ARCHIVED NEWS
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August 2007
COH: Opposing Fronts Public Beta
31 August 2007
The upcoming Company of Heroes expansion called Opposing Fronts is now available as a Public Beta, and not just restricted to FilePlanet subscribers.
Vista SP1
30 August 2007
Finally there is official word from Microsoft that Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is targeted for release in the first quarter of 2008. There is also a Vista SP1 White Paper available for those who want more details of the specific improvements and changes planned for SP1.
Game Patches
30 August 2007
NForce 15.08 Driver
29 August 2007
Nvidia has released a new nForce 15.08 Vista driver for nForce 590 SLI Intel, 650i SLI, 680a SLI and 680i SLI/LT SLI chipset motherboards.
Ad-Aware 2007 for Vista
29 August 2007
Lavasoft has updated the free Ad-Aware 2007 adware/spyware scanner to include compatibility for running on Windows Vista.
BioShock Tweak Guide
29 August 2007
After a fair bit of research and experimentation, I've been able to prepare the BioShock Tweak Guide as a compilation of all the important information for the game: all the tips, tweaks, fixes and descriptions you need to make sure your BioShock experience is as good as it can possibly be.
Microsoft Windows Updates
29 August 2007
Microsoft has released several updates for Windows Vista, as well as an update for Windows Media Player 11 in both XP and Vista. You can view and download them individually from here, or wait for them to be released on Windows Update.
SoundBlaster X-Fi Beta 20070827 Driver
29 August 2007
Creative has released a Beta 20070827 driver for the SoundBlaster X-Fi series. This driver improves performance in Unreal Engine 3-based games.
GRAW 2 1.04 Patch
29 August 2007
A 1.04 Patch has been released for GRAW 2, bringing a few multiplayer and mod-related changes. I've updated the GRAW 2 Tweak Guide but there are no significant changes.
Game Patches
29 August 2007
RivaTuner 2.03
28 August 2007
Unwinder has released RivaTuner 2.03. The changes include support for the latest Nvidia and ATI graphics cards and drivers, and a range of improvements and fixes. Of note the D3DOverrider utility has improved Triple Buffering support, particularly for DX10.
VIA Hyperion Pro 5.13A
28 August 2007
VIA has released the 5.13A Hyperion Pro chipset drivers for VIA-based motherboards.
Games for Windows Magazine
26 August 2007
As of next month's issue, a monthly Tech Tune-up column written by yours truly will begin appearing in Games for Windows Magazine. Although this site will always remain my primary focus, I wanted to broaden the audience exposed to my particular brand of PC optimization advice. GFW Magazine has allowed me to do this without editorial interference or forcing me to commercialize or bias my work in any way. My column probably won't reveal anything new to long-time TweakGuides readers, but I encourage you to check out the magazine and see what you think of it. It has a long history under its previous incarnation as Computer Gaming World magazine.
Game Patches
25 August 2007
Site Update
24 August 2007
Having purchased BioShock today, I've run into the same problems many have been complaining about: namely being unable to activate my game so I can play it. I've posted a detailed run-through of the BioShock Activation Process complete with screenshots for those who are curious what it entails. At the moment I'm waiting for SecuROM support to get back to me so I can manually activate the game. Interestingly, 2K have updated the Official BioShock Blog to indicate that the ridiculous activation limit is being raised to 5, and they are working on a "revoke tool" which will allow users to properly uninstall the game. For the moment I would strongly recommend that people do not purchase the BioShock retail boxed version until these issues are resolved, as you may experience a lot of frustration.
Update: I've finally been able to activate, but again if you want to avoid the headaches wait a while before buying BioShock, or purchase it through Steam.
Foxit Reader 2.1
24 August 2007
A new Version 2.1 of the free Foxit PDF Reader has been released. This version includes a range of new features and bug fixes.
Adobe Shockwave 10.2.0.023
24 August 2007
Adobe has released Version 10.2.0.023 of the Shockwave Player software for browsers.
Game Patches
24 August 2007
STALKER 1.0004 Patch
23 August 2007
The 1.0004 Patch has finally been released for STALKER. The patch includes a range of singleplayer and multiplayer fixes, provides performance improvements, dual core optimizations and importantly will not make saved games from 1.0003 redundant. I will update the STALKER Tweak Guide shortly for these changes.
Site Update
23 August 2007
BioShock has caused a great deal of interest among gamers, and as I indicated earlier I am definitely going to do up a full BioShock Tweak Guide. I'll have the retail game by tomorrow, and the guide will likely be up within 4-6 days after that. For now, I've done some testing and research to clarify in more detail the confusing issue of Antialiasing and BioShock. Give it a read to understand how you can get AA to work in BioShock, and stay tuned for the guide.
Autoruns 8.73
22 August 2007
Microsoft has updated Autoruns to Version 8.73. Though details of the changes aren't clear, given 8.7.2 came out only days ago, it's likely this version contains bug fixes.
Game Patches
22 August 2007
ATI BioShock Hotfix
21 August 2007
To coincide with the release of the BioShock demo, ATI has released a Hotfix which resolves potential issues which can occur with BioShock on ATI graphics cards.
Update: ATI doesn't allow direct linking to their hotfix articles, so see the bottom of the page linked above for the BioShock link.
Update 2: Here are direct download links for XP and Vista
BioShock Demo
21 August 2007
I don't usually announce demos, but this one has been highly anticipated. The demo for BioShock has been released and weighs in at a massive 1.8GB. The final version of the game is due out in the next few days, but if you still wish to download the demo go here or check your favorite file hosting site.
Update: My initial thoughts, tips, screenshots and videos are here.
Nvidia Beta Forceware 163.44
21 August 2007
To coincide with the release of the BioShock demo, Nvidia has released a new Beta 163.44 Forceware. These drivers are for all GeForce 6,7 and 8 series cards in Windows Vista and XP, and provide improved compatibility for BioShock.
Game Patches
21 August 2007
Site Update
19 August 2007
For those who have been inquiring, I can confirm that the next guide I will be doing is for BioShock. The BioShock Tweak Guide will likely be completed within around a week or so of my purchase of the game on August 24.
ET:QW Beta Account Reset
19 August 2007
Just a quick note for those of you involved in the Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Beta. The account database will be reset shortly and you will need to recreate your account to continue with the beta. More details are here.
Intel G965 Integrated Graphics Driver
18 August 2007
Intel has released a new Graphics Driver for the G965 Integrated Graphics chipset which greatly improves its performance in 3D games, in particular allowing it to support hardware vertex shading.
RealTek AC97 4.01 Audio Driver
18 August 2007
RealTek has released Version 4.01 of their AC97 audio drivers.
Sandra 2008
18 August 2007
SiSoftware has released a new 2008 Build 12.30 of the free system information utility Sandra.
Autoruns 8.7.2
18 August 2007
Microsoft has released Autoruns 8.7.2, updating this free startup software identification utility. The changes in this version are unclear.
Game Patches
18 August 2007
mIRC 6.3
18 August 2007
A new Version 6.3 of the chat client mIRC has been released. This version includes a range of fixes and improvements, and is now also fully Vista compatible.
Game Patches
17 August 2007
CCleaner 2.0 Beta
17 August 2007
A revamped Beta 2.0 version of the free system cleaning utility CCleaner has been released. I would only recommend this beta for people who wish to experiment, it's best to wait for the final version.
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts Beta
16 August 2007
Fileplanet is offering its subscribers the chance to participate in the Closed Beta of the upcoming Company of Heroes expansion called Opposing Fronts.
ET:QW Beta 2 1.1 Patch
16 August 2007
The Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Public Beta continues to evolve as a 1.1 Patch has been released for the Public Beta 2. You can get this 23MB patch here or by launching the game and updating as prompted.
Game Patches
16 August 2007
Opera 9.23
15 August 2007
The free Opera browser has been updated to Version 9.23. The changes include security, stability and bug fixes.
Microsoft Security Updates
15 August 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
15 August 2007
ATI Catalyst 7.8
14 August 2007
ATI has released a new Catalyst 7.8 graphics driver. The driver contains performance improvements for the HD2X00 series, and has a range of fixes, including a fix for a major security flaw in Vista.
Game Patches
14 August 2007
GRAW 2 1.03 Patch
14 August 2007
A major 1.03 Patch has been released for GRAW 2, bringing a range of fixes for both singleplayer and multiplayer, as well as adding modding tools and support. I've updated the GRAW 2 Tweak Guide for the changes, see pages 4 and 7 in particular.
Vista SP1
12 August 2007
More details have come to light regarding the contents of the leaked Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) preview currently in the hands of testers. It appears SP1 will contain performance improvements, but the final list of fixes and features, and indeed its actual release date, are still not clear.
Game Patches
12 August 2007
SPD-Z Memory Flash Tool
10 August 2007
OCZ has released a new memory flash tool called SPD-Z. This utility allows owners of OCZ RAM to change the default Serial Presence Detect (SPD) information on their memory chips.
Creative ALchemy for X-Fi 1.00.07
10 August 2007
Creative has released an updated Version 1.00.07 of the ALchemy software for Windows Vista. This version adds support for X-Fi Xtreme Audio and Xtreme Audio Notebook cards.
Windows XP SP2c and SP3
10 August 2007
Microsoft has released Service Pack 2c (SP2c) to manufacturing, with the only fix being the inclusion of new product keys to meet continued demand for XP. It was also recently discovered that a Service Pack 3 (SP3) for XP has been released to testers. However I would urge you not to install any leaked copies of these service packs. Malware and stability risks aside, it's important to appreciate that Microsoft is unlikely to incorporate any significant improvements to Windows XP now, given it is trying to encourage users to adopt Vista.
Game Patches
10 August 2007
Intel Matrix Storage Manager 7.6.0.1011
9 August 2007
Intel has released Version 7.6.0.1011 of the Matrix Storage Manager driver for those using RAID on Intel chipset motherboards.
Game Patches
9 August 2007
Vista Performance & Reliability Updates
8 August 2007
Microsoft has released the final version of two major performance and reliability updates for Windows Vista. You can view the fixes and download the updates from here and here. These updates are strongly recommended for all Vista users.
Game Patches
8 August 2007
Steam Community Public Beta
7 August 2007
Valve has started a public beta of its new Steam Community features.
Game Patches
7 August 2007
Site Update
6 August 2007
There haven't been too many new game guides lately, and this has been due to several reasons. Some new games are console ports, such as Lost Planet, or Spider-Man 3, and these are inherently untweakable by design. Some games in public beta form such as Enemy Territory: Quake Wars are eminently tweakable, but I've decided not to do a guide until a game is finalised, as a public beta can undergo major changes. Finally, it's currently the lull before the storm so to speak, as within the next few months many major games such as Crysis, ET:QW, Call of Duty 4 and UT3 will be released, whereupon I will work on guides for them. So stay tuned, more guides will be coming.
PhysX 7.07.24 Driver
4 August 2007
Ageia has released a new 7.07.24 PhysX Driver. Importantly, this update improves PhysX performance in GRAW 2.
Crysis Release Date
4 August 2007
It has been officially announced that one of the most anticipated games of recent times, Crysis, will be released on November 16 2007. I will of course be doing a comprehensive Crysis Tweak Guide, and if a demo of the game is released earlier I will attempt to do an initial guide at that point.
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Public Beta 2
3 August 2007
Feedback from the initial public beta has meant that a wide range of fixes and improvements are being incorporated into the Public Beta 2 of ET:QW, due to be released within the next day. An additional 25,000 beta keys will also be distributed on FilePlanet for those who missed out on the first batch.
Update: Beta 2 is now open, you can obtain a key here, and download the new client here.
iTunes 7.3.2
3 August 2007
Apple has released an update for iTunes, bringing it up to Version 7.3.2. This version fixes bugs to improve stability and performance.
Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0.0.6
2 August 2007
Mozilla has released a new Version 2.0.0.6 of its free Thunderbird email client. The updated version includes several security fixes.
Windows Live Folders Beta
2 August 2007
Microsoft has released a beta version of Windows Live Folders, an online file storage and sharing service. The initial storage amount available per user is 500MB.
Windows Time Zone Patch
2 August 2007
Microsoft has released a Time Zone Patch for Windows users which will update your system for any recent changes to daylight savings time in your part of the world.
Safari 3.0.3 Beta
1 August 2007
Apple has released an updated Version 3.0.3 of the public beta for the Safari browser. The latest version includes security updates and rendering improvements.
DirectX 10.1
1 August 2007
It is interesting to see that the latest August DirectX SDK contains a tech preview of DirectX 10.1. While this tech preview is not of great use to home users, it heralds upcoming changes to DirectX 10. The new features in DX10.1 include support for Shader Model 4.1, and a new audio API called XAudio2. While the release date of DX10.1 is not clear, hopefully the 2nd generation of DX10 graphics cards will have hardware support for these features.
Atsiv 1.01
1 August 2007
Atsiv is a free tool designed to allow the loading of unsigned drivers in Windows, something which is particularly troublesome in Windows Vista 64-bit. This tool is mainly for advanced users as it is generally not recommended that unsigned drivers be loaded for security and stability reasons.
Windows XP SP3
1 August 2007
Microsoft has confirmed that there will be a Service Pack 3 for Windows XP, due for release in the first half of 2008. Beyond that, details are unclear as to what it will contain.
Game Patches
1 August 2007
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