ARCHIVED NEWS
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October 2013
Game Patches
31 October 2013
AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta 8
31 October 2013
AMD has released the Catalyst 13.11 Beta 8 graphics driver for the HD 5000 series and above on Windows 7 and 8. This updated beta resolves intermittent crashes in Battlefield 4 on Windows 8.
Realtek HD Audio 2.72
31 October 2013
Realtek has released Version 2.72 of its HD Audio drivers. If you have problems with the link, click the 'High Definition Audio Codecs' link at the top then select 'Software'.
Firefox 25.0
30 October 2013
Mozilla has released Version 25.0 of the Firefox browser. The most significant changes are that the Find bar, which appears at the bottom of the page when you press CTRL+F, is no longer shared between tabs, and resetting Firefox now no longer clears your browser session. Details are on page 3 of the updated Firefox Tweak Guide.
Shockwave 12.0
30 September 2013
Adobe has released a new Version 12.0.5.146 of the Shockwave player plugin for browsers.
Windows Updates
30 October 2013
Microsoft has released an Update that removes a 'Windows 8.1 SecureBoot isn't configured correctly' watermark in Windows 8.1. It is available from the link above, or via Windows Update.
Skype 6.10
30 October 2013
A new Version 6.10.0.104 of the communications utility Skype has been released. The change log is not yet available.
Game Patches
30 October 2013
AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta 7
29 October 2013
AMD has released the Catalyst 13.11 Beta 7 graphics driver for the HD 5000 series and above on Windows 7 and 8. This updated beta improves CrossFire scaling in Battlefield 4.
Windows Updates
29 October 2013
Microsoft has released an Update that fixes a Skype app crash in Windows 8.1. It is available from the link above, or via Windows Update.
Nvidia GeForce 331.65 WHQL
29 October 2013
Nvidia has released the 331.65 WHQL certified graphics driver. This driver is for GeForce 8 and higher graphics cards under Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. It is the recommended driver for Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, provides a performance boost in several games, and adds the new Shadowplay game capture tool. The driver package also contains the 9.13.0725 PhysX drivers.
AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta 6
26 October 2013
AMD has released the Catalyst 13.11 Beta 6 graphics driver for the HD 5000 series and above on Windows 7 and 8. This updated beta adds support for the new Radeon R9 290 series, improves performance in a range of games, and provides automatic configuration for AMD Eyefinity and 4K tiled displays.
Game Patches
26 October 2013
Windows Updates
25 October 2013
Microsoft has released an Update that improves the reliability of Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1. It is available from the link above, or via Windows Update.
Game Patches
25 October 2013
CCleaner 4.07
25 October 2013
A new Version 4.07.4369 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. Changes include Windows 8.1 compatibility, improved Internet Explorer, WinZip, Java and Shockwave cleaning, the addition of old Windows installation folder cleaning, along with a range of minor improvements and bug fixes.
Game Patches
24 October 2013
iTunes 11.1.2
23 October 2013
Apple has released a new Version 11.1.2 of the iTunes software. This update provides support for OS X Mavericks, as well as improving performance and stability.
Opera 17.0
23 October 2013
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 17.0.1241.53. This update contains bug fixes.
Game Patches
22 October 2013
Nvidia GeForce 331.58 WHQL
22 October 2013
Nvidia has released the 331.58 WHQL certified graphics driver. This driver is for GeForce 8 and higher graphics cards under Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. It is the recommended driver for Batman: Arkham Origins and Battlefield 4, provides a performance boost in several games, adds new SLI profiles and improves support for 4K displays. The driver package also contains the 9.13.0725 PhysX drivers.
Microsoft Security Essentials 4.3
21 October 2013
Microsoft has released a new Version 4.3.219.0 of its free Microsoft Security Essentials anti-malware package for Windows XP, Vista and 7.
Start8 1.30.1
21 October 2013
Stardock has released Version 1.30.1 of the Start8 Start Menu replacement utility for Windows 8. This version adds some more options and bug fixes.
TweakGuides Tweaking Companion
18 October 2013
The TweakGuides Tweaking Companion for Windows 8 has been updated to Version 2.0, incorporating all of the changes resulting from the release of Windows 8.1. I also took the opportunity to add all the new tips and tweaks that have surfaced since the release of Windows 8 last year. The full change list is in the Version History section at the bottom of the main TGTC page. If you find the book useful, please spread the word.
Game Patches
18 October 2013
Windows 8.1
17 October 2013
Microsoft has released the Windows 8.1 update, free to all Windows 8 users. The update contains a large number of changes. It is available via the Windows Store. Click the Store app on the Start Screen and the update should be shown prominently, or you can try using this link.
For users who have Windows 8.1 installed, a series of post-release updates, primarily containing under-the-hood improvements, are now available in Windows Update, ranging in size up to 230MB. Further updates to most of the built-in Metro apps are now also available via the Windows Store. If you have Windows 8.1 installed, launch the Store, then open the Settings charm, select 'App Updates' and click on the 'Check for updates' button.
The TweakGuides Tweaking Companion for Windows 8 has been updated to incorporate all of the changes in Windows 8.1, as well as a range of additional tweaking and customization details. It will be available within the next 24 hours.
Update: For those having problems seeing the update in the Store, see this Microsoft Article. For more details of the update process from Windows 8 to 8.1, see this Microsoft Article
Start8 1.30
17 October 2013
Stardock has released Version 1.30 of the Start8 Start Menu replacement utility for Windows 8. Changes include updating for Windows 8.1 RTM compatibility, self-contained menu skinning, new default Start button image, additional control options and bug fixes.
Game Patches
17 October 2013
Chrome 30.0
16 October 2013
Google has released Version 30.0.1599.101 of the Chrome browser. This version provides security and bug fixes.
Java Runtime Environment 7.45
16 October 2013
Oracle has released an Update 45 to the Java Runtime Environment 7.
Game Patches
16 October 2013
CPU-Z 1.67
13 October 2013
A new Version 1.67 of the CPU-Z information utility has been released. This version adds support for new chipsets and new validation.
Adobe Reader 11.0.05
12 October 2013
Adobe has released Version 11.0.05 of the Adobe Reader software for viewing PDF documents, now known as Adobe Reader XI. This update contains security fixes.
Game Patches
12 October 2013
Game Patches
11 October 2013
Opera 17.0
9 October 2013
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 17.0.1241.45.
Microsoft Security Updates
9 October 2013
Microsoft has released its monthly set of Windows security updates which you can download individually from here or get through Windows Update.
AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta
9 October 2013
AMD has released the Catalyst 13.11 Beta graphics driver for the HD 5000 series and above on Windows 7 and 8. This beta adds support for the new Radeon R7 and R9 series graphics cards.
Game Patches
9 October 2013
Flash Player 11.9
8 October 2013
Adobe has released Version 11.9.900.117 of the Flash Player plugin for browsers.
Site Update
7 October 2013
I'm currently working on the Windows 8.1 update to the TweakGuides Tweaking Companion. There are quite a few changes, but it should be ready to go a couple of days after the official release of Windows 8.1 on 18 October. As for games, well in my opinion it's been a rather dismal year for PC gaming. I did manage to download the Battlefield 4 Open Beta recently, and to my surprise it runs extremely well on my ageing system. Setting everything to Ultra, except MSAA Off, it averages 50 FPS - so no need to upgrade just yet. I've uploaded a YouTube Video of my BF4 gameplay at those settings.
Game Patches
5 October 2013
iTunes 11.1.1
4 October 2013
Apple has released a new Version 11.1.1 of the iTunes software. This update improves stability and fixes bugs.
Chrome 30.0
4 October 2013
Google has released Version 30.0.1599.69 of the Chrome browser. This version fixes two bugs.
Skype 6.9
4 October 2013
A new Version 6.9.0.106 of the communications utility Skype has been released. This version improves quality and stability.
Game Patches
4 October 2013
Game Patches
3 October 2013
Chrome 30.0
2 October 2013
Google has released Version 30.0.1599.66 of the Chrome browser. This version improves searching by image, adds new extensions/APIs, has general stability and performance improvements, and provides security and bug fixes.
Game Patches
2 October 2013
Site Update
2 October 2013
Apologies for the extended site outage, there was a serious power issue at the datacenter where the site's server is located.
AMD Catalyst 13.10 Beta 2
1 October 2013
AMD has released the Catalyst 13.10 Beta 2 graphics driver for the HD 5000 series and above on Windows 7 and 8/8.1. This updated beta adds a Battlefield 4 profile, updates the Total War: Rome 2 CrossFire profile, updates profiles for several other games, has frame pacing improvements, and provides additional bug fixes.
Nvidia GeForce 331.40 Beta
1 October 2013
Nvidia has released the 331.40 Beta graphics driver. This driver is for GeForce 8 and higher graphics cards under Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8/8.1. It is the recommended driver for the Battlefield 4 Beta. It also implements HBAO+ for DX9 and DX11 applications, adds OpenGL 4.4 support, provides updated SLI profiles, and bug fixes. The driver package also contains the 9.13.0725 PhysX drivers.
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