects instantly, you are golden.