Drivers and Utilities Discussion

[Jonty]

Hello!

This thread is intended to work alongside TechNation's Drivers and Utilities feature so as to allow you a means of commenting on its contents. If you would like to . . .

• Suggest a link;
• Discuss new driver or utility releases; or
• Report any out of date links

. . . then this is the thread for you! Remember, the Drivers and Utilities thread is for your benefit, as well as everyone else, so don't be afraid to speak up!

Kind Regards

 

[Summo]

I'd be interested to know if you peeps, like me have been experiencing texture glitches in Call of Duty since installing the 53.03 nVidia drivers. I'm using a GeForce FX 5200 until my Ti4400 come back from repair.

Anyone else, or is it just me?

 

[TheJkWhoSaysNi]

Heres a link for Audio drivers for AC'97

http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/dlac97-2.aspx?lineid=5&famid=12&series=8&Software=True


Other than that does anyone have a problem with the Cat 3.9s? For me they make windows take up to 5 seconds to minimize and maximize, also displaying a webpage can take just as long... but games are fine? Weird I know. I just went back to 3.8. I might try installing 3.9 again though.. just to see.

 

[Jonty]

Hello

Summo - I've had a quick search for your problem but nothing really stands out. I've also quickly checked the 53.03 Release Notes but that problem isn't listed under the unresolved issues section. What kind of texture problems are you experiencing? Is it widespread, or confined? Does it change if you alter the game's texture options? etc.

TheJkWhoSaysNi - Thanks for that link, it'll appear in the next update As for your driver problems, have you tried the Catalyst 3.10 drivers? They apparently fix many bugs and I myself am suffering no real problems with them (apart from that Call of Duty bug).

Kind Regards

 

[SoWat]

The only glitch I've noticed is that sometimes when my char gets killed near a structure, like say a box, the box flickers a bit.

No ingame funnies though.

That's using a Ti4800SE

 

[Danya]

I'm running cat 3.9s and they're fine, everything runs nice and quick and no crashing or other issues with any games I play.

 

[Insane]

I upped to Cat 3.10's lately for my Radeon 8500 and some games seem to be running smoother, or the menus faster responding (NFS Underground is one of them)

definately something in those drivers

 

[Quige]

Hello
What kind of texture problems are you experiencing? Is it widespread, or confined? Does it change if you alter the game's texture options? etc.

Can't speak for Summo obviously, but I've had the odd problem with these and the previous nvidia drivers in Call of Duty - the effect has been that walls of sandbags, or just normal walls, will be transparent, allowing you to see whoever is taking cover behind them.

Not bothered me too much so haven't tried tweaking settings to much. I've pretty much got everthing on high.

Guess this isn't really the thread to say anymore.

 

[Quige]

There appears to be a new BIOS for the shuttle SN45G up on shuttle's website here http://www.shuttle.com/hq/support/download/dwn2.asp?model=SN45G
File date says 12/24/2003, though the readme seems to have an earlier date.

It does this they say.

Checksum: A100 Date: 12/05/03

1. Added "C1 Disconnect" item in BIOS setup menu.
2. Added "IDE DMA transfer access" item in BIOS setup menu.
3. Improve DDR compatibility.
4. Support 0.18 micron AMD Duron (Palomino) CPU.

Not tried it myself yet, as 10 past 1 on Christmas morning doesn't seem a good time to be playing with my BIOS.

 

[Miles_Binck]

There has been a new release of Samurize, its now v1.1

Homepage
Download


A nice logitech mouse utility that I found is MWProfiler it allows you to add specific profiles for games which means you can bind functions to the extra mouse buttons (when the games do not recognise them). It works wonders on my MX900 in Call of Duty

Download
Discussion Forums

(I couldn't find a homepage for the program, the link above just goes to some family website)

 

[Darft Faul]

Abit links

FYI, the two links to the Abit BIOS and driver pages don't work... I believe they should be:
http://www2.abit.com.tw/page/uk/download/download.php?pFILE_TYPE=Bios&pFUN_KEY=8000&pTITLE_IMG=/download/images/download.gif
and
http://www2.abit.com.tw/page/uk/download/download.php?pFILE_TYPE=Driver&pFUN_KEY=9000&pTITLE_IMG=/download/images/download.gif

 

[Jonty]

Hi guys

For those who use Mozilla, v1.6 final is now available. The new features include:

• One of the most requested Mozilla Mail features, an option to separate the Recipient and Sender columns in the thread pane, has been implemented.
• Another frequently requested MailNews feature, a preference for placing the user's signature above the quoted text, has been added.
• "Remove from server after x days" has been implemented for POP3 mail accounts.
• vCard support has been added to Mozilla Mail.
• Mozilla 1.6 includes a new cross-platform NTLM authentication mechanism. This feature brings NTLM authentication to the non-Windows Mozilla users for the first time and also delivers more robust and featureful NTLM support to users of older Windows versions.
• Ask Jeeves searching has been added to Mozilla 1.6.
• "Translate Page" functionality has returned to this release of Mozilla.
• The View Source window now has reload functionality.
• Several security-related bugs were fixed in 1.6
• Chatzilla 0.9.48 has been merged, which adds RPL_ISUPPORT support, halfop mode support, and properly masks key and password dialogs.
• Many crash bugs have been fixed.
• One step closer to the kitchen sink, about:about has been implemented. Typing about:about in the address field will give the user a nice list of available about:s.

Download Mozilla 1.6. Also expect a new version of Firebird, v0.8, soon.

Kind Regards

 

[Miles_Binck]

Samurize has been updated to v1.16


Can I also recommend adding the following to the Privacy & Security section

Spybot Search & Destroy it is a freeware spyware remover with a few added features that will keep them away. Current version is 1.2, and I would recommend running this alongside Ad-Aware.

also a nice little tool I have found extremely useful is Hijack This. It is a general homepage hijackers detector and remover. Initially based on the article Hijacked!, but expanded with almost a dozen other checks against hijacker tricks. It is continually updated to detect and remove new hijacks. It does not target specific programs/URLs, just the methods used by hijackers to force you onto their sites. The current version is 1.97.

 

[RandomBastard]

I'd be interested to know if you peeps, like me have been experiencing texture glitches in Call of Duty since installing the 53.03 nVidia drivers. I'm using a GeForce FX 5200 until my Ti4400 come back from repair.

Anyone else, or is it just me?

i get texture glitches on bf1942 atm useing those dets :/ i only have a 4400 tho

 

[Frizz]

Hmm, i have texture glitches with 53.03 nVidida drivers aswell. I'm on a 64meg GForce 2, and although C&C: Generals: Zero Hour ran fine with the previous drivers, it since decided to fudge up with the new drivers. It is also the only game that actually has any texture problems. The game is basically unplayable, because the ground is completely devoid of any kind of depth. The ground just goes between two phases, kind of like a flicker between pitch black, and grey.

Help Jonteh!

 

[Scooba da Bass]

Drop back to an older set of drivers. Upgrading for older cards is semi-pointless as most of the updates will focus on newer card's features and functions. I run the 45.23s on an older GF3 and they don't give me any issues in any games.

 

[Clown]

It's all broken

 

[Jonty]

It's all broken

Hey Clown

Fixed the broken link, sorry about that. I have recently stepped down as TechNation's webmaster so I had to recreate the article in FatBusinessman's name

Kind Regards

 

[.Wilier.]

...... I have recently stepped down as TechNation's webmaster .........
Kind Regards

Booooooooo.

 

[Jonty]

Hi guys

ATI have today released version 4.2 of their Catalyst drivers. Improvements include ...

Component Video Output Enhancement - The 4.2 drivers now allow the choice of using panning mode or a center-timing mode in which images will appear in the center of the TV screen when using the Component Video output on an HDTV display.

Direct3D Setting Enhancement - Settings can now be applied without the screen going blank for several seconds

Performance Improvements - As with most releases, performance has increased in various situations. This release specifically targets DX8 based products (9200, 9000, and 8500).

• Framerates in Unreal Tournament 2003 is up by 15%
• A performance gain of between 5 and 10% is noticed in Aquamark3
• A performance gain of between 2-3% is noticed in ShaderMark scores
• Framerates in Halo is up between 3-4%
• A performance improvement of 2% is noticed in Tomb Raider

Some Resolved Game Issues

• Launching the game Tron 2.0 under Windows XP no longer results in the game failing to respond after the game introduction is loaded
• Launching the game Line of Sight: Vietnam and setting the graphics option to 800x600 16bpp no longer results in the game failing to respond when selecting a new game
• Running the game Armed and Dangerous under Windows XP with an ATI RADEON(tm) 9200 series installed no longer results in the display image appearing corrupted when selecting Storm the Base mission in the game
• The game Half-Life is now displayed properly under Windows XP when the game resolution is set to either 320x240 or 400x300
• Playing the game Serious Sam 2 under Windows XP with an ATI RADEON 9500/9800 series installed no longer results in the game failing to run when the game option is set to OpenGL
• Playing the game Unreal Tournament 2003 under Windows XP with an ATI RADEON(tm) 9600 series installed no longer results in texture corruption being displayed on the flag surfaces in the DM-Tokara Forest
• Selecting the Optimum Quality setting in D3D control panel no longer results in a frozen frame when launching the game HALO
• Setting the resolution in the game SpyHunter to 1280x1024 along with having the Use Recommended Settings slider set to balanced in the ATI 3D tab no longer results in some background images being missing while the game is loading
• Setting the display option to 640x480 or 800x600 in the game Splinter Cell no longer results in the game menu flickering
• Returning to the main menu in the game Counter-Strike no longer results in the game's refresh rate reverting back to 60Hz when resuming game play

New Features ATI Multimedia Centre 8.9

• Smooth Aspect Ratio Transition Enhancement - EAZYLOOK allows users to view TV and DVD features from a distance. Currently when changing the aspect ratio in the TV or DVD the transition changes are not smooth. This new feature allows for a smooth transition when changing the aspect ratio.
• EAZYLOOK Menu Functionality - With the new EAZYLOOK menu functionality, feature level menus can now be viewed when using EAZYLOOK Feature can now be configured with ease when using EAZYLOOK. Further, users will have an easier time changing settings that are mapped to programmable keys on the remote.
• Enhanced Scheduled Event Recording - The latest version of the ATI Multimedia Centre allows users to create and record a scheduled event without viewing the video. Right-clicking on the record button provide the user with a drop down menu that provides a short cut to the recording options available.

The Windows 4.2 drivers weigh in at around 23Mb in total and can be download from ATI's Catalyst Download Page.

Kind Regards

 

[MrBlack]

Re: GeForce 4 Ti Drivers.

I had a 4400 for ages, and I never had more stable performance than with the 45.23 drivers. (not 45.33, they broke). Unless a 5x driver specifically addresses an issue with these cards, then I recommend you stick with the 45.23. - As always your mileage may vary to some ludicrous extent. Don't be afraid to experiement. If it all goes wrong you can always Driver Cleaner them off and start again. (There's a link for TN if you don't already list it)

 

[Jonty]

Mozilla 1.7 Alpha

Hi guys

For those keen to stay on the bleeding edge, the Mozilla Foundation have just released Mozilla 1.7 Alpha.

Warning! Alpha releases are, by their very designation, far more unstable than final releases and even beta releases. Only download this release if you have backed up your existing settings and, preferably, if you have tested such products before.

• Browser
• Mozilla 1.7 Alpha includes several improvements to Mozilla's pop-up blocking features.
• First, it is now possible to fine-tune it using two preferences (dom.popup_maximum and dom.popup_allowed_events) but there's no UI for that yet. Even without a UI, users should notice a greater variety of pop-ups blocked (primarily mouseover pop-ups) and a limit of 20 or so open at one time, regardless of whether pop-up blocking is active which provides some protection from sites that open hundreds of windows in a loop.
• 1.7a also now has UI allowing the user to review and retroactively open blocked windows. (ed. is this the context-click on the statusbar "blocked pop-up" icon? or something else?)
• Downloaded files are now moved to the target directory as soon as the user selects the desired location. This was the frequently reported bug 55690.
• There is now user interface to activate Smooth Scrolling (Preferences -> Appearance).
  
  Mail
• This is the first Mozilla 1.x release with support for multiple identities on the same mail account. See the Multiple Identity Support documentation for more details.
• 1.7a is also the first Mozilla 1.x release with support for relative paths for mail folders in prefs.js. This makes it easier to copy profiles around without having to fix up prefs.js afterwards.
• With Mozilla 1.7a, you can now edit address lists containing "Last, First" style names.
• When composing mail, you can now use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the To/CC/Bcc list.
• On Mac OS X, attachment file names are no longer displayed in decomposed Unicode but are converted to composed Unicode.
• All Mozilla LDAP queries now default to using LDAPv3 (previously, they used LDAPv2). There is a hidden .protocolVersion preference which can force LDAP v2 to be used on a per-server basis. LDAP autoconfig authors can force v2 also by adding a setProtocolVersion call to their JS. Details can be found by grovelling through bug 198168.
  
  Chatzilla
• Chatzilla has moved forward to version 0.9.59 which includes such improvements as:
• Support for the /ignore command.
• Font family and size can now be changed.
• Custom sounds are now working on Windows and Linux.
• Improvements to the user interface for half-op mode.
  
  Under the Hood
• Mozilla 1.7a adds support for the onbeforeunload event. This lets web application developers add code that alerts the user about potential data-loss when closing a web application, or when leaving a HTML page with potentially sensitive information.
• This release has a new SVG backend. The feature is not yet enabled in the mozilla.org releases but developers may wish to compile with this feature enabled.
• Mozilla's binary size has been decreased almost 2% since Mozilla 1.6.
• 1.7 Alpha pageload times have been improved by 4% over 1.6.
• Mozilla 1.7a handles dynamic style changes much better (see bug 15608 for details.)
• Mozilla 1.7 Alpha has upgraded the NSS libraries to version 3.9. NSS 3.9 passes all the NISCC SSL/TLS and S/MIME tests (1.6 million test cases of invalid input data) without crashes or memory leaks.
  
  New Issues
• L10n locale switching from the Mozilla Preferences window does not work in 1.7 Alpha. To switch locales, users will need to manually edit the chrome.rdf file, replacing, for example, all en-US with de-AT, and US with AT in selectedLocale lines

Thanks to my friend Alastor for his sterling browser news.

 

[Lazarus]

i still get a broken link trying to connect to the TN Driver/utilities page