ARCHIVED NEWS
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October 2007
Media Center Update
31 October 2007
Microsoft has released a cumulative update containing a range of fixes for Media Center for Vista 32-bit and Vista 64-bit.
Nvidia Beta Forceware 169.04
31 October 2007
Nvidia has released the Beta Forceware 169.04 for Windows XP and Vista. These drivers are specifically recommended for the Crysis Demo, as well as Timeshift.
Game Patches
31 October 2007
Game Patches
30 October 2007
Site Update
29 October 2007
Given the hysteria surrounding Crysis at the moment, in retrospect it wasn't wise of me to put a link to our Crysis forum thread on Digg. I was keen for people to see the valuable information we're compiling in that thread, but unfortunately, even though we've been Dugg before and the server has handled it quite well, this time the excessive load made the server unresponsive and the site has been effectively down over the past 7 hours. Hopefully the worst is behind us, but if the site is slow or unresponsive at any time, please be patient.
Process Explorer 11.03
29 October 2007
Microsoft has released Version 11.03 of the free Process Explorer utility which is a more detailed version of Task Manager. There are a range of improvements in this version.
Realtek HD Audio 1.80
29 October 2007
Realtek has released Version 1.80 of its HD Audio drivers.
Crysis Demo
27 October 2007
The Crysis Demo has been released to the public. You can find it at a range of places such as those listed here, though due to the demand speeds will vary. Also keep an eye on our Crysis Thread for screenshots, thoughts and tweaks for the demo until the guide comes out.
Update: My detailed Crysis screenies, videos, thoughts, DX9 vs. DX10, and some useful tweaks are now here.
Nvidia Beta Forceware 169.01
27 October 2007
Nvidia has released the Beta Forceware 169.01 for Windows XP and Vista. These drivers are specifically designed and recommended for the upcoming Crysis Demo.
Crysis Demo
26 October 2007
By now many of you are anxiously awaiting the Crysis demo. InCrysis informs us that the demo is already available to those who have preordered the game, and within 24 hours it will be publicly available. There are already reports of problems with the demo, so be aware that it may not be as polished as some would hope. I will commence preparing a Crysis Tweak Guide as soon as I get the public demo, and it will be completed as soon as possible.
Update: The public release of the demo has been delayed for a further 24 hours.
Game Patches
26 October 2007
DirectX November Update
25 October 2007
Microsoft has released the DirectX November Update. It is generally recommended that all Windows users update their DirectX for optimal performance and compatibility.
Game Patches
25 October 2007
Diskeeper 2008
25 October 2007
Diskeeper 2008 has been released, providing a range of improvements to this defragmentation utility, including improved performance and better compatibility.
Windows Updates
24 October 2007
Microsoft has released several updates for various versions of Windows. You can view and download them from here, or wait for them to be released via Windows Update.
Game Patches
24 October 2007
Adobe Reader 8.1.1
23 October 2007
Adobe has released a new Version 8.1.1 of their PDF Reader utility. This version fixes a security vulnerability in XP, and provides additional bug and stability fixes.
Game Patches
23 October 2007
Unreal Tournament 3 Tweak Guide
20 October 2007
I've just completed the Unreal Tournament 3 Tweak Guide, covering all aspects of the game from basic to advanced. The guide should give all UT3 players the information they need to tweak and customize both UT3 and other games based on the new Unreal Engine 3 to suit their particular needs.
Firefox 2.0.0.8
19 October 2007
Mozilla has released an update to the Firefox browser, bringing it up to Version 2.0.0.8. The latest version fixes several security issues.
PCMark Vantage
19 October 2007
Futuremark has released PCMark Vantage, the latest version of this general PC benchmarking utility. The free version requires registration and will run only once before requiring purchase. Furthermore PCMark Vantage is only compatible with Windows Vista.
Game Patches
19 October 2007
Opera 9.24
17 October 2007
The free Opera browser has been updated to Version 9.24. The changes are two security fixes.
Game Patches
17 October 2007
Fighter's Stronghold - Free Official Oblivion Plugin
16 October 2007
Bethesda has released the Fighter's Stronghold official plugin for Oblivion. This plugin is completely free for one week, after which it will require purchase.
Update: This plugin introduces a bug. You can read the details, and find the workaround here.
Game Patches
16 October 2007
VirtualDub 1.7.6
15 October 2007
A new Version 1.7.6 of the free video editing utility VirtualDub has been released. The changes are several bug fixes.
Game Patches
14 October 2007
RealTek AC97 4.02 Audio Driver
13 October 2007
RealTek has released Version 4.02 of their AC97 audio drivers.
Site Update
13 October 2007
It's raining games! With the release of the Call of Duty 4 Demo and the Unreal Tournament 3 Demo within the last 24 hours, and more demo and full game releases due shortly, I'm feeling the pressure. Having revamped the HL2/Source guide, I'm moving straight on to doing a guide for UT3, and then the COD 4 guide will come shortly afterwards, and finally Crysis after that.
Game Patches
13 October 2007
BioShock Activation Revoke Tool
12 October 2007
An Activation Revoke Tool has been released for BioShock, allowing users to free up activation credits each time they uninstall the game.
Nvidia Beta Forceware 163.76
12 October 2007
Nvidia has released Beta Forceware 163.76 for Windows XP. These drivers are recommended for use with the recently released Timeshift demo.
ATI Catalyst 7.10
12 October 2007
ATI has released the Catalyst 7.10 drivers. The changes include Adaptive AA for X1000 series cards, software Crossfire support for HD2600, HD2400 cards, and a range of performance improvements and fixes.
Realtek HD Audio 1.79
12 October 2007
Realtek has released Version 1.79 of its HD Audio drivers.
Half Life 2 & Source Engine Tweak Guide
12 October 2007
Over two years since its original release, and with the coming of HL2: Episode 2, I've completed a major revision of the Half Life 2 & Source Engine Tweak Guide. The guide is now fully up to date with the latest build of the Source Engine; I've tested and documented a range of existing and new settings, including several new advanced tweaks, and even updated all the screenshot comparisons. Give it a read through if you run any Source-based game.
Game Patches
12 October 2007
Game Patches
11 October 2007
Winamp 5.5
10 October 2007
A new Version 5.5 of the media player Winamp has been released, containing a large number of new features, improvements and fixes.
Nvidia Beta Forceware 163.75
10 October 2007
Nvidia has released Beta Forceware 163.75 for both XP and Vista. These drivers include improved compatibility for HL2: Episode 2, new SLI profiles, and other fixes.
Microsoft Security Updates
10 October 2007
Microsoft has released its monthly set of Windows security updates which you can get through Windows Update, or if not there by viewing and downloading them from here.
Game Patches
10 October 2007
GPU-Z Beta
9 October 2007
A Beta of the free graphics card information utility GPU-Z has been released. Note that this utility is not by the creators of CPU-Z.
Game Patches
9 October 2007
Site Update
7 October 2007
There are a lot of games which are going to released in the lead-up to Christmas. This is great news for gamers, but it creates serious headaches for me. Starting with the release of Half Life 2: Episode 2 next week, within days of that the Call of Duty 4 demo will be released, then the Crysis demo, and likely an Unreal Tournament 3 demo around the same time. The final versions of these games will then be released in early November. My top priority will be the Crysis guide, as that's likely to be the most popular game. I'm sure there are other games for which people would like guides, but as you can see I've already got my work cut out for me. Each guide takes a lot of focus and effort to research, test and write, and due in part to the shaky financial viability of the site, I currently have no plans to invest time doing any other guides beyond those listed above.
Game Patches
7 October 2007
Game Patches
6 October 2007
Game Patches
5 October 2007
Internet Explorer 7 Update
5 October 2007
Microsoft has released an Update for IE7 under Windows XP to resolve an issue with the phishing filter.
Process Monitor 1.25
4 October 2007
The free Process Monitor utility has once again been updated to Version 1.25. The new version has some bug fixes.
Java 6.3
4 October 2007
A new Version 6.3 of the Java Runtime Environment has been released.
VirtualDub 1.7.5
3 October 2007
A new Version 1.7.5 of the free video editing utility VirtualDub has been released. The changes are several bug fixes.
Windows Updates
3 October 2007
Microsoft has released several updates for various versions of Windows. Importantly there are several reliability updates for Windows Vista. You can view and download them from here, or wait for them to be released via Windows Update.
WinRAR 3.71
3 October 2007
The final Version 3.71 of the archiving utility WinRAR has been released. The changes include several bug fixes.
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 15.6.1.1329 Driver
3 October 2007
Intel has released a new Graphics Media Accelerator Vista Driver Version 15.6.1.1329 for the G31, G33, G35, Q33, Q35, G965, Q965, Q963, 946GZ, 945G, and 945GZ Express desktop chipsets and GM965, 945GT, 945GM, 945GMS, and 940GML Express mobile chipsets.
Game Patches
3 October 2007
Crysis Open Beta
2 October 2007
FilePlanet has opened up the Crysis Beta to the public, not just FilePlanet subscribers.
Update: the public beta key release is now closed. Since all beta participants are under NDA, I can't provide any performance information or tweaking advice for Crysis until the demo is released.
SoundBlaster X-Fi 2.15.0003 Driver & ALChemy 1.00.11
2 October 2007
Creative has released the 2.15.0003 Driver for SoundBlaster X-Fi cards under Windows Vista. They've also released an ALChemy 1.00.11 update for X-Fi cards to coincide with the new drivers.
Game Patches
2 October 2007
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