http://www.multiupload.com/4G8Y9OQ78P

from

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=315901

large download vista and windows 7 only from what i can see.

also suggested to REMOVE old drivers and CCC before installing.

I bought Sims 3 and the xpac Sims 3 High-End Loft for my GF. I installed it on my comp and it keeps crashing to desk top. Its extremely annoying considering I cant locate the problem and fix it. I am runnig Crossfire X Radeon HD 4830’s … 80 gig hard drive … p5k motherboard … Intel Core 2, 6600 @ 2.40ghz … 2.41 GHz, 3.00 GB of RAM .. running Windows XP professional Serv Pack 2

WTF could the problem be ? Im about to get windows 7 from my friend … any suggestions ??

NEWS FLASH

Part 2

New hotfix drivers to fix screen flashing

http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/Grey-screen-and-vertical-line-corruptions.aspx

seems ati have released a hotfix that addresses mass effect issues

http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/force-Anti-Aliasing-support-in-Crossfire.aspx

all oses seem to be included a big 111 meg download

http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx

All versions are there but AVIVO has yet to show up, still the 9.12 version

These are the same as the 8.70c beta drivers so you may not need to upgrade.

So far they are working fine with no major issues to report

Release notes

         
 
                                          ATI Catalyst™ Release Note Version 10.1                                                4
 
AMD Chipset Product Support
 
AMD Chipset Product Support
ATI Radeon™ HD 4200 Series  ATI Radeon™ 3100 Series
ATI Radeon™ HD 3300 Series  ATI Radeon™ 3000 Series
ATI Radeon™ HD 3200 Series  
 
Operating Systems Supported
 
The latest version of the ATI Catalyst™ software suite is designed to support the
following Microsoft Windows platforms:
 
z    Windows 7 32-bit version
z    Windows 7 64-bit version
z    Windows Vista 32-bit version
z    Windows Vista 64-bit version
z    Windows XP Professional
z    Windows XP Home Edition
z    Windows XP Media Center Edition
z    Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
 
 
Note: When installing the ATI Catalyst™ driver for Windows, the
user must be logged on as Administrator or have Administrator rights
in order to successfully complete the installation of the ATI
Catalyst™ driver.
 
Performance Improvements
 
The following performance gains are noticed with this release of ATI Catalyst™ 10.1:
 
z    Left 4 Dead 2 – Overall performance improves as much as 3% on ATI Radeon™
HD 5700 series products and ATI Radeon™ HD 5800 series products
z    Crysis – Performance improves as much as 3% on ATI Radeon™ HD 5700 series
products and as much as 4% on ATI Radeon™ HD 5800 series products
 
Resolved Issues for All Windows Operating Systems
 
This section provides information on resolved issues in this release of the ATI Catalyst™
Software Suite for Windows. These include:
 
z    Confirmation dialog box will now appear while extending the display through ATI
Catalyst™ Control Center
z    “Enable Manual Fan Control” check box will now be checked when utilizing external
tools to apply fan speed 
 
        
 
                                          ATI Catalyst™ Release Note Version 10.1                                                5
z    [ATI Catalyst™ Control Center] The display order will now reflect changes properly
when Eyefinity is re-arranged while desktop is rotated to portrait mode
z    Hot unplugging one of the displays in an Eyefinity configuration no longer causes
rotation modes to disappear from ATI Catalyst™ Control Center
 
Resolved Issues for the Windows 7 Operating System
 
This section provides information on resolved issues in this release of the ATI Catalyst™
Software Suite for Windows 7. These include:
 
z    [ATI Catalyst™ Control Center] Enabling LCD Overdrive will no longer cause
mouse cursor to magnify when moved overtop of the “Calibration Preview”
z    DisplayPort™ “Lower Setting Applied” and “Link Failure” messages will no longer
appear after driver installation and reboot with DP displays connected to the mini DP
port
z    Firefox now works properly and video no longer drop frames when playing Youtube
clips with Adobe Flash Player 10
z    CrossFire™ logo now appears properly in CFX enabled applications like “3DMark
Vantage” or “Call of Juarez”
z    [ATI Catalyst™ Control Center] Newly added custom modes will now appear
properly in desktop area tree view
z    Confirmation dialogue window will now appear when setting up Eyefinity mode
z    120 Hz is no longer missing from display modes for specific digital displays
z    Specific configurations will no longer cause Ubisoft “Wheelman” to stop responding
during gameplay
z    Loss of HDMI signal may no longer occurs when viewing Blu-ray content, and re-
scanning for the HDMI signal no longer cause the entire screen to shift and display a
green border
z    Overscan/underscan issue no longer occurs when setting displays to HDTV modes
z    Performance drop no longer observed during some scenes of Resident Evil 5
cinematics
z    Blocky grass and trees no longer visible in Unigine “Heaven” in OpenGL mode
 
Resolved Issues for the Windows Vista Operating System
 
This section provides information on resolved issues in this release of the ATI Catalyst™
Software Suite for Windows Vista. These include: 
 
z    Changing basic color settings will now reflect properly during playback with Adobe
Flash Player using Internet Explorer or Firefox
z    The right side of HD progressive playback screen will no longer freeze while
enabling split screen mode and dynamic contrast
z    Green horizontal line no longer visible at the top of the playback window when
viewing SD HQV content with desktop resolution set to 25×16
 
Known Issues Under All Windows Operating Systems
 
The following section provides a summary of open issues that may be experienced under
the Windows operating system in the latest version of ATI Catalyst™. These include:
 
 
        
 
                                          ATI Catalyst™ Release Note Version 10.1                                                6
 
z    [ATI Catalyst™ Control Center] Changing to deinterlace mode may default to
adaptive deinterlace mode instead when playing videos
z    Setting Eyefinity group may not work for some configurations with DVI and display
port devices
z    Creating an Eyefinity group on the non-primary display might not function properly
z    [ATI Catalyst™ Control Center] Hotkeys for rotations may disappear after disabling
rotated Eyefinity mode
z    With active display in clone mode, creating an Eyefinity group might not function
properly and message prompting user to disable the extended desktop might not pop
up
z    ATI Catalyst™ Control Center might not remember the position of the fourth
monitor after displays are repositioned in Eyefinity grouping
z    Intermittent grey screen or vertical line corruption may randomly appear on the
screen
 
Known Issues Under the Windows 7 Operating System
 
The following section provides a summary of open issues that may be experienced under
the Windows 7 operating system in the latest version of ATI Catalyst™. These include:
 
z    Media Center may display corruption when viewing DVB-T content
z    Flickering grass and white borders may be visible in Unigine “Heaven” benchmark in
DirectX 9 mode
z    Performing rotation or resolution changes may cause the player to stop responding
during h.264 HD content playback
z    Enabling Catalyst™ A.I. in ATI Catalyst™ Control Center may cause severe
flickering to be observed in Ubisoft “R.U.S.E.” beta game
z    Dynamic contrast may stop functioning when detail enhancement is enabled
z    Enabling split screen demo mode has no effect on WinDVD during Blu-ray content
playback
z    Corruption may be visible during “Resident Evil 5″ gameplay in specific chapters
z    Corruption might be observed in the opening cinematics and race preview of “EVE
Online” game
z    Corruption might be visible in “Resident Evil 5″ during in game cut scenes with
specific settings and HDR value set to high
 
Known Issues Under the Windows Vista Operating System
 
The following section provides a summary of open issues that may be experienced under
the Windows Vista operating system in the latest version of ATI Catalyst™. These
include:
 
z    ATI Catalyst™ installation log may report the HDMI audio driver as failed, although
driver was successfully installed as shown by the Device Manager
z    WinDVD 10 may stop responding when moved to an extended display in a multi-
monitor setup
z    HDTV custom modes being added might not appear under the Desktop Area of the
Display Desktop Properties in ATI Catalyst™ Control Center
 
 
        
 
                                          ATI Catalyst™ Release Note Version 10.1                                                7
z    With one of displays connected via the DisplayPort, PowerDVD may terminate
during Blu-ray content playback in Eyefinity mode
z    Laser designator beam might not focus on target properly in “Call of Duty: Modern
Warefare 2″ during Act II: Exodus mission
 
Known Issues Under the Windows XP Operating System
 
The following section provides a summary of open issues that may be experienced under
the Windows XP operating system in the latest version of ATI Catalyst™. These include:
 
z    Flickering and corruption might be observed while playing “Wolfenstein
Multiplayer” at high settings
z    “ATI Theater Remote Receiver” might not be listed under “Human Interface
Devices” in “Device Manager” after driver installation

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4b141be209dacc86273fc0a87e0106ad/Product/View/XS8100

Plus a few other stores like

• bing lee
• harvey norman
• jb-hi fi
• betta electrical
• officeworks
• retravision
• good guys (spotted the latest catalogue and goes on sale on the 3rd December for $225…less for cash of course )

Pretty much it will cost you aroun $250 give or take depending on the store for 3 upgrade copies of windows home premium.

But MS have stated its a *water tester* so the deal may stop at any time.

Also still 80 odd dearer than the US gets it….still need to bring pricing inline.

http://www.betta.com.au/bettaproducts/Product.aspx?departmentId=8&categoryId=27&groupId=76&productId=342544

Seems if you believe betta electrical the sale ends the 31st December…soo get in fast for xmas

this is still good value compared to seperate products and the more that take it up the more likely it is to stay longer.

http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/pages/GPU37-driver-for-ati-radeon-hd-5970.aspx

Windows 7/vista only (32 or 64)

Only have the 5970 listed

seem to install on other cards like the 4870 but the actual driver seems to be the same as the released 9.11

seeing a bit of a performance boost at least in Vantage.

http://service.futuremark.com/compare?3dmv=1618207

up around 300 odd points from 9.10/9.11 same settings.

interested to see if it helps with any crossfire or the other issues with MW2 and borderlands.

new version of the drivers a hotfix to help with dirt2..the game that is not out yet…yeah…that one.

http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/GPU41-Hotfix-to-improve-Dirt2-performance.aspx

BUT

they are a better set than the other drivers listed and seem to run smoother.

no more freaked out mouse cursor for me.

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx

ok avivo is up (search for the xp version)

http://www2.ati.com/drivers/9-11_vista_win7_32-64_xcode.exe

release notes

http://www2.ati.com/relnotes/Catalys…ease_notes.pdf

There are quite a few steps to keeping your computer (laptop/desktop) running trim fit and fast.

The more you do the longer the computer will behave and stave off the dreaded upgrades.

Step 1

Security

It is imperative in this day and age to run good security on computers.

Macs and Linux based machines are inherently more secure but can also be a little overwhelming to run on a day to day basis for some people.

There are quite a few steps to having a secure environment but mostly it comes down to common sense, if emails tell you cheap Viagra….then you should be getting red flags.

If a bank says your security or password is off and simply *click this link* to put in a new one…red flags.

If you search for things that can be construed different ways like big Betties hot fenders…red flags.

First step in staying safe is antivirus/antispyware.

Antivirus

There are a number of products available a lot of them free here is a quick list.

Avast home for private use

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

MS security essentials (free for anyone with a valid copy of windows)

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

Avira personal (free for home use)

http://www.free-av.com/

Next antispyware

Malwarebytes personal (free for home use)

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Spybot search and destroy (free)

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html

now as with anything research is key so if you want to pay for AV then have a look over this site and make an informed decision, just remember a lot of companies offer bulk discounts like buying 5 or 10 copies for 3 years can save a bundle and you can share it out with the family or friends.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/comparativesreviews/main-tests

• A very important point to make is to be sure your security is up to date. An antivirus program that is out of date is pretty much useless.
• Also be sure to run an actual *scan* of your hard drive at regular intervals as the resident protection (one that runs in the background) may miss some sneaky Trojans.

Next in security are updates.

Updates

First step is make sure Microsoft updates are scheduled to run, but that isn’t all you really should run windows update/Microsoft update form the computer.

Start/all programs/windows-Microsoft updates.

This can give you updates like Internet explorer 8 for example, a much stable and secure browser than the older ones.

Software updates for your programs.

This is easy enough, most programs will come with a check for updates function; if not just go to the vendor site for example:

http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Cyberlink (powerdvd etc)

http://www.cyberlink.com/downloads/support/index_en_AU.html

Doing these steps should keep you relatively safe and up to date.

Next will be Step 2 hardware maintenance.

Find it here.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=991245

i am testing them on windows 7 and so far so good but i only have an older 4xxx card so better suited to the 5xxx crowd.

Avivo direct link windows 7/vista x64/x32 http://www2.ati.com/drivers/9-9_vist…2-64_xcode.exe

wrong of course

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx

5xxx series seems to be the same as the rest so just grab one .

they are newer than the beta rc6/7 drivers

Hi all.

Well Microsoft have come to the party gain with Windows 7 proffesional upgrade 32 or 64 bit for $49.95 Australian dollars

http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/itsnotcheating/default.aspx

I have grabbed it and i am downloading it now.

By far the cheapest way to get windows 7.

Have at it

As an aside this is how i created a bootable win7 disk.

just grab the file from digital river(3 gig odd) run it it expands abunch of files and a setup windows opens close that then find these files

then follow this guide from basically point 4 down.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/12/23/illustrative-guide-to-create-bootable-iso-image-from-vista-win-image-files/

this is what i did and i have a bootable disk.

i am about to test it installing over an old winxp 32 bit so i will need to format  a fresh.

===============================================================================================================================================

Addition

To clear a few things up What is the difference between what I can purchase from the online store versus in a retail store?

There is no difference between the Windows 7 software you will install from the online store versus in retail stores. However, if you need to perform a custom (clean) install on your PC, we recommend you purchase the back-up DVD.

From

http://store.digitalriver.com/store/msshau/ContentTheme/pbPage.Windows_7_FAQ

Also

Terms

http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/itsnotcheating/terms.aspx

Not sure if this is mentioned anywhere but there is a windows 7 usb/dvd tool to whack the iso on.

http://www.microsoftstore.com.au/shop/Help/Windows-7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool

good for netbooks(i knwo the other methods are fine but always nice to have choices )

ok didn’t work with my iso…

another point to make.

you can use the 32 bit code for the 64 bit disk so you can purchase 2 copies on one account(sometimes 3 if they screw up ) you can do a clean install on a fresh hardrive using various methods.

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp

 1 2 or 3 will work usually (i have done a clean install formatting the drives then installing and by not using the key initially it installed and allowed me to add the key and activate, did this twice)

now legally it is a bit of hmmm as the EULA clearly states that you must have a qualifying OS for upgrade and that OS will be disabled and not usable after the upgrade, (so if you do a double install then you disable the os you are using :p) seems that the windows 7 RC is a valid upgrade path as this did work (using a clean install though) also seems any copies of windows will allow it to install (windows xp nt4 win98 msdnna copies etc) so if you have an ol win  98 hard drive around throw it in and see if it allows an install.

So it is up to you in regards to above…just because it works doesn’t make it right