ARCHIVED NEWS
To view the latest news click Here
December 2008
Happy New Year
31 December 2008
Here in Australia it's already approaching New Year's Eve, so let me take a moment to say Happy New Year to readers around the world. I want to thank all those who support TweakGuides, and who take the time to read what is on this site. I can't make any promises but I'll try my best to provide interesting new material in the coming year. In any case I wish all of you a very happy and prosperous 2009. I'll end this post with a quote to ponder: "Those who don't build must burn. It's as old as history and juvenile delinquents." - Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451.
Game Patches
31 December 2008
VIA Hyperion Pro 5.22A
31 December 2008
VIA has released the Hyperion Pro 5.22A chipset drivers for VIA-based motherboards.
RivaTuner 2.22
30 December 2008
Unwinder has released RivaTuner 2.22. The latest version has some bug fixes and adds support for the latest drivers, as well as updating the RivaTunerStatistics utility.
Realtek HD Audio 2.12
27 December 2008
Realtek has released Version 2.12 of its HD Audio drivers. Note if you have problems with the link, click the 'High Definition Audio Codecs' link at the top of the page and select 'Software'.
Foxit Reader 3
27 December 2008
The free Foxit PDF Reader has been updated to Version 3 Build 1222. There are a range of bug fixes.
Merry Christmas
25 December 2008
I just want to wish all readers a very Merry Christmas. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.
AMD Overdrive 2.1.5
24 December 2008
AMD has released Version 2.1.5 of its Overdrive utility. This utility is for AMD chipset motherboards, allowing users to tune various system performance, stability and cooling parameters.
Game Patches
24 December 2008
CCleaner 2.15.815
23 December 2008
A new Version 2.15.815 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. This version fixes several bugs, adds command-line secure deletion and Chrome thumbnail cleaning.
VirtualDub 1.8.7
23 December 2008
A new Version 1.8.7 of the free video editing utility VirtualDub has been released, fixing a range of bugs.
FRAPS 2.9.7
21 December 2008
A new Version 2.9.7 of the FPS measurement, benchmarking and video capture utility FRAPS has been released. The changes include several fixes and improved recording speed for DX9 games in Vista.
AutoRuns 9.37
20 December 2008
Microsoft has released AutoRuns 9.37, updating this free startup software identification utility. This version adds support for viewing the Local System account's profile, and adds a new option 'Hide Microsoft and Windows Entries' in addition to the existing 'Hide Windows Entries' option.
Game Patches
20 December 2008
ATI Catalyst Hotfix
20 December 2008
ATI has released a Hotfix driver which resolves an issue with two or more HD 4850 cards in CrossFireX mode on Vista.
Nvidia Beta Forceware 179.28
19 December 2008
Nvidia has released a new Beta Forceware 179.28 driver for Windows XP and Vista. These drivers are specifically designed for GeForce 8M and 9M series notebook graphics cards. Among various changes, they allow GPU-based PhysX acceleration on 8M or 9M cards which have 256MB or more of Video RAM, and include the 8.09.04 PhysX drivers in the package.
Game Patches
19 December 2008
Internet Explorer Security Update
18 December 2008
Microsoft has released a Security Update to address the major vulnerability in Internet Explorer identified earlier this week. This update is also available via Windows Update.
Microsoft .NET 3.5 Update
18 December 2008
Microsoft has released an update for the .NET Framework 3.5, available for the XP 64-bit, Vista 32-bit and Vista 64-bit versions of Windows.
Update: The link for XP 32-bit is now also available.
Crysis Wars 1.3 Patch
18 December 2008
Crytek has released the 1.3 Patch for Crysis Wars. The patch contains two new multiplayer maps called Frost and Savanna as part of the Holiday Map Pack.
A-Squared Free 4.0
18 December 2008
The A-Squared Free trojan scanner has been updated to Version 4.0. The new version can also be obtained via the built-in updater of the existing A-Squared Free.
SoundBlaster X-Fi 2.18.0008
18 December 2008
Creative has released the 2.18.0008 driver for the majority of the SoundBlaster X-Fi series under Windows XP and Vista. These drivers fix several bugs, and also add Dolby Digital and DTS decode functionality.
Game Patches
18 December 2008
Nvidia Beta Forceware 181.00
17 December 2008
Nvidia has released a new Beta Forceware 181.00 driver for Windows XP and Vista. These drivers are for GeForce 8, 9 and 200 series cards and are designed to provide full OpenGL 3.0 and GLSL 1.30 support.
Firefox 3.0.5
17 December 2008
Mozilla has released an update for the Firefox browser, bringing it up to Version 3.0.5. This update fixes a range of security and stability issues as well as containing some bug fixes, and replacing the EULA with a "Know Your Rights" info bar on initial install.
Realtek HD Audio 2.11
17 December 2008
Realtek has released Version 2.11 of its HD Audio drivers. Note if you have problems with the link, click the 'High Definition Audio Codecs' link at the top of the page and select 'Software'.
Game Patches
17 December 2008
Internet Explorer Security Flaw
16 December 2008
Microsoft has confirmed that a new vulnerability has been detected in Internet Explorer and could be quite serious. At the moment it is recommended that users switch to another browser until Microsoft issues an emergency patch to close the vulnerability.
Opera 9.63
16 December 2008
The free Opera browser has been updated to Version 9.63. This is a security update.
Game Patches
16 December 2008
Sandra 2009 SP2
15 December 2008
SiSoftware has released a new 2009 SP2 Build 15.72 of the free system information utility Sandra.
DivX 6.8.5.5
15 December 2008
The DivX video codec has been updated to Version 6.8.5.5.
Game Patches
13 December 2008
PC Game Piracy Examined
12 December 2008
After a great deal of research I've prepared a new article called PC Game Piracy Examined. What this article does is examine the controversial topic of PC game piracy in a logical manner, taking into consideration a range of publicly available evidence to provide an informed view of the current state of play. I encourage those of you who are genuinely interested in this topic to take the time to make your way through this rather long but thorough article, as I believe it provides a great deal of food for thought.
Logitech SetPoint 4.70
12 December 2008
Logitech has released Version 4.70 of the SetPoint software for mice and keyboards.
Chrome 1.0.154.36
12 December 2008
Google has taken the Chrome Browser out of beta as of the latest Version 1.0.154.36.
Fallout 3 G.E.C.K
12 December 2008
Bethesda has released the Garden of Eden Creation Kit (G.E.C.K), which is the free software required to create mods for Fallout 3.
AutoRuns 9.36
12 December 2008
Microsoft has released AutoRuns 9.36, updating this free startup software identification utility. This version changes the Hide Microsoft Entries function to only hide Microsoft's Windows-related entries, and fixes a range of bugs.
Process Explorer 11.31
12 December 2008
Microsoft has released Version 11.31 of the free Process Explorer utility which is a more detailed version of Task Manager. The changes include a bug fix and a workaround.
Process Monitor 2.03
12 December 2008
The free Process Monitor utility has been updated to Version 2.03. This update adds the ability to import and export setting and fixes a Windows XP bug among other changes.
RivaTuner 2.21
12 December 2008
Unwinder has released RivaTuner 2.21. The latest version has some bug fixes and further improvements for the latest graphics cards and drivers.
Game Patches
12 December 2008
ATI Catalyst 8.12
11 December 2008
ATI has released the Catalyst 8.12 graphics drivers. This version is a major release containing support for Stream Computing, a new Noise Reduction feature for improving video quality, and a range of performance improvements in games such as Crysis, Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, STALKER: Clear Sky and Call of Duty: World at War.
Game Patches
10 December 2008
Microsoft Security Updates
10 December 2008
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 individually from here.
VLC Media Player 0.9.8a
9 December 2008
The free VLC Media Player has been updated to Version 0.9.8a.
Game Patches
9 December 2008
YouTube HD
8 December 2008
YouTube has launched YouTube HD, allowing streaming playback of High Definition videos in 720p. A sample can be seen here and here. If the uploaded video is of high enough quality, you can force HD playback for any video by adding &fmt=22 to the end of the URL. More details and tips are provided here.
Game Patches
7 December 2008
Nvidia Beta Forceware 180.84
6 December 2008
Nvidia has released a new Beta Forceware 180.84 driver for Windows XP and Vista. These drivers are for all GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9 and 200 series cards and are specifically designed for Grand Theft Auto IV.
Game Patches
6 December 2008
Adobe Media Player 1.6
6 December 2008
Adobe has released Version 1.6 of its free flashed-based ad-supported media player.
Vista Service Pack 2 Beta
5 December 2008
Microsoft has now released Vista SP2 Beta to the general public. As noted earlier, the major changes are listed here.
Windows Updates
5 December 2008
Microsoft has released an Update to resolve issues with the Media Center in Windows Vista. It is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
Xvid 1.2.1
5 December 2008
A new Version 1.2.1 of the Xvid video codec has been released. This is a bugfix release.
CPU-Z 1.49
5 December 2008
A new Version 1.49 of the CPU-Z information utility has been released. This version includes support for new CPUs and chipsets, improves loading times, and has new Online Validation and Hall of Fame features.
Game Patches
5 December 2008
DivX 6.8.5.4
4 December 2008
The DivX video codec has been updated to Version 6.8.5.4.
Vista Service Pack 2 Beta
4 December 2008
Microsoft has officially released the Vista SP2 Beta for Technet subscribers. The major changes in SP2 are provided here. The date when SP2 will be released to the general public is still unknown.
Diskeeper 2009
4 December 2008
Diskeeper has released the Diskeeper 2009 defragmentation utility for Windows XP and Vista. The new version has a range of new features and improvements, including native support for 64-bit, better InvisiTasking and I-FAAST, a new Titan Defrag Engine for larger drives, and support for Windows 7.
Nvidia GeForce Power Pack 2
4 December 2008
Nvidia has released the GeForce Power Pack 2, containing a range of free games and demos to highlight the benefits of GPU-Accelerated PhysX. The pack also contains a newer 8.10.29 PhysX driver. Note that you need Forceware 178.24 or newer, and a GeForce 8, 9 or 200 series card with at least 256MB of VRAM to utilize this pack.
Game Patches
4 December 2008
Game Patches
3 December 2008
Realtek HD Audio 2.10
3 December 2008
Realtek has released Version 2.10 of its HD Audio drivers. Note if you have problems with the link, click the 'High Definition Audio Codecs' link at the top of the page and select 'Software'.
7-Zip 4.62
2 December 2008
The final Version 4.62 of the free 7-Zip archival utility has been released. The changes include a range of bug fixes and several new features and optimizations since the last final release.
Xvid 1.2.0
2 December 2008
A new Version 1.2.0 of the Xvid video codec has been released. Changes include 64-bit support, multi-core optimizations, general improvements and bug fixes.
Java Runtime Environment 6.11
2 December 2008
Sun has released an Update 11 to the Java Runtime Environment 6. This update has several new features.
Game Patches
2 December 2008
CCleaner 2.14.763
2 December 2008
A new Version 2.14.763 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. This version fixes a minor bug with Firefox 2 cookie support.
To view the latest news click Here