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March 2019
Nvidia GeForce 425.11 Hotfix
30 March 2019
Nvidia has released the 425.11 Hotfix graphics driver. This driver is for the GeForce 600 series and above under Windows 10. It addresses: crashes when accessing the inventory menu in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands; random crashes on the GeForce RTX 20 series in Ark Survival Evolved; and corrupted graphics in games on ASUS ROG Strix GL702VS notebooks.
CPU-Z 1.88
28 March 2019
A new Version 1.88 of the CPU-Z information utility has been released. This version provides support for new chipsets and shows the DDR4 RAM manufacturer.
uBlock Origin
28 March 2019
If you use the popular uBlock Origin adblocker on Firefox, you will see a prompt asking you to give permission to uBlock to store unlimited amounts of client-side data. This prompt has no privacy implications; the Unlimited storage permission has been added to Firefox recently, and is recommended for extensions that store more than 5MB of data on your system. As the author of uBlock explains, uBlock already stores more than this amount, so he's simply added the permission for when Mozilla makes it a requirement. Bottom line: it's safe to click Update when you see the uBlock Origin prompt in Firefox.
Firefox 66.0.2
28 March 2019
Mozilla has released Version 66.0.2 of the Firefox browser. This update provides bug fixes.
iTunes 12.9.4
26 March 2019
Apple has released a new Version 12.9.4 of the iTunes software. If you don't wish to use the Windows Store to download iTunes, direct download links are provided: 64-bit Version, 32-bit Version. A changelist is not yet available.
Update: This version shows more editorial highlights on a single page in the Browse tab, making it easier to discover new content in Apple Music, and provides security fixes.
Nvidia GeForce 419.67 WHQL
26 March 2019
Nvidia has released the 419.67 WHQL certified graphics driver. This driver is for GeForce 600 and higher graphics cards under Windows 7, 8 and 10. It is the recommended driver for Battlefield V: Firestorm, Anthem, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It also adds support for G-Sync compatible surround mode and two new G-Sync compatible monitors. The driver contains PhysX version 9.19.0218 and updates GeForce Experience to version 3.18.0.
Firefox 66.0.1
23 March 2019
Mozilla has released Version 66.0.1 of the Firefox browser. This update provides security fixes.
Intel HD Graphics 25.20
23 March 2019
Intel has released Version 25.20.100.6618 of its HD Graphics drivers for the optimal performance of Integrated Graphics Processors on Intel CPUs. This release includes a new Graphics Command Center game optimization software.
AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.3.3
21 March 2019
AMD has released the Adrenalin Edition 19.3.3 driver for the HD 7700, HD 8500 series and above on Windows 7 and 10. This driver provides support for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Generation Zero, along with bug fixes.
Nvidia GeForce 419.67 CRD
21 March 2019
Nvidia has released the 419.67 CRD Creater Ready Drivers. This driver is for GeForce 1050 series and higher graphics cards under Windows 7 and 10. The CRD drivers are a new class of driver, alongside WHQL and Beta releases, that specifically improve performance and stability in creative applications such as Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Cinema 4D. Select Creator Ready Driver from the bottom drop-down box on the driver download page if you want to obtain these drivers.
Chrome 73.0
21 March 2019
Google has released Version 73.0.3683.86 of the Chrome browser. This update provides security and bug fixes.
Windows Updates
20 March 2019
Microsoft has released a new Cumulative Update for Windows 10 versions 1803, 1709, 1703 and 1607.
Firefox 66.0
20 March 2019
Mozilla has released Version 66.0 of the Firefox browser. This major update improves performance, enhances smooth scrolling and search, blocks webpage sounds by default, adds support for Windows Hello on Windows 10, and provides security and bug fixes.
Update: Unfortunately, Firefox 66 now allows muted videos to autoplay, even if autoplay videos were previously blocked. To disable all autoplay videos, open about:config and set media.autoplay.default=1, media.autoplay.enabled=false and media.autoplay.allow-muted=false.
Intel Rapid Storage Technology 17.2
19 March 2019
Intel has released Version 17.2.0.1009 of the Rapid Storage Technology driver for optimal RAID and AHCI drive performance on Intel chipset-based motherboards.
GPU-Z 2.18.0
15 March 2019
GPU-Z, a free graphics card information utility, has reached Version 2.18.0. Changes in this version include support for new chipsets, Hotspot temperature monitoring for the Radeon VII, Vega 10 and 20, updated vendor list, as well as a range of bug fixes.
AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.3.2
15 March 2019
AMD has released the Adrenalin Edition 19.3.2 driver for the HD 7700, HD 8500 series and above on Windows 7 and 10. This driver improves performance in Tom Clancy's The Division 2, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Gathering Storm, adds support for DirectX 12 on Windows7, and provides a range of bug fixes.
Opera 58.0
15 March 2019
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 58.0.3135.107. This version provides bug fixes.
DirectX 12 on Windows 7/Site Update
14 March 2019
Microsoft recently announced that it has added DirectX 12 support to Windows 7, specifically to allow game developers to port certain DX12 optimizations to Windows 7. It's important to understand that this is not the same as enabling full DirectX 12 support on Windows 7; it's a subset of DX12 aimed specifically at improving the performance of the very popular World of Warcraft. Some other games will receive the same optimization as their developers work with MS to take advantage of this new capability.
However, speculation that this backporting of DX12 features to Windows 7 is an indication that MS will extend the ageing operating system's end of life beyond 14 January 2020 is premature. Indeed, Microsoft also announced on the same day that they will soon commence a campaign of "reminder" notifications that will appear on all Windows 7 systems, giving advanced notice of Windows 7's end of life. Microsoft promises that these notifications can be permanently dismissed with a 'do not notify me again' option. From past experience, such MS campaigns quickly turn from polite and optional to unrepetently underhanded.
Regardless, I strongly recommend that those of you still on Windows 7 start preparing for transition to another OS by year's end; an OS that no longer receives security updates is not viable if you value your data. It will also be a good time to upgrade your system hardware, especially as the next-gen Ryzen CPUs from AMD should also be available. I've already got you covered on the hardware upgrade front with some food for thought in my recent Hardware Confusion article - and note: Intel CPU prices have risen as I speculated earlier, and are expected to continue rising this year due to shortages. In terms of which OS to choose, I'll try to get something meaningful out on that topic towards the middle of the year.
Chrome 73.0
14 March 2019
Google has released Version 73.0.3683.75 of the Chrome browser. This update provides feature improvements, as well as security and bug fixes.
Microsoft Security Updates
13 March 2019
Microsoft has released its monthly set of Windows security updates which you can view here and obtain via Windows Update. This includes the latest Windows 7 Rollup and Windows 8.1 Rollup updates, as well as Windows 10 Cumulative Updates.
Flash Player 32.0
13 March 2019
Adobe has released Version 32.0.0.156 of the Flash Player plugin for browsers. To download the full offline installer, use these links depending upon your browser: Internet Explorer or Firefox or Opera. Use Windows Update to update the built-in Flash Player in IE11 under Windows 8 and 10, and Edge under Windows 10. Update to the latest version of Chrome to update its built-in Flash Player.
CCleaner 5.55
13 March 2019
A new Version 5.55.7108 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. This version adds a general Software Updater feature to the Pro version of CCleaner, and fixes a bug with browser plugins.
Opera 58.0
8 March 2019
The Opera browser has been updated to Version 58.0.3135.90. This version provides an important security fix, as well as bug fixes.
Windows Updates
8 March 2019
Microsoft has confirmed that the latest Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1809 released last week can reduce performance in certain games, such as Destiny 2 - see the updated Known Issues list at the bottom of the Update page. MS is working on a fix, but for now, people who are affected can uninstall the update by going to Control Panel>Programs & Features>View Installed Updates, right-clicking on 'Update for Microsoft Windows (KB 4482887)' and selecting Uninstall.
AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.3.1
7 March 2019
AMD has released the Adrenalin Edition 19.3.1 driver for the HD 7700, HD 8500 series and above on Windows 7 and 10. This driver improves performance in Devil May Cry 5, and provides a range of bug fixes.
Nvidia GeForce 419.35 WHQL
6 March 2019
Nvidia has released the 419.35 WHQL certified graphics driver. This driver is for GeForce 600 and higher graphics cards under Windows 7, 8 and 10. It adds support for new GSync monitors and provides the optimal experience in Apex Legends, Devil May Cry 5, and Tom Clancy’s The Division II. The driver also updates PhysX to version 9.19.0218 and contains GeForce Experience version 3.17.0.
Site Update
6 March 2019
Thanks to those of you who've given me feedback on the Hardware Confusion article. After nearly two months of buying, configuring and writing about the new system, I'm taking the opportunity to just enjoy it right now. However, I haven't forgotten the "Linux Experiment" I promised - give me a bit of time and I'll be ready to roll on that. Remember, Windows 7 reaches End of Life on 14 January 2020, so the second half of this year is a good time for all of us to weigh up our options and decide whether Windows 10 meets our needs, or whether we need to move to another OS. For now, everything seems fine.
CCleaner 5.54
5 March 2019
A new Version 5.54.7088 of the free CCleaner system cleaning utility has been released. The main changes in this update are improved notifications and a preview feature for some paying users.
Chrome 72.0
2 March 2019
Google has released Version 72.0.3626.121 of the Chrome browser. This update provides security and bug fixes.
Autoruns 13.94
2 March 2019
Microsoft has released Autoruns 13.94, updating this free startup software identification utility. This version fixes a bug that prevented the correct display of the target of image hosts such as svchost.exe, rundll32.exe, and cmd.exe.
Windows Updates
2 March 2019
Microsoft has released a new Cumulative Update for Windows 10 version 1809.
Firefox 65.0
1 March 2019
Mozilla has released Version 65.0.2 of the Firefox browser. This update fixes a geolocation-related issue.
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