Serious gamers may notice a decrease in framerate compared to previous versions of Windows when using XP on their Via-chipset based machines. This is partly because of XP’s built-in support for Via chipsets. A quick check in the Device Manager will reveal the lack of some items, such as the “Via CPU to AGP Controller.” What’s worse is downloading and installing the latest Via Drivers won’t help under normal circumstances. This guide will get you the controller back and increase your framerates.
- Download the latest Via 4-in-1 drivers here - http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=2#4in1
- Navigate to wherever you saved the drivers, and unzip them to a folder.
- Open the folder and find the Setup.exe. Right-click it and choose Properties.
- Click the Compatibility Tab.
- Check the box labeled “Run this program in compatibility mode for: ” Choose Windows 2000 from the drop down list.
- Click “Ok” to close the dialog.
- Double-click the setup and install the drivers as usual.
- When you reboot, you’ll notice the “Via CPU to AGP Controller” in your device manager, as well as a few other Via items that weren’t there before.
This works because, ultimately, XP is running Windows 2000’s engine under the hood. Hopefully Via will resolve this driver issue in the future, but in the meantime, this works quite well.
If you own a Google Chromecast streaming device, you can easily share a browser tab in Chrome browser or even your entire desktop. This can be very useful when presenting from your laptop or if you just want to watch something on a big screen that is only on your PC. The only requirement is you must be on the same network as your Chromecast...
Read More
If you are a fan of minimalist desktop experiences, hiding the desktop icons are an easy way to clean up the Windows interface. Instead of saving everything to your desktop, use the default profile folders such as downloads and documents. Actually hiding all the icons on your desktop is a very simple customization hidden in the right-click context menu. Just right-click on the desktop, select View...
Read More
Google security researchers have published details about a major security flaw found in the SSL protocol that is used to encrypt data transferred between your browser and a web server. SSL is typically used in situations where logon credentials are validated...
Read More
Enabling two-factor authentication is a great way to add an additional level of protection to your Microsoft account. Even if your password is stolen, your account is still protected because two-factor authetication requires an additional level of verification to log in. Microsoft calls their version of two-factor authentication "two-step verification" and it works by providing you with a random code...
Read More