Month: January 2008

You don’t believe me? So go take a look for yourself.. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310560  It is a DIAGNOSTIC tool. It has never been officially designated an on/off switch, but it became common among Windows 9x users to use it as one. The problem stemmed from a small and finite block of resources in the Windows 9x family. For instance, if a user changed the screen colours from the Windows default scheme, this took away from the resource block. If a user changed the background of the IE header, this took away from the resource block. If a user insisted upon having a … Continue reading MSCONFIG is not an on/off switch..

Preface The general idea behind backups is to create usable retrievable copies of data onto media that is then kept isolated from the computer system until such time as there is a necessity to retrieve any of them. The term ‘backup’ is also synonymous with ‘compression’ which leads to problems all of its own. Each backup program/utility has its own modus operandi, that is to say, it will convert data into a compressed form that only it can read. The same backup program which created the backup has to be used to retrieve the backup. For instance, a backup created … Continue reading Low Disk Space Warning After Backing Up..

“This behaviour is the expected result of certain hardware and software factors. Various devices in a typical computer require memory-mapped access. This is known as memory-mapped I/O (MMIO). For the MMIO space to be available to 32-bit operating systems, the MMIO space must reside within the first 4 GB of address space. For example, if you have a video card that has 256 MB of onboard memory, that memory must be mapped within the first 4 GB of address space. If 4 GB of system memory is already installed, part of that address space must be reserved by the graphics … Continue reading 4gb RAM installed but only 3gb RAM shows..

Since writing the first part, I have reloaded Halo for PC, Combat Flight Simulator 3 and Fable Lost Chapters. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the DirectX 9 ‘pack’ has improved the way the games play now. I can set detail in each game on the highest settings possible, and they will run without ‘blue screening’ and the action is smooth. Admittedly, the games are not cutting edge anymore, but the DirectX 9 updates should improve gaming experience across the board for users still running DirectX 9 video cards. The link again.. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a-9b6652cd92a3&displaylang=en To get the DirectX … Continue reading ‘Why games don’t play so well’ Update..