Tag: computer

I will Never use gfwl Again

Posted onAuthorComputer Tweaker1 Comment

After tweaking my computer, formatting my computer, upgrading my computer, reinstalling windows, and then reinstalling Grand Theft Auto IV at least 20 times or more this year, I got an error while installing GTAIV. The error said that I have used my cd key to many times. So I posted a message in the GTAFORUMS.com pc help message boards.

I seem to have formatted without revoking to many times.
Is there a phone number I can call to get this straightened out?
I have full disk and booklets and all that.
but can not find where it offers that help.

I just don’t get it, same i.p. same email, same cd key and live does that ???? WTF is with M$ ?

neat spalsh screen

GTAIV Pc

After about an hour of searching I called Rockstar/Take Two interactive. Some guy with like an English accent answered. The tone in his voice sounded pretty sucky. He told me to go to games for windows live website and find their contact information. So I called it thinking ‘ Heck I’m an Adult I can handle this’

Nope.

I had to run back to GTAFORUMS and post another message.

Ok, well I called games for windows live.
The chump laughed at me because I said I didn’t have a 1 year old Receipt.
I asked “why can’t you just revoke all the ones assigned to my email account?”
“I’m sorry it don’t work like that”
Really? You mean to tell me that this cd key is registered repeatedly from the exact same address, exact same email account
every time I upgraded my Dang pc and this clown treats me like a teen age pirate?

He is just to big of an idiot and lazy PR*ck to try anything.

Clown.

Well as it seems they will not be clearing out all of my registrations prior to today. On the phone he told me it would be 24 hours. How in the blue hell does he expect to get my receipt within 24 hours, unless I faxed it to him or emailed it to him. In that case I could create a fake one. I won’t do that, but I could. I will never buy another game that has a microsoft logo on it, ever again.

After a year I have not had a chance to finish the dang game yet. I have been dealing with a crappy operating system with a pisspoor driver  process this whole time. Why do you think I keep having to format my pc?

I have had enough, I will be using Xliveless from here on out. I will do my next install on my Linux drive and run Wine. I hate to do this to Rockstar Games but I have to downloaded a cracked executable for GTAIV to make this happen. I have done it with previous GTA games I have purchased, I have to do it to GTAIV. And to send a big fat SCREW YOU to m$, I will place a how to online. I will of course not link to the crack. I may just crack it myself. For myself.

Or , I can just go back to Walmart and buy it again. Who knows.  oh and fyi, the GTAIV on linux, kinda just happened right now before your  eyes in this rant. i just will never call them and sit and get ridiculed by an angry little boy  again.

Dang straight I will not capitalize their name, they do that enough.

Get GTAIV Patch 1.0.6.0 Working

Posted onAuthorComputer Tweaker

On my original install I had the game running using live to download and install the game.
During the install I got an error
user posted image
but after I closed the error window, I saw that the install was still going on.

Well later I uninstalled the game and then just installed patch 1.0.4.0. (alternatively you can do this Roll back patch without uninstall )
Played for a while.
found a link in GTAForums.COM linking to the XBOX website that allows you direct download of the 1.0.6.0 patch.
download.xbox.com/content/5454083b/tu10000083_10000b83.cab?n=F1F2863FCD63C802
Use winrar.
and I tried it wondering if there would be any issues that it would resolve by getting it this way… I have no idea what I was thinking.
but.
In actuality something good did happen. I got the full install without an error. why? because the game was not running (I guess). No errors in the install.
so now I try the game and see a marginal increase in frame rates. but now I want to see more. Call me greedy.
I go to video settings for video card (nvidia control panel,ati has it under 3d setting [sorry work pc but sure they are similar throughout])

Nvidia Control Panel

Nvidia Control Panel

anistrop ati settings

and I go to the 3d settings and manually select GTAIV and turn off Anisotropic filtering.

LaunchGTAIV.exe

CODE
“C:\Program Files\Rockstar Games\Grand Theft Auto IV\LaunchGTAIV.exe” -availablevidmem=.8    


run the game from the Launch
Go to the Video settings and select “automatic”
Then go to aspect ratio and pick the size that fits.
turn texture filter to tri-linear

Setting for gtaiv defaultish

Now don’t change anything. Just save at this point and give it a try.
I would assume it will not work as well for others but it should for some
and should show a nice change for many.
The shadows look wonderful.
It will not stop the ped cars from dropping, but who cares. right? Just get the game flowing better.
It looks better than it did before the patch and plays about as good as patch 1.0.4.0 maybe a lil shakier.
I have no desire to crank the settings hire, heck it looks better already.

Android Tablet Rumors

Posted onAuthorTech News

It seems as if people want Android to compete with Apple Ipad Tablet. As if there is this big battle waiting to happen. The problem is, the Ipad is a useless accessory that serves no other purpose than to do and be what Apple wants. That is, for the future to be planned and predetermined. Google makes their hardware and software with rules and laws protecting them to say ” this is what we are selling, this is what you can do with it. It is a Horse bit and Blinders future if you let the product manufacturers tell you what is good, as apposed to produce what you request.
There is no use in that tablet, otherwise people would have bought the many Microsoft tablets through the years. It’s not a question of quality, it’s a question of convenience and capabilities. If it is an E-book reader with app abilities Neat, so is a $200 laptop. I mean if sun glare is not a problem to you, Otherwise a Kendal migt be the better, lighter and cheaper rout.

You must always have the option of a mouse and keyboard. You should not force people to have only one interface option.

My only hope is everyone who makes gadgets, just ignores the Ipad and moves on in computer and telephone direction. That would prevent us from being forced into a touch screen only type of interface. That junk would get old fast. I would hate to write to the Tech News site on a touch screen. After about an hour, my finger tips would get sore. Imagen if it was your job. I actually freak out when people touch my monitor. Imagen if all we had was touchscreen. I would be forced to sit in teh corner chewing on the collar of my shirt staring off into space mumbling “amonia glass cleaners and key action, We used to be able to do what was called ‘over clocking’ and we could tweak our machines and linux was a real, it’s not a myth, it’s not a myth”.
Hopefully we get an Android system that competes with the Ipad, but is nothing like the Ipad at all. That would be our best hope and safest bet.

Mac Shuns More Flash

Posted onAuthorGregSnippets1 Comment

Apple Bans Flash Compilers?
I know this is about APPS. but what backlash can it cause?… well you see it goes like this……..

So Apple takes another stab at adobe. I myself hate the pdf reader. Other than that. I am ok with Adobe. Question is, what will Apple do next ? Drop the partnership with photoshop? Will they upset adobe enough that adobe decides to forget apple exists all together? If that happens then apple will have to do something that would make mac users cringe. Insert an opensource software…! YIKES!!! Completely unheard of.  Just kidding with the sarcasm. Mac has bought many opensource and Linux patents. Linux users say it keeps Linux alive. I think it limits Linux software and makes developers have to start over.

So, Let’s cross our fingers and hope mac goes corel.

Will this kill youtube? or will youtube and other flash sites (or lack of) be the reason people stop buying mac products? I am certain there are more users of youtube than there are of mac users.

IBM breaks OSS patent promise

Posted onAuthorGregSnippets1 Comment

http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/04/ibm-breaks-oss-patent-promise-targets-mainframe-emulator.ars

Free and Open Source Software doesn’t mean you can trap and walk through the Casablanca Lily’s and Petunias at the local park! Just like IBM said “claiming that the antitrust motion is unfounded and that a software emulation business is just like selling cheap knock-offs of brand-name clothing.”
Come out with a free clothing line called Polo-Z with a pixelated Polo horse and see how fast Ralph Lauren hits you with a law suit without a letter with out the nine pages of world recognized registered patents! Just because software isn’t quite exactly a manufactured tangible product doesn’t mean its not an infringed product!

Apple Ipad Sketch

Posted onAuthorGame News

Well I saw the video of the Apple Ipad Sketching.

I was quite impressed. In fact I was amazed. I was actually thinking about my old psp and how that Ipad totally destroys everything my psp could do. Then I realized I was aiming to low.

Focal Point Device

(pdf about Focal Point)

I realized that Microsoft’s 8 year old operating system is used on a thing called focal point. It is a full blown Windows XP. We have installed Autodesk Autocad, Photoshop, Gimp and even grand theft auto iii on that device. It runs on Tmobile network .

I know it is worthless argument of it’s portability and durability, against apple’s really nice looks. It would seem they are of two separate classifications. Can’t wait for the Android version of the mix of the two :-)

We can be certain the Linux group will put this thing down by the end of the month and have  (most likely) Kubuntu or something on it. Innovation comes when  the Windows freaks to reverse engineer Windows 7 Mobile (if it actually comes out) and seeing them slap that onto one of these Ipads and make something actually useful of it. Strange enough, there are groups who like to put windows on everything, but Microsoft sues them or sends a cease notice as soon as they do it. That is why linux is the better choice .. The pure simple freedom to learn and be creative. Microsoft needs that. Apple needs that. Micorosft most of all. it says ” our software is so strong and versatile it can be installed on anything that can hold an o/s, and it might actually even work.”  for now it’s the linux group doing all the work.

Crazy deal is, no one has wanted the touch tablets. but apple puts out a tablet and the sells are crazy. could be an early adapter thing, could be just for claiming greatness before anyone then in five months when everyone else has one saying ” yeah I bought one, they suck” could just be a hipster thing. I am hoping it is for the techies. the real techies who will break that thing down, format it and see what they can load on it.

Let’s hope the best.. I just hope computers don’t all go touch screen. I want my keyboard … spread sheet would suck after about 300 words, your fingers would hurt.

If anyone has anything cool to show about their Ipad, please post.. I want to see it. The world wants to see it.

PC Repair Tips

Posted onAuthorComputer Tweaker1 Comment

For the most part, this link is the reminder of the basics.

So if you are new, this link is a great starter.

If you are a know it all like my friends and I

Well this link refreshes your memory as to what the simple  is.. keeps you from overlooking the simple answer.

Why rebuild the computer  if  you could have fixed it for free????

Computer Repair tips.

Sorry but that is my old site and it has been there for at least 4 years.

ok short post :-)

Is Nvidia Doing the ATI Thing?

Posted onAuthorComputer Tweaker

ATI decided a while back not to make that many low end video cards that have SLI. This of course takes away the chance of you buying two low end cards . One while you can, and later one when you can afford it again. I can see the plus in it for the video card makers.  Less newbies screaming about crappy manufacturing.  but also less newbies becoming pro by problem solving and wanting to upgrade and get more  performance.

I kind of notice this after the 9800 cards. Look at compusa and fry’s and look at teh PCI-E cards you will see that the low end cards 2xx all of the low end budget cards no longer have SLI connections on top.

I am disappointing in this. I guess I can start using ATI again, my motherboard is just about obsolete anyway.

I mean if NVidia is going to be like them, then why not just use them.

Windows 7 Beta 7100 Ends 2 days

Posted onAuthorGame News

Sure did not feel like very long on that dang thing. 2 days as the drum beats and it’s lights out or upgrade.
I did find few Windows Vista installs that come with free windows 7 upgrades. for around 130. To me that sounds like
a peach of a deal. Found it at zipzoomfly, not going to link it because heh. I’m not getting any kick back.. nah because I don’t feel like searching for it till I’m ready, but I did saw it earlier today. So I know it’s there

Good Luck

Unacceptable Perv-ofile (School Staff)

Posted onAuthorComputer Tweaker

According to an article in boing boing a school District in  (PA) [Lower Merion School District] Handed out laptops to students. This school reportedly has been reprimanding students for their behavior while at home. One student was shown a picture taken of them while doing something the school objected to, from within the child’s bedroom.

The laptops the children received had cameras on them. Reportedly these camera were used to spy on the children while not at school.

Their is notice that they are worried about children being to informative while online talking with strangers and the wide open public.

Update: The school district admits that student laptops were shipped with software for covertly activating their webcams, but denies wrongdoing.

Any person caught doing such a thing should be more than just investigated, they should be put in public notice.

Do we not have laws that protect us from this? should anyone for any purpose be so above the law that they can get away with such an invasion of privacy?

The students all should be allowed to return the laptops they where given (or are renting or purchased), the school should refund all deposits, and every principal,teacher,executive involved should be fired and replaced and spend no less than 5 years in federal prison for invasion of privacy illegal monitoring and surveillance without proper license and prior permits.

If they let this go, what exactly is freedom for? what is the proof that we protect the rights we obey ?