Tuesday May 22, 2012
NVIDIA has released GeForce drivers version 301.42, adding a number of new features, updates, and more.
This is the final, WHQL version of these drivers and the first certified release in the 300 series. You should install these new drivers if you have a supported NVIDIA GPU.
Here are some of the changes and fixes available in v301.42:
- Adds support for the GeForce GTX 670, GTX 680, GTX 690, and GT 600-series GPUs.
- Adds several improvements to the NVIDIA Surround gaming system.
- Added support for windowed 3d stereo.
- Added DisplayPort 1.2 compatibility.
- Added support for GPU control of more than two monitors.
- Added several additional new features and fixes, all of which are outlined in the PDF linked below.
- Updates or adds SLI and 3D Vision profiles for dozens of games
- NVIDIA PhysX is at v9.12.0213 and HD Audio is at v1.3.16.0 in this release.
A more complete list of the new features and improvements in this update are available on the NVIDIA driver download page for your operating system. For complete information, see the release notes here [PDF].
You can download the 32-bit version for Windows 7 and Windows Vista here. Versions of the 301.42 driver for 64-bit Windows, as well as for other operating systems like Windows XP, are available here.
Important: This NVIDIA driver was previously available as a beta release (version 301.24). If you installed the beta version of this driver when it was released, please update to v301.42 as soon as possible. It's almost always a better idea to have the WHQL certified version of a driver installed.
Note: If you're using a recent version of NVIDIA's GeForce drivers, just right-click on the NVIDIA icon in the system tray and choose Check for updates.... You can download and install the driver automatically from there. If you want to be prompted for beta driver updates, be sure to check the appropriate box in the Preferences tab.
Related Topics:
Friday May 18, 2012
Patch Tuesday usually comes and goes with little fanfare. You might wake up on Wednesday morning with a little notification on your taskbar saying all is well.
Every month, however, there is a relatively small group of folks who wake up to a different scene altogether. Maybe a Blue Screen of Death. Maybe Windows is stuck at the logon screen but you can't do anything. Maybe the updates are still running!
Regardless, it seems the patches automatically installed by Windows Update on Patch Tuesday were to blame.
There are several reasons Windows updates might cause problems and unfortunately, it's rarely just Microsoft's fault, in which case we could all just wait for another patch to fix the broken patch. Usually, these problems involve issues with your specific hardware and software configuration or preexisting conditions that are only now being brought to light.
So if you've ever had an issue after Patch Tuesday, or are now afraid of one occurring(!), take a look at my newest preventative guide:
How To Prevent Windows Updates From Crashing Your PC
From changing Windows Update settings, to testing System Restore, there are plenty of things you can do to help prevent issues as well as help make solving them easier if they do happen.
More About Windows Update & Patch Tuesday
What is Windows Update?
What is Patch Tuesday?
What is a Patch?
How To Make Changes to Windows Update Settings
How To Recover From a Frozen Windows Update Installation
Image © duchesssa http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1198063
Wednesday May 16, 2012
Everyone knows that the floppy disk is dead. It has been for years (and years). For the most part, the optical drive replaced the floppy drive, and discs like CDs, DVDs, and more recently BDs, replaced the floppy disks themselves.
However, smaller computers plus the size of optical discs, a slow increase in capacity, among other factors, is seriously limiting the value of those shiny discs we so love.
Mark Kyrnin, the About.com Guide to PC Hardware & Reviews, has an excellent piece about the end of the disc era:
Death of the Computer Optical Drive
I highly recommend you check it out.
Image © omernos http://www.sxc.hu/photo/525701
Tuesday May 8, 2012
Today is Patch Tuesday. May's patches consist of 7 updates that correct a total of 23 unique issues across Microsoft Windows operating systems and some other Microsoft software.
What Do These Security Updates Do?
These patches from Microsoft update several individual files involved in making Windows and other Microsoft software work.
Do I Need These Security Updates?
You need these updates if you're running any currently supported Windows operating system (Windows 7, Vista, XP, etc.) or any version of any Microsoft Office program. Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are affected.
Some of these updates fix problems so serious that if left unpatched, it's possible that someone could gain access to your computer. These issues are given a Critical severity rating.
Other fixes aren't quite as serious but are security issues that should be corrected nonetheless. These are categorized as Important.
Are There Any Non-Security Updates This Month?
Yes, a few, including updates to the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool and an update for ActiveX Killbits. There may also be non-security updates included this month for Microsoft software other than Windows.
Patch Tuesday Problems
This blog post has become Grand Central Station for Patch Tuesday problems. However, overall, Microsoft provided updates rarely cause problems. That might be hard to believe based on the number of comments below, but it's true. There's no reason to fear installing them.
However, see How To Prevent Windows Updates From Crashing Your PC for a number of preventative measures you can take if you're concerned about potential problems.
If your computer freezes during the installation of an update, see How To Recover From a Frozen Windows Update Installation for help.
If the updates installed completely but you're now experiencing a problem, try a System Restore first.
See Windows Updates & Patch Tuesday FAQ for answers to other common questions.
Automatically install: via Windows Update.
Manually install: via the individual Security Bulletins listed here.
Details from Microsoft: Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for May 2012.
Non-Security Updates: New Non-Security Content for 2012.
Next Patch Tuesday: will be June 12, 2012.
Related Topics:
A Note on the Comments Below:
I reuse this blog post for each Patch Tuesday by Microsoft so most of the comments left are for previous Patch Tuesdays. You can tell which Patch Tuesday a comment is referring to by looking at the notation at the end of the comment. For example, comments addressing Patch Tuesday May 2012 will end with [PT: May 2012].
