ARCHIVED NEWS
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February 2011
Site Update
26 February 2011
Just a quick note about the Back to the Future adventure game I mentioned at the start of the year. The first episode is now available for Free. See my YouTube Video for a sample of the game if you're unsure. I'm currently playing the second episode which was recently released, and it's quite fun.
Game Patches
26 February 2011
Xvid 1.3.0
25 February 2011
A new Version 1.3.0 of the Xvid video codec has been released. This is a major update containing optimizations, increased maximum allowed bitrate and new 'HD 1080' preset, along with a range of other changes and fixes.
CCleaner 3.04.1389
25 February 2011
A new Version 3.04.1389 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. This update adds support for Windows 7 SP1, adds support for a range of new programs including Comodo Dragon, Songbird and Thunderbird, improves registry cleaning, as well as other minor improvements and bug fixes.
Game Patches
25 February 2011
Foxit Reader 4.3
25 February 2011
The free Foxit PDF Reader has been updated to Version 4.3.1.0218. This version fixes a bug.
Game Patches
24 February 2011
FRAPS 3.3.0
24 February 2011
A new Version 3.3.0 of the FPS measurement, benchmarking and video capture utility FRAPS has been released. This version supports Windows 7 SP1, adds an option to capture external sound, and has bug fixes.
TweakGuides Tweaking Companion
23 February 2011
The TweakGuides Tweaking Companion (TGTC) for Windows 7 has been updated to Version 1.2. While SP1 hasn't brought any major changes, the guide has also been revised for new versions of key software including Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft Security Essentials 2.0, Emsisoft Anti-Malware and Windows Live Mail, along with the addition of a range of minor tips and utilities. The Regular and Deluxe Editions of the TGTC for Windows 7 have both been updated, and the full change list is at the bottom of the TGTC download page.
Game Patches
23 February 2011
Windows 7 SP1
23 February 2011
Microsoft has released Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to the general public. Full details of the changes in SP1 are provided here, but in short, it primarily contains a range of existing updates and hotfixes, along with potential performance improvements in some scenarios, but no significant new features for the average user.
Update: SP1 is now also available via Windows Update.
Windows Updates
23 February 2011
Microsoft has released several updates for Windows 7 which improve reliability and resolve issues. These are available from here - click the Released column header once to sort by date. Alternatively you can download them from Windows Update when available.
Game Patches
22 February 2011
CPU-Z 1.57
19 February 2011
A new Version 1.57 of the CPU-Z information utility has been released. This update adds display of TDP and provides support for new chipsets.
Game Patches
19 February 2011
Windows 7 SP1
17 February 2011
Microsoft has released Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to MSDN and Technet subscribers. It will be available to the general public on 22 February.
Game Patches
17 February 2011
AMD Catalyst 11.2
16 February 2011
AMD has released the official Catalyst 11.2 graphics driver for the HD 2000 series and above. The changes in this WHQL certified driver include Catalyst AI Texture Filtering updates, new Tessellation controls, Morphological AA support for the HD 5000 series, Video Quality settings for Blu-ray on the HD 6000 series, performance improvements in Call of Duty: Black Ops and Batman: Arkham Asylum, as well as a range of bug fixes.
Java Runtime Environment 6.24
16 February 2011
Sun has released an Update 24 to the Java Runtime Environment 6.
Game Patches
16 February 2011
Silverlight 4.0.60129.0
15 February 2011
Microsoft has released an update to the Silverlight multimedia plugin, bringing it up to Version 4.0.60129.0.
Game Patches
15 February 2011
Site Update
12 February 2011
A pre-release PC version of Crysis 2 has been leaked. I won't go into the details, but suffice it to say that it is now spreading rapidly through piracy channels, and people are using the usual excuses to justify obtaining something which does not rightfully belong to them. For Crytek, the developers of Crysis 2, this is yet another slap in the face. Crytek pushed the boundaries of PC gaming first in 2004 with Far Cry, then in 2007 with the PC-exclusive Crysis - and faced a backlash from PC gamers for doing precisely that. To add insult to injury, despite a full-featured free demo of the game being available before its release, Crysis went on to become the fourth most pirated game of 2008. Persevering, Crytek decided to invest resources into developing a customized PC version of Crysis 2. This leak, combined with statistics like Call of Duty: Black Ops, the biggest hit of 2010, being pirated 4.3 million times on the PC, versus 930,000 times on the XBox 360, yet the PC version making up only 6% of sales, makes you wonder if any major developer will consider PC gaming worth the bother in the future. MMOs, casual puzzle games and multiplayer games, as well as quick console ports, are about all that seem to be viable now on the PC. At least until PC gamers develop some semblance of respect for developers, and drop the self-entitlement attitude which piracy encourages. I'd like to think that TweakGuides readers will respect Crytek enough not to download this leaked version and wait for the official demo.
Update: The official Crytek comment on this leak here.
Chrome 9.0.597.98
12 February 2011
Google has released Version 9.0.597.98 of the Chrome browser. This version contains a bug fix.
Game Patches
12 February 2011
Internet Explorer 9 RC
11 February 2011
Microsoft has Released the Release Candidate (RC) of Internet Explorer 9. More details of all the features in IE9 can be found on the IE Team Blog as well as this Product Guide. Note that IE9 will not run under Windows XP, only Vista or 7. The release date for the final version of IE9 is unclear, but Microsoft says it will be available "shortly".
Game Patches
11 February 2011
FRAPS 3.2.9
11 February 2011
A new Version 3.2.9 of the FPS measurement, benchmarking and video capture utility FRAPS has been released. This version improves the sound capture engine and contains several fixes.
Windows 7 SP1
10 February 2011
Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) will be officially released to the public on 22 February.
Game Patches
10 February 2011
Adobe Reader 10.0.1
9 February 2011
Adobe has released a Version 10.0.1 update for their Adobe Reader software for viewing PDF documents. This update contains security and bug fixes.
Shockwave 11.5.9.620
9 February 2011
Adobe has released a new Version 11.5.9.620 of the Shockwave player plugin for browsers.
Flash Player 10.2.152.26
9 February 2011
Adobe has released Version 10.2.152.26 of the Flash Player plugin for browsers.
Chrome 9.0.597.94
9 February 2011
Google has released Version 9.0.597.94 of the Chrome browser. This version contains an updated version of Flash as well as security fixes.
Game Patches
9 February 2011
Microsoft Security Updates
9 February 2011
Microsoft has released its monthly set of Windows security updates which you can get through Windows Update. Alternatively you can view and download them individually from here - click the 'Released' column header once to sort by date.
Game Patches
8 February 2011
Windows Command Reference
5 February 2011
Microsoft has released a Command Reference downloadable file which contains details on all the commands that can be used at a Windows Vista or Windows 7 command prompt. While designed mainly for system administrators, this file is handy for the average user to keep as a detailed offline reference source for explaining all the parameters for every command. Aside from allowing advanced users to alter settings not available in graphical user interfaces, such commands are also extremely useful when performing such actions as system recovery or system formatting.
Game Patches
5 February 2011
FRAPS 3.2.8
4 February 2011
A new Version 3.2.8 of the FPS measurement, benchmarking and video capture utility FRAPS has been released. This version reduces CPU usage on most configurations, and has various bug fixes.
Chrome 9.0.597.84
4 February 2011
Google has released Version 9.0.597.84 of the Chrome browser. This version adds new features including WebGL support, Chrome Instant and the Chrome Web Store, along with a range of security and bug fixes.
Game Patches
4 February 2011
Sandra 2011
3 February 2011
SiSoftware has released a new 2011 Build 17.36 of the free system information utility Sandra.
Game Patches
3 February 2011
VLC Media Player 1.1.7
2 February 2011
The free VLC Media Player has been updated to Version 1.1.7. This is a security update.
Game Patches
2 February 2011
Intel 6 Series Chipset Bug
1 February 2011
I don't usually report hardware issues, but this one affects general performance. Intel has announced that it has identified a chipset design error which affects its latest P67/H67 chipset motherboards. Any SATA drives connected to such motherboards can decrease in performance over time, eventually failing to be detected. This issue only occurs on the 3Gbps SATA ports, not the 6Gbps ports (Ports 0 & 1). Intel has issued a recall - contact your retailer or Intel to get a replacement motherboard. If shopping for a new Sandy Bridge-based system, wait for the new replacement motherboards to reach the market starting in late February.
Game Patches
1 February 2011
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