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Entries in Windows XP (28)

Wednesday
Aug252010

Cricket Wireless Releases the EC1705 Datacard


The Cricket EC1705 Datacard


The Cricket EC1705 modem is a feature-rich modem in a compact size and light weight.  It connects your or desktop computer to the Cricket high-speed wireless network.  You can send and receive text messages, and use it in all Cricket Broadband coverage areas.  The USB extension cable offers additional flexibility to connect to different USB locations in your PC.  The Cricket EC1705 modem offers you convenience, speed and power, all of which you’re sure to appreciate.

Supported operating systems:


  • Windows Vista (SP1) or higher

  • Windows XP (SP2) or higher

  • Windows 2000 (SP4)

  • Mac OS X (10.4.11+) and (10.5+)


To install the modem and the software, these minimum system resources are required:

  • Port: Type A USB port

  • Processor: 300MHz or faster

  • Memory: 512 MB

  • Free disk space: 30 MB

  • Screen Resolution: 800×600, 256 colors


This was released this week, the EC1705 Datacard, is EVDO capable and will be using the Tri-band. I haven’t had a chance to test this modem out but it does look kinda cool! If you have this leave a message about how you like it!! I’d love to test this out but right now I can’t afford it, maybe later on this year!!




 

Tuesday
Jun092009

Microsoft Drops a 9 Security updates on Patch Tuesday

So I get home and here is what they updated for those who would like to keep track:

  • Vulnerabilities in Active Directory Could Allow Remote Code Execution (KB971055) -- This update is only for Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003.  This one is Rated critical due to Remote Code Execution, which means a program can install malware or viruses on your system and you wouldn't know it.

  • Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (KB969897) --This security update resolves seven privately reported vulnerabilities and one publicly disclosed vulnerability in Internet Explorer.

  • Vulnerabilities in Internet Information Services (IIS) Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (KB970483) --This security update resolves one publicly disclosed vulnerability and one privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS). The vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker sent a specially crafted HTTP request to a Web site that requires authentication.

  • Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (KB969462) -- This security update resolves several privately reported vulnerabilities that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Excel file that includes a malformed record object.

  • Vulnerabilities in Windows Print Spooler Could Allow Remote Code Execution (KB961501) -- This security update resolves three privately reported vulnerabilities in Windows Print Spooler. The most severe vulnerability could allow remote code execution if an affected server received a specially crafted RPC request.

  • Vulnerability in Windows Search Could Allow Information Disclosure (KB963093) -- This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Windows Search. The vulnerability could allow information disclosure if a user performs a search that returns a specially crafted file as the first result or if the user previews a specially crafted file from the search results.

  • Vulnerability in Microsoft Works Converters Could Allow Remote Code Execution (Kb957632) -- This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in the Microsoft Works converters. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Works file.

  • Vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (Kb968537) -- This security update resolves two publicly disclosed and two privately reported vulnerabilities in the Windows kernel that could allow elevation of privilege.

  • [ad]
  • Vulnerability in RPC Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (Kb970238) -- This security update resolves a publicly disclosed vulnerability in the Windows remote procedure call (RPC) facility where the RPC Marshalling Engine does not update its internal state appropriately.

  • Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Word Could Allow Remote Code Execution (Kb969514) -- This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Word file.


As you can see these are rated from being Critical to Moderate.   Each and every one of these should be updated and can be easily done using [intlink id="2883" type="post"]Autopatcher[/intlink].   Something you should consider before doing these updates is to make a Restore point before proceeding or a [intlink id="682" type="post"]Complete backup[/intlink], just in case.  Also it is suggested to install these at your earliest convenience due to the fact that the malware authors will start using and is called Exploit Wednesday. Also it wouldn't hurt to install some[intlink id="2205" type="page"] free Anti-virus and Free Firewalls[/intlink] instead of using Windows Firewall. This will help protect your in the future also.

Friday
May292009

Microsoft Issues a Security Advisory KB971778

Microsoft Security Advisory: Vulnerability in Microsoft DirectShow could allow remote code execution

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971778


The systems that are vulnerable are Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Server 2003.   I like this new way Microsoft is helping the less educated.   They now havea Fix it button on the site.  This fix it button is a registry change to there system.   It does all the work for the End user.   Although the corporate field will have to modify the registry there own way.

[ad]It looks like Microsoft is thinking of making this more user friendly.  Here is how to do a manual registry fix for your computer:

  1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.

  2. Locate and then click the following subkeys in the registry:

    • For 32-bit Windows systems:
      HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D51BD5A0-7548-11CF-A520-0080C77EF58A}

    • For 64 bit Windows Systems:
      HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D51BD5A0-7548-11CF-A520-0080C77EF58A}
      HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{D51BD5A0-7548-11CF-A520-0080C77EF58A}



  3. On the File menu, click Export.

  4. In the Export Registry File dialog box, type Quicktime_Parser_Backup.reg, and then click Save.

    Note By default, this will create a backup of this registry key in the My Documents folder.

  5. Press DELETE on the keyboard to delete the registry key. When prompted to delete the registry key in the Confirm Key Delete dialog box, click Yes.

  6. Exit Registry Editor.


This will fix the problem until Microsoft has come out with a patch.  If you are not comfortable doing it this way, you can always go hit the fix it button to have it do it automatically.  This will help prevent someone from using this exploit!!
Monday
Apr062009

Securing your Windows Machines

After a Long day at work, you sometimes feel like there isn't much you want to talk about. Then this idea comes to me? Why do people blog and why do people talk about security?

I've come to realize something, I'm not one who was grew up understanding bits from bytes. I grew up as any family does fighting with my siblings.

Having been blogging the past few years, it seems like only yesterday that I started blogging. Cliche I know but still very much true. Most blogs do what they know, I aim to learn and teach each day I blog. Like days like this when the world is pretty much quite and the [intlink id="3214" type="post"]remnants of the conficker[/intlink] worm dies to a rumble.

[ad#cricket-right-ez]So how do you secure your Windows Machine?

After a day long battle with  my wife's system, I grow to wonder if there is something I should do differently with how to prevent Viruses and Worms on her system.  So I've groomed my Knowledge base and come up with 5 good points when it comes to locking down your Windows Machines:

  • [intlink id="994" type="post"]Lock down your Router/Modem[/intlink]  -- Some people don't know that having an insecure router with weak passwords is a way to get on another system.   This can easily be prevented if the users takes some steps to prevent. it.  Although if a hacker wants to break your encryption and find your Signal there is really nothing you can do but try to prevent that.

  • [intlink id="2205" type="page"]Firewall and Anti-virus[/intlink] --  Although I know people think I am a broken record this will always be something I encourage for everyone who reads my blogs.  I will never stop beating people over the head with this.   Seeing the [intlink id="3272" type="post"]Conficker map[/intlink] tells me there are quite a few without an Anti-virus or a Firewall, which might of given someone a heads up find out if they do or not!!

  • [intlink id="2984" type="post"]Disabling AutoRun[/intlink] --  This can prevent a USB stick from installing software it shouldn't.  Remember Microsoft has issued an statement on how to disable it for sure.  Although I must say The Security Now episode 187 seems to talk about this really well and how to make sure you do disable it the right way.

  • Make sure it is a Limited user account --  Most people always run as administrator when in fact that sometimes makes you more vulnerable to viruses, worms, and trojans.   Any software you install as an administrator will automatically be given Administrator rights.  That can be very bad when it comes to virus and such.

  • [intlink id="2883" type="post"]Keep your System up to date[/intlink] -- This is essental for people who to prevent exploits to be used against you.  Although  if your like me and you want to make sure your software is up to date some of that can be done with [intlink id="553" type="post"]APPSNAP[/intlink].


With These tips, your system can be a little more safer.  Just remember there is no perfect way to protect your systems 100% only some of the time.  The rest depends on you, because your the last layer of defense.  Also it isn't a bad idea to [intlink id="2407" type="post"]back up your system from time to time[/intlink].
Tuesday
Mar242009

Onlive? Could that be the downfall of Unlimited Internet?

onlivewebsiteAs most of read from Engadget, Cnet, and IGN, this is the the beginning to the end for unlimited internet access.  As you know [ad#cricket-right-ez]according to Wikipedia, there is 8.9 Million at least having XBOX 360 and according to Engadget there are 71% have DSL speeds, so that would be a possible 5.6 million I am guessing. Just on one Console, I could go through each console and see but I know it is a big number. It could out sell all these other consoles really quickly.



Now we have had console wars for some time and this might or might not work depending on the streaming of Onlive and also the FPS(Frames Per Second).  If they don't do it right, this will never catch on and if they do it right which they might I see there will become a scenario where the ISP will want to regulate bandwidth.  Time Warner has been looking into for some time.  IF enough people buy this and use the service then all the ISP will have more reasons to regulate bandwidth.  So is this the downfall of Unlimited Internet Access?  All these kids wanting to play the most recent games, who knows how this will work out but this will be a bandwidth issue in the coming months as we see who wants to use this.  If Onlive sells these for $99 then I see it becoming the winner, I'd also like to see unlimited subscriptions like Netflix but We will have to wait and see!!
Tuesday
Feb032009

Offline Update 5.0, Clone of Autopatcher to Some!!

Offline updater 5.0 has been released a couple months ago and I just realized it now.  This is an excellent tool for IT professionals who want to keep all your Systems up-to-date with the last patches from Microsoft.  The systems it supports are Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 x64, And Windows Vista / Server 2008.(32 bit and 64 Bit updates).

ct-offline-update50


[ad#ad2-right]I find this a very useful program for people who have a multitude of problems, from not being able to get on the net to computer virus infections.  This is really good for big businesses that want to update a lot of systems in easy way without having to wait for downloads of updates to install.   You can take a DVD and update on the fly within Mins.   DVD being Cheap or buying them in bulk helps saves time and money for the company.   Less time spent downloading the updates and more time actually getting work done.  As with the Conflicker, Downadup, and to some the Conflickr Trojan, if you got infected with that little worm.  This would help install the updates that it prevented you from doing in the first place.  I also found that once you download do the update the files are kept on the hard drive so you no longer have to redownload them again.  You just update the updates every second Tuesday of the month and it downloads the newest patches and creates a whole new ISO for you to burn.
Q: How can I create the offline update CD images automate, for example via a "scheduled job"?
A: Create a new batch file in the "cmd", eg "DownloadUpdatesAndCreateISOImage.cmd". Add the desired calls of

"DownloadUpdates.cmd" and "CreateISOImage.cmd" with the necessary parameters in this new file. The file might for

example have the following contents:

@ echo off
call WXP download updates eng
call CreateISOImage WXP eng

Then set a "time-controlled contract" for the new script "DownloadUpdatesAndCreateISOImage.cmd" to your desired

time. For example, after each Microsoft Patchday create new images, select every second Wednesday of the month.

[Via The FAQ's Documentation (Translated Via Google)]

As you can see you can have it do a script and be ready for you in the morning.  You then just take it out of the drive and install where you need to install the day after the updates are issued. On another Note if you have clients who use Windows office Xp, 2000, 2003, 2007 then this will also help:

ct-offline-update50-1


This is nice if you have clients who use the Microsoft Office Suites also.  Some Malware will often try to infect people's systems through a office script or some other vector.   So this will also prevent infections or hackers from getting onto the system by updating this also.  You can have this added to each and every DVD ISO you make to include these as you update the patches also.

Download:
Tuesday
Dec092008

The Important Windows patches Released Today

As many of you know we talked about the Non-critical patches that Microsoft will release today.  IF you want to read those please go and check it out.   I'll be talking about the REALLY important ones that Microsoft has kept tight until now.    These are the more important ones but I will list the ones that I previous talked about to better help people recognize the non-important ones:



[ad#ad2-right]
  • KB955839

  • KB957388

  • KB890830

  • KB905866

  • These are just the tip of the iceberg. although this list are not A lot.  I'd wanted to let people know about what people coin "Exploit Wednesday".  I really don't know if this is a Myth or actually does exist but I'd figure we discuss the problems associated with installing the critical updates and try to tell you which ones should be installed As soon as possible.  Though people have in the past used a Virtual Machine to see if there is any problem, that should be your first step if you don't want to have any problems with these updates.  I don't suggest testing it more than a couple days.  Here are some good Virtual Machine software to try out yourself:




    Here is the list of updates that are critical that Microsoft released today.   Each one of these are quite important and should be considered installed when you get a chance.


    [ad#ad2-left]Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-073 - Critical
    Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (KB958215)

    This security update resolves four privately reported vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.



    Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-071 – Critical
    Vulnerabilities in GDI Could Allow Remote Code Execution (KB956802)

    This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in GDI. Exploitation of either of these vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted WMF image file. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.



    [ad#ad2-right]Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-075 – Critical
    Vulnerabilities in Windows Search Could Allow Remote Code Execution (KB959349)

    This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Windows Search. These vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens and saves a specially crafted saved-search file within Windows Explorer or if a user clicks a specially crafted search URL. An attacker who successfully exploited these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.



    KB952069
    (not quite sure what this one is, when I go do a Google search this is what pops up. It was in German but Google translated it for me)

    In the Windows Media Runtime to the default in Windows XP SP3 contains Windows Media Player (WMP) 9 were discovered vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to compromise your Windows-based system and gain control over it. See Security Bulletin MS08-076 ( englisch bzw. deutsch ) See Security Bulletin MS08-076 (English or German)


    These are just ones that I found and wanted to let you know, the others have been explained on the other article.  So check them all out and I suggest installing them quickly as possible.

    Wednesday
    Nov262008

    Microsoft issues Vista patches out of Monthly Patch Cycle!

    KB957321,KB959108,KB959130


    Microsoft issues Out of cycle patch for Vista.   These patches are as Followed:
    [ad#ad2-right-1]

    Kb957321


    An update rollup is available for the Microsoft Windows Imaging Component (WIC) in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008. This update rollup resolves the problems that are documented in the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    954708 An update to add support for the serialization of complex Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) data types in the Windows Imaging Component

    945060 There may be inconsistencies in the Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) and Exchangeable Image File (EXIF) values for an image file in Windows Vista and in Windows XP

    The Windows Portable Device (WPD) API collects and transfers Software Quality Metrics (SQM) data to Microsoft servers. The SQM data is collected only on an opt-in basis through the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program. An update is available that disables the collection and transfer of SQL data to Microsoft servers.



    This update affects Windows Vista-based computers, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1)-based computers, and Windows Server 2008-based computers that are in the Microsoft Windows Media Player Customer Experience Improvement Program.

    On a Windows Vista-based computer or on a Windows Server 2008-based computer, you install a third-party Web browser. You set the third-party Web browser as the default Web browser. Then, you run the Connect to the Internet Wizard. However, if you select the Browse the Internet now option, Windows Internet Explorer starts instead of the third-party Web browser that you set as the default Web browser.


    [ad#ad2-right]This seems to be not so important.  All of these are not really security related but it does surprise me that Microsoft wanted to release these out of Cycle.   If your planning on using your Vista laptop during the holidays you might want to update your vista machine before you go.  I don't think there is going to be any major issues with this but if there is, you can always remove these updates later.
    Tuesday
    Nov112008

    AVG Detected a False Positive

    [ad#ad2-left]According to Security and The Net:

    An update for the AVG virus scanner released yesterday contained an incorrect virus signature, which led it to think user32.dll contained the Trojan Horses PSW.Banker4.APSA or Generic9TBN. AVG then recommended deleting this file; this causes the affected systems to either stop booting or go into a continuous reboot cycle. So far, the problem only appears to affect Windows XP, but there is no guarantee that other versions of Windows don’t have the same issue.

    [Via Security and The Net]


    [ad#ad2-right]I bring this up because this is a false positive according to AVG. AVG since sent out another update to there Database and you can go and update the database to get rid of this problem. If you need to restore that DLL check out the article Security and The Net, they got some excellent suggestions on fixing the problem.

    If you've not been affected by this yet, you probably won't be. It is yet unknown how many people have been affected. I'm blogging about this to tell people about this and to warn people that not all of warnings from AVG are true and that is why you should always ask before you delete or do anything to your system. I always USE google when it comes to these types of questions
    Sunday
    Nov022008

    Windows update is getting a revision!

    [ad#ad2-right]According to Computer World, dated Oct 31, 2008 and I'll quote:
    "Over the next couple of months, we'll be rolling out another infrastructure update to the Windows Update agent (client code)," said an unidentified Microsoft employee on the Windows Update team's official blog. "This update makes it possible for users to install more than 80 updates at the same time."

    [via Computer World]

    Now if your like me and have several computers who need to be updated at a given schedule, you sometimes worry about these updates that come along that might just break your system. I have been using a program call Offline Updater, which does what Autopatcher does really nicely. So why is Microsoft sending out this patch? Two reasons, one they want you to be able to update your operating System without hurting your system integrity.

    Now lets talk about the integrity of having to reboot your system. You see, every time you reboot the system, it causes the system hardware some strain.  It is something like having starting up a car, sooner or later you will have the starter go out, because of to much start up.

    [ad#ad2-left]Second reason for this is, basically the update software needs to be update yet again for any security flaws or features that might be exploitable.  I am sure there are some and Microsoft probably knows about that we do not.   So that is the second reason, which it is the most obvious reason yet to push out another revision of the Windows update.

    What about stopping the update from effecting your system.  The only way that I know of is to prevent Windows from checking for updates.  Which is simple:

    Windows XP Version:

    [Category View and Classic View]


    <Start> / Control Panel / Security / Click Windows Updates

    For Windows Vista:

    <Orb> / Control Panel/ Security Center/ Windows Update / click "change Settings"

    With both ways, you will be able to control four ways to handle Windows updating and they are:

    • Automatic - Will download all necessary updates and install them without your permission or knowledge.  Note some of the updates will automatically reboot your system.  Most commonly they are set to do this every day in the 12am to 4 am period of time.   So when you wake up you would see an log in screen.

    • [ad#ad2-right]
    • Download updates but let me choice which ones to install and when -  This is most commonly used by people who don't want to bother having to check manually.  It will check and download, then it will let you know.



    • Check for updates but don't Download them -  This is like the previous one but this will only tell you.  The rest of the decision is in your hands not the computer.  This is good for people who have limited system resources, like Hard drive space.  It still reminds you like the previous one but won't download any updates.



    • Never check for updates -  This is used for people who don't want to be bothered with updates and have a way to update manually.  This is commonly used by businesses who have several systems on and don't want to risk an update causing trouble or weigh down the companies internet by downloading updates un-necessarily.   This option is not to be messed with because it leaves your system with quite a lot of vulnerabilities.  You do this one if you have a set schedule to update each and everyone system. (Extremely Dangerous to do)


    With what I talked about, I am hoping you find this useful and to share your discoveries with other people who might want to be able to change how Windows updates are handled on other systems.  If you have comments or questions, please post them in the comment section and someone will be more than glad to help you out.
    Wednesday
    Oct292008

    Microsoft Releases MS08-062 to the Public a Month Early!


    Vulnerability in Windows Internet Printing Service Could Allow Remote Code Execution (KB953155)



    This update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in the Windows Internet Printing Service that could allow remote code execution. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts.



    [ad]





    This update is rated Important for all supported editions of Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.



    The security update addresses this vulnerability by changing the way that memory is allocated within the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) service. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.

    [via Microsoft Bulletin]

    Now from what I understand, if you have a Network attached printer on your system this would make you more vulnerable to someone taking control over your system. So this patch is supposed to fix that. I am recommending to all to update this and fix this update ASAP. I do not know if you don't have one what that would do so just install this update, because you will undoubtedly still be runing the Internet Printer Protocol even if you don't have a printer.
    Friday
    Oct242008

    Help stop those slow boot up!!

    I was searching for a program to help boot up my system a lot quicker.   I came across this little program call Startup Delayer.  In a nutshell, it allows you to pick which programs to start up first and then lets you decide how many minutes between each program that is asking to load.

    [ad]



    [ad]

    In the best way possible you can download this program and use it for yourself.   Although they seem to be having a little server problem right now.   Go download Startup Delayer, and decide for yourself.

    Windows XP/ME/Vista and 2000 compatible
    Tuesday
    Oct212008

    Silverlight 2.0.31005.0 Is release today.

    I woke up this morning and found there was an update.  I thought to myself this isn't the second Tuesday, that was last week.  So I click on my update tab to see what it was all about? Wouldn't you know it, an update to Silverlight 2.

    [ad]




    I will be looking into the new Microsoft Silverlight.   I have heard on the wind, that this might be due to the PDC coming Oct 27-30.   This has something to do with Windows 7, I'm almost sure of it.   I am sure as you can see this is most interesting. I'm also sure this has to do with some security fix but why push it out now when there is no need too.  This update effects Windows Xp/Vista/and 2000  so we will see what they have in mind the coming weeks.
    Wednesday
    Aug202008

    Running old programs on Vista (tips and tricks)

    So We've talked about how to get Vista to shut down better.  So I thought we talk about getting Windows XP programs to run on Vista and be more stable.  You can do this with Windows XP, ME, 2000, NT,. and 95 programs.

    [ad]

    • Run the program in compatibility mode -- This is something Vista comes with now for running old programs in Vista. To do this you will have to do some minor things.  Go to where the program is and right click on the program.  Select properties>compatibility.  Select "Run this program in compatibility  mode for:" Select  windows Operating System that you think would work with the program.



    • Run the program as Administrator --  This is a really good tip and trick to sometimes get programs to run with vista.  It goes hand in hand with the last one.  Right click on the program and select "Run as Administrator".  I find some old programs don't know about the kernel protection in Vista and you need to give them permission to use the kernel for the program to work.



    • Give the program special access --  Yes this one takes a little skill but should fix some of the problems with vista and old programs.  Right click on program and select properties.  Select security, and then select the group you want to associate with it.  I always suggest putting it in the administrator group because of the problems with Vista and the kernel.


    [ad]

    These few tips and tricks will greatly increease the likely hood of a old program to run in Vista.  Now remember if you have a Vist x64 Version you might need to do the Run as Administrator more than not.  I am not sure why I just know it is sometimes required.  Let me know what other tips and tricks you use with Vista and I'll be sure to pass them along!!
    Wednesday
    Jan022008

    You can do more with Steam and Half-Life 2 now!!



    So I've been Playing Half-Life 2 and Enjoying it so much. I've had a problem with Vista popping up and saying "The igfx video driver has stopped responding and has recovered!". Which means this, that the game goes black and stops being played. It's an annoying Vista flaw, I am thinking that if it wasn't Vista it wouldn't of happened. I've got the Minimum system specs for the game. DirectX 7.0 Compatible, 512 Megabytes of Ram, 128 megabytes Video Ram Card(some supported cards here but I don't have one of those cards!), and Windows NT/XP/2000/98.

    I did a little research and found out that the game was only using 256 megabytes of ram. How do I know? I went into the Taskmanager Manager and looked at hl2.exe (it was around 254 megs of memory!). So that got me thinking, I have 1024 megabytes(1 gigabyte memory) and I was using 256 megabytes of that for video. Well I still had over 700 megabytes of memory to use.

    I did some digging and found this great article about Steam and Commands that I could put in to force Half-Life 2 to co-operate. The article is from the Linux Community and using the WINE engine to help people to play Half-Life 2 with Linux. This little option is available to most of the Steam community. To use these commands, one must do some stuff check farther down for details. These commands are:

    [ad]

    Command Line Commands


    -heapsize [Kilobytes]: This command tells Half Life 2 to allocate more RAM to the game system heap, where it can be accessed by the game to improve performance by storing more game information in RAM and hence reducing loading pauses. The default heapsize is 64MB, however you can safely allocate around 128MB (i.e. -heapsize 128000) for most systems. You can use higher values if you have more RAM, but I don’t recommend exceeding half your physical RAM (e.g. for 1GB RAM, set heapsize of 512000).

    -console: Speeds up the loading of Half Life 2 at startup by not loading up the background 3D graphics on the main menu and instead loading up a blurry background picture and the Half Life 2 console open. Note you can close this console using the ‘~’ key.

    -width [pixels] -height [pixels]: Using these two commands you can set a custom resolution in Pixel Width x Pixel Height (e.g. -width 640 height 480 starts HL2 with 640×480 resolution). Make sure you choose a resolution supported by your monitor and with the correct ratio of width to height (usually 4:3).

    -dxlevel [version]: Using this command allows you to force Half Life into only using the specified DirectX version for shaders. For example, use -dxlevel 70 to force Hardware DirectX7.0 level support for shaders. This means a reduction in image quality but an increase in performance. Other values include -dxlevel 80 -dxlevel 81 and -dxlevel90. Note that this only works if you choose a DirectX version which is lower than the current one supported by your graphics card. See the Hardware DirectX Version option under the In-Game settings for more details.

    -refresh [Hz]: Specifies the refresh rate the game will use upon loading. This is normally not required as your system should already use the optimal refresh rate at your chosen resolution. However if this is not the case you can force it to a specific refresh rate (e.g. -rate 85). Make absolutely certain that the rate you are trying to apply does not exceed your monitor’s capabilities otherwise you may damage your monitor - especially if you change resolutions and forget to change this option.

    -novid: Disables the intro video so that Half-Life 2 loads a bit faster.

    [Via Linux and Open Source Blog]

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    Now what I used to make Half-Life 2 a more enjoyable game was to go into steam program and Right click Half-Life 2 and select properties Then select : "Select launch options" and I added this:

    "-console -heapsize 512000 -dxlevel 70"

    Now let's clarify some of this:

    the heapsize I set that to add more memory for Half-Life 2 to make it around 512 megabytes. I then told it to Use only DirectX 7.0. Now when Direct X 7.0 was out you could only have 128 megabytes of Video so that was fine. I've got 256 megabytes of shared video memory, I Just told it to use only 128 so it actually helped out the game performance. I Got a more stable game to where I could play for hours without any annoying glitches and got to see the story line. I will say you shouldn't use this particular setting unless you have enough memory. I think Vista is having trouble with Direct X 10.0 because the change of the game was surprisingly smoother. I am not sure why it works I just know it does. I hope this helps other gamers out with this little problem, I've had with Vista and all.


    If you like this an other posts I've done please show your support by telling people to come here or just click the links at the bottom and let people know you like what I've written, this is the only way the blog will grow!! Thanks

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    Tuesday
    Dec042007

    Vista pirated half as much as XP, Microsoft rejoices


    While it admits it's not possible to pin down an exact number, Microsoft has let out word today that it estimates the counterfeit rate of Vista to be about half that of XP, a figure that it seems to be more than pleased with. Of course, one could interpret those numbers in slightly less positive ways, but Microsoft claims the sharp dip in piracy is due to Vista's amped up authentication system, which it says is a "proven and effective way to combat piracy." To come up with the numbers, Microsoft apparently relied statistics based on Windows Genuine Advantage validation failures, as well as other unspecified internal data. As TG Daily notes, all this follows Microsoft's announcement of revised anti-piracy measures in Vista SP1 and, specifically, some big changes to the aforementioned WGA feature.

    [Via Engadget]
    Oh brother I guess that means Vista is getting popular I hope not. I am still having some trouble with the OS. Oh well I thought people would like to know!!
    Tuesday
    Nov272007

    Synchronize Folders with SyncToy 2.0

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    Windows only: Synchronize the contents of two folders, either across your home network or on the same PC with a free utility from Microsoft, SyncToy. The 2.0 beta's been released and gotten smarter since the first time we pointed out SyncToy, adding smart drive letter detection (for when your USB drive gets assigned a different drive letter when you plug it in) and a more robust mechanism to include or exclude files from the synchronize action. Great for sync'ing files from your desktop to a USB drive or between two different computers on your home network, Adam uses it to sync his iTunes library between PC's. The SyncToy 2.0 beta is a free download for Windows only.

    Wednesday
    Nov142007

    Monitor Drive Space with Vista-Style Icons

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    Windows 98/XP/2000 only: Want to keep better tabs on your drive and partition space without having to right-click or open "My Computer"? Free application Vista Drive Icon replaces the standard hard drive icons with Vista-style models that display how much space is taken up and turn red when nearly full. The program runs in the background, shows up in almost every folder view and uses only a small amount of memory. If you're seeing red a bit too often, check out Gina's guide to visualizing your hard drive usage to make clean-up fast and easy. Vista Drive Icon is a free download and runs on Windows versions earlier than Vista.

    Friday
    Nov092007

    Keep Your Start Menu Sorted Alphabetically

    Experienced Windows XP users likely know how to manually alphabetize their Start menu's programs list, but doing so after every new program installation gets old pretty quickly. The Elder Geek offers a solution that keeps your programs alphabetized at all times—even if you try to re-sort them. The trick involves making a registry hack, and the Elder Geek points out that this one in particular could do some damage if done incorrectly, so make sure to back up your registry before venturing in.

    Tuesday
    Nov062007

    Fully Customizable Sidebar with SideSlide

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    Windows only: Like the convenience of the Vista sidebar but wish it offered more customization, or even just a hiding option? Free application SideSlide gives you program and web site launchers, RSS readers, notepads, reminders, pictures, clipping holders, and more in one skin-able bar that hides on the edges of your desktop. It's the kind of tinker-friendly widget that shortcut lovers can easily get lost in—containers to launch multiple programs at once, feed combiners with group searching and updating and lots of keyboard navigation options, to name just a few hacks. Check out this quick start guide by SideSlide's makers to get started. SideSlide is a free download for Windows XP, 2000 and Vista, and requires that Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0 be installed (a link is provided on the SideSlide link below, but Vista users should be set up already). Vista users who just want to get more out of their pre-installed sidebar can check out our roundup of useful sidebar gadgets.