Drivers Archives

Winsage

May 12, 2025

Microsoft Releases Detailed Guide to Fix Windows Blue Screen Errors

Microsoft has released an official guide to address the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) issues in Windows 11 and Windows 10, updated on May 11, 2025, following a significant global outage in July 2024 caused by a problematic CrowdStrike update. The guide categorizes troubleshooting into basic and advanced steps, highlighting common error codes like PAGEFAULTINNONPAGEDAREA (0x00000050). Approximately 75% of stop errors are attributed to faulty drivers, making driver verification essential. Basic troubleshooting includes removing recently added hardware, booting into Safe Mode, checking Device Manager for problematic components, ensuring 10-15% free disk space, installing the latest Windows Updates, and using System Restore. Advanced troubleshooting involves using Event Viewer, running Windows Memory Diagnostics, and analyzing memory dumps with WinDbg. The guide emphasizes the resource-intensive nature of Driver Verifier and suggests testing suspicious drivers in smaller groups. It also includes hardware-specific troubleshooting tips, such as checking for overheating components and performing disk diagnostics with the “chkdsk” command.

AppWizard

May 10, 2025

What to do if Steam games won’t launch

Steam, the most popular gaming platform on PC, sometimes experiences issues where games do not launch. To address this, users should check that their PC meets the game's minimum requirements, ensure the operating system and graphics drivers are updated, verify the integrity of game files through Steam, relocate games to the primary drive if necessary, and manage background applications that may cause conflicts. Additionally, installing specific Visual C++ redistributables from the game’s folder can resolve startup crashes. If problems persist, uninstalling and reinstalling Steam after cleaning the Windows registry may be necessary.

Winsage

May 9, 2025

Struggling with the latest Windows 11 update? You aren’t alone

Many users are experiencing issues with Windows 11 following a recent update, including sluggish performance, Wi-Fi connectivity problems, and blue screen errors. To troubleshoot, users should first ensure their PC meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, which include: - Processor: 1 GHz or faster with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or SoC. - RAM: At least 4 GB. - Storage: 64 GB or more of available storage. - Firmware: UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability. - TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 must be enabled. - Graphics Card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later and have a WDDM 2.0 driver. - Display: High definition (720p) display, at least 9 inches diagonally, with 8 bits per color channel. - Internet and Microsoft account: Required for initial setup of Windows 11 Home and for updates and some features on all editions. To resolve issues, users can: 1. Uninstall the latest update via Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates. 2. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter found in Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. 3. Check for driver updates in Device Manager by looking for devices with a yellow exclamation mark. 4. Perform a System Restore through Control Panel > Open System Restore. 5. Use Microsoft's built-in repair tool "Fix problems using Windows Update" found in Settings > System > Recovery. 6. Check for known issues acknowledged by Microsoft. 7. Access advanced startup options by holding down the Shift key while clicking Restart to use Startup Repair or Command Prompt. 8. Reset the PC from the advanced recovery menu, which can reinstall Windows while preserving files or perform a clean reset. Users should back up important files before proceeding with significant troubleshooting steps.

Winsage

May 6, 2025

Microsoft: Windows 11 24H2 now ready to rollout to everyone

Microsoft has announced the rollout of the Windows 11 24H2 update, also known as the Windows 11 2024 Update, which is now available for all compatible PCs, except those with safeguard holds. The gradual rollout via Windows Update is nearing completion, and eligible users will see an option to download the update in their settings. Automatic updates will apply to Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 (versions 23H2, 22H2, and 21H2) not managed by IT departments. Upgrade blocks are in place for systems with incompatible hardware or software, including certain applications and drivers. Users can check compatibility using the PC Health Check app or Windows 11 specifications. The update introduces new features such as AI-powered capabilities, an energy saver, Wi-Fi 7 compatibility, Bluetooth LE audio support, HDR background support, natural language understanding in search, and a revamped Windows Recall feature. The rollout began in May 2024 for enterprise testing and transitioned to general availability in October. It will also be available to eligible PCs running Windows 10 22H2 in late January 2025, with a force-installation for unmanaged systems on Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2. Microsoft provides a guided walkthrough and support document for users during the upgrade process.

AppWizard

May 3, 2025

Minecraft runs on 8MB of VRAM using a 20-year-old GPU

The gaming community has revived underperforming hardware, successfully running Minecraft on a 20-year-old GPU, the 3D Phantom XP-2800, with only 8MB of VRAM. A video from Budget-Builds Official details this achievement using an antiquated desktop with Windows XP. Initially, Minecraft Alpha 1.2.6 faced OpenGL compatibility issues, which were resolved by using Microsoft-provided SiS drivers for the card, allowing it to display the game on a CRT monitor. After updates, the game ran, but attempts to run Minecraft 1.6.4 resulted in it loading at one frame per second before crashing. The team optimized performance by removing visual effects, lowering the resolution, and hosting the world server on a nearby laptop, along with using an 8x8 texture pack to stabilize the game.

Winsage

May 2, 2025

Lightweight Windows 11 version finally gets an update

Microsoft has released version 2504 of Validation OS, a streamlined version of Windows 11 designed for hardware validation, error diagnosis, and quality control in Windows device production. This version includes enhancements in .NET support, driver management, and USB boot capabilities. It operates through a command-line interface (CLI) and supports Win32 applications. Key features of the 2504 release include support for WPF applications via the Microsoft-WinVOS-WPF-Support package, inclusion of Surface Dock drivers, improved USB boot functionality with RAM disk size configuration through DISM, separation of CJK fonts from the general font package, and an upgrade to the latest .NET implementation. Some known issues remain, such as instability with Bluetooth and Serial Console packages on ARM64 systems. The update builds on previous releases that added features like the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) and Hyper-V-compatible VHDX images. Validation OS is not intended for end users but benefits manufacturers and IT professionals in hardware production and validation. The latest build is available for download from Microsoft's official page.

Winsage

April 30, 2025

5 alternatives to the Windows Task Manager that you should be using

Windows Task Manager has been enhanced in Windows 11, featuring a streamlined interface and improved functionality. Alternatives to Task Manager include: - System Informer: A free, open-source tool that monitors system resources with real-time performance graphs and detailed process information. It displays CPU, memory, and disk usage, tracks file access, and offers advanced features like call stack traces. - System Explorer: Integrates system monitoring with security features, providing a clean interface for exploring processes, modules, and network connections. It includes a built-in file database and VirusTotal integration for security assessments. - Process Lasso: Extends Task Manager capabilities by allowing users to adjust CPU priority and core affinities. Features include ProBalance for automatic CPU adjustments, performance mode for optimizing CPU usage, IdleSaver for power management, and SmartTrim for memory optimization. - Process Explorer: A Sysinternals tool that offers a detailed view of running processes in a hierarchical tree format, showing user, PID, and resource usage. It includes a search capability for identifying resource usage and integrates with VirusTotal for security checks. - Task Manager DeLuxe (TMX): A portable task management tool that consolidates system stats across multiple tabs, providing quick access to CPU and memory usage, along with graphical representations of network and disk activity. It allows filtering and searching for processes and can be run from a USB drive.

Winsage

April 27, 2025

Legendary Voodoo4 GPU modded into laptop, benchmarks work with Windows XP

Daniel Simionescu, known as sdz, has been working on porting the Voodoo graphics from 3dfx to mobile platforms, resulting in a design that integrates a Voodoo4 GPU into a Dell Precision M4800 laptop via a custom MXM card. YouTuber Omores tested this setup with Windows 98 and XP, facing initial compatibility issues but ultimately achieving partial functionality. The Voodoo brand was significant in the late 90s for making 3D acceleration accessible. sdz created a PCB with the Voodoo4 GPU using the VSA-100 core and 64MB of SDR memory. During testing, various VBE drivers were explored, with Windows XP showing better compatibility for running 3DMark 2001 and Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed. Games using the Glide API may require wrappers, and the community plans to compile a list of supported titles. sdz intends to keep the design open-source for collaboration.

Winsage

April 26, 2025

3 reasons you shouldn’t use Btrfs, ReFS, or ZFS on Windows

Windows has relied on the NTFS file system for many years, while alternatives like Microsoft's ReFS, ZFS, and Btrfs have emerged. ZFS and Btrfs are not officially supported on Windows, leading users to depend on community-developed drivers that can cause stability issues, including crashes and blue screens of death. Performance tests show that ReFS underperforms compared to NTFS, with significant declines in disk performance across various metrics. Similar performance issues have been reported for Btrfs. Additionally, ReFS lacks certain features available in NTFS, such as support for portable media, specific encryption options, extended file attributes, and disk quotas. Currently, Windows is not fully equipped to support these newer file systems, and while ReFS is under development, the future of ZFS and Btrfs on Windows remains uncertain.

Winsage

April 24, 2025

Reinstalled Windows? Now is the time to Ninite it

Ninite is a tool that simplifies the installation of applications and runtimes during the setup of a fresh Windows LTSC edition. It allows users to create a custom installer that can be reused to update applications to their latest versions. Windows 10 will reach its support deadline in October 2025, prompting users to transition to Windows 11 or consider LTSC editions, which have support until 2027 or 2032 for US English. Users must back up data and have the necessary media and license keys for applications when switching to LTSC, which involves formatting and reinstalling the PC. Ninite enables users to select applications from its website, creating a single installation program that automates the process without unnecessary prompts. It offers a wide range of software, including web browsers, graphics packages, developer tools, messaging apps, and utilities. Additionally, users may need device drivers, for which Snappy Driver Installer Origin can be useful, while O&O ShutUp10++ can help disable Microsoft telemetry.