My C: Drive

New DLC has been announced for the recently released Prince of Persia. the game received Luke warm reception from the veterans of the series and was criticized heavily for its monotonous game play and poor characterization , but the game was heavily praised for its beautiful cel shaded visuals and superior character animation. Ubisoft the developer and publisher of the game has planned to release the Download able content on 26 February 2009.
for the review click here.

Here is what you get with the DLC:

• New Region: The Underground Palace – A corrupted underground palace from which the Prince and Elika need to escape in a new epic journey.
• New Power: Energize – Reconstruct destroyed areas of the environment to create a path and rush through it before it vanishes.
• New high pace: The new trap challenge – The Prince and Elika will face more cunning foes, cleverer traps and level design, adding more to the difficulty level in over 3 hours of gameplay.
• New Attack: Sprinting Clash – A duel move that lets you or the enemy trigger a sprint attack, charging towards each other, clashing your weapons fiercely.
• New Unlockable Skins: Finish the game and unlock exclusively, from the early development of the game, the Prototype characters of the Prince and Elika.

Get 3D Mark Vantage for free from PNY the leading nvidia graphics card manufacturer. a contest has been held by them in the wake of release of their new gtx280 cards, everyday around 100 registered users will be given free 3d mark vantage key's which costs 20$.the offer is limited and one lucky winner will get the new GTX280 graphics card. the keys will be distributed till they are out of key's. so sign up soon folks these kind of offers are really rare. Click here to go to the site.for people who don't know what 3d mark vantage is click here.

A Patch for the pc version of the game Saints Row 2 has been released.As the game requires valve's online content distribution platform STEAM.,the patch is automatically provided as an update to the game when users start their steam client.

After a disappointing GTA 4 port for the PC ,gamers were looking forward to Saints Row 2 which has the same open world game play as GTA 4, reviews for the game were really good when it was released for the consoles and it became famous for its in-depth customization options for its players, but when it was released for the pc in January it just became another shitty port .The developers of the game have said that the patch fixes various issues and improves performance. PC gamers can only pray that other high profile titles stated for release this year like F.E.A.R 2 do not end up like another bad console to PC port

* General performance increase around 20%. Note that this will vary depending on the both computer specifications and game settings
* 3rd Party controller scrolling issue has been fixed
* Corrected various crashes reported across all versions
* Corrected a crash in "Drive-By" Diversion for Danish version
* Corrected a crash in "Streaking" Diversion for Spanish version
* Removed original frame cap of 32 FPS
* New variable frame cap has been implemented. This will smooth out spikes in overall frame rate
* Players may notice a small hitch when crossing into new chunks in the world. The amount of time for this has been reduced for recommended spec machines, but may still be noticeable, particularly while driving at high speeds

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Lava Soft has released an anniversary edition of their most celebrated anti spyware,it has been made available for free and you don't have to pay any money to get it.this is not a share ware.just like zone alarm ,lava soft have released their anniversary edition for free for users around the world.for an over view about the software click here .for downloading the free edition of the software click here. the anniversary edition provides full functionality unlike the freeware version.

Yup get Dark Messiah of Might & Magic for free from this Portuguese gaming magazine site called Bgamer .this game can only be acquired if you have an steam client and an steam account.you don't need to give your phone number,address or anything just follow these steps and get the game for free no strings attached.click here to go to the website.if you don't have a steam account or an client you can get it here .

Follow these steps to get the game.this is not a warez site so don't worry:

1.Click the regista-te
2.Fill out the register stuff (You don't need a valid email)
3.click the green continuar sem preencher button
4.click the clica aqui
5.click that button that has CD-Key on it
6.copy that CD key
7.go to steam games list and click activate a product on steam
8.and then paste it in

UPDATE!!: Due to heavy traffic the site has started to send the keys via email
So register on the site first and then send them an email with your User ID on the site(Which will be your email).click here for more info

here is their mail id: bgamer@goody.pt

That's it your game will be tied to your steam account and you can download it whenever you want.this offer seems to be from a valid site.grab the offer while you still can folks,the site is already not loading dude to overwhelming number of traffic.

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Tired of persistent BSOD'S hampering day to day work with your computer?.here is a simple step by step method on how to locate and purge the problem, but first for the uninitiated here is what BSOD means.

BSOD is abbreviated as Blue Screen Of Death,it is just a error message which an OS issues whenever it encounter's a problem.these errors are mainly caused due to poorly coded device drivers and malfunctioning hardware.it can also be caused by faulty memories ,power supplies and sometimes even due to over heating of certain components inside the computer.Windows OS is infamous for displaying these kind of error message's.this error causes system shutdown to prevent any further damage to the system component's.

Whenever a BSOD occurs windows automatically creates a memory dump file based on the error.these files have an extension .dmp and is located inside the folder "memory dumps" in the Windows Directory of your c drive.the created dump file has all the information which can help us to identify the cause of the error.

There is a utility to read these dump files it is called Debugging Tools For Windows.this tool allows us to read the dump files and helps us to pin point the cause of the problem.you can download it for free from the Microsoft website, don't worry there is no WGA nonsense associated with it.you can get it here . for the 64 bit version click here

Here is what you should do in order to locate the error:

Step 1: First you have to set up the mini dumps so that whenever a bsod occurs it gets created.for that right click->my computer->advanced tab->start up &recovery->settings now UN check the box where it says automatic restart under "system failure" this will allow you to note down the problem displayed on the blue screen.

after that under "write debugging information" in the drop down list box select small minidumps.you can even specify the location on where the mini dump files should be stored .this can be done under "small dump directory".

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Step 2: Download the utility here and install it wherever you want.and then run the program

Step 3: After running the program you will be presented with a window in the window under the file menu click "open crash dump" or simply press CTRL+D.it will take you directly to the memory dump folder located in windows.



Step 4: After opening the dump file inside the command line type !analyze -v and press enter.after this it will take you straight to the name of the driver which caused you the problem

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Step 5: Google about the drivers that caused the problem reinstall it and there your, problem should be solved otherwise check your hardware and RMA it if the problem persists.

This tool is really handy when it comes to find the problem that is causing the bsod ,this may not be the one stop solution that you were looking for but at least it will point you in the right direction when it comes to solving BSOD errors.

GRAPHICS FIXES / ADDITIONS:

Graphics Menu:
Added "Water Quality", "Shadow Quality" and "Reflection Resolution" sliders in graphics menu.
Added "Definition" and "VSync" toggles in graphics menu.
Rendering optimizations.
VSync optimizations.
Nvidia 7000 series
Mirrors fixed

PATCH 1 FIXES:

Direct input device support is now disabled by default and can only be enabled with the commandline: "-usedirectinput"
Supported Controllers:
Logitech Dual Action
Logitech RumblePad 2
Logitech Cordless RumblePad 2
Saitek P2500
Supported Wheels:
Note: Controls are unmapped, user must map controls using Manufacturer's mapping software.
Logitech G25 Racing Wheel
Logitech Wingman Formula GP Wheel
Logitech MOMO Racing
MOMO Force
Driving Force Pro
Driving Force
Formula Force
Added Commandline "-notimefix" which will help some users who are experiencing the fast/slow gameplay issue after patch 1 was applied.
Fixed a bug that caused some users to experience endless looping audio effects after Patch 1 was applied.
Benchmark was disabling sounds after Patch 1 was applied, this is now fixed.

CRASH FIXES:

Unable to load game fixed - For some users, a DOS window would open and close immediately upon Game Launch, GTA IV would never launch.
Hang on Initial Game Loading Screen fixed - Some users experienced Character Art Loading screens in an endless loop.
Certain causes of the RESC10 error have been fixed (Alt-Tab, change resolution). If you experience an RESC10 error, you must restart.
Certain Instances of the "GRAND THEFT AUTO IV has encountered a problem and needs to close" error have been fixed.

VIDEO EDITOR:

Naming clips is now mandatory on Export

MULTIPLAYER:

Legitimate players being kicked from Multiplayer matches has been fixed.

GENERAL ADDITIONS / FIXES:

Wireless 360 controllers not functioning - Triggers were full on/off, fixed.
In the Options menu accessed from the Title Screen a “Game” section has been added with the ability to turn Clip capture n/off

Of Late NVIDIA has released GEFORCE 3D VISION GLASSES.these glasses when worn will give you the same effect that you get when you see a 3d movie with a 3d eye wear.it is a cool concept and brings the gamers one step closer to an immersive gaming experience.the GEFORCE 3D VISION GLASSES utilizes a technology called Stereoscopic Technology.

This technology enable's a stereo display system to present two images: one for the right eye and one for the left. Combined, they create the appearance of depth. Now, there are couple of different ways to present stereoscopic images, both of which require eye wear.so using these glasses when you play game's like far cry 2 or crysis,you will feel as though debris are flying out of your monitor thus making the game a more immersive experience.the glasses has been release for a price tag of 199$.before getting the glass you have to get the compatible hardware's to get the full experience.

Any geforce midrange card is supported by the glasses.higher end cards like the gtx2xx series are aslo supported.eventhough nvidia has stated that the glasses would give a flicker free gaming experience on monitors with 60hz refresh rate,monitors with 120hz refresh rate is needed.The list of compatible panels is particularly short right now: Samsung’s SyncMaster 22” 2233RZ and ViewSonic’s VX2265wm are the only two LCDs currently cited. But a number of Mitsubishi 1080p DLP TVs also support stereoscopic operation, as does one projector listed in Nvidia’s compatibility sheet.

It is really nice to see big companies like NVIDIA taking steps to give a new perspective to gaming.this ought to spice up things for gamers in the future.

Here are some video's and screen shot's of GEFORCE 3d vision

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The Sequel to the highly acclaimed game has been in development for quite a while.the game was announced way back in 2007 at liepzig games convention and it is being developed and published by 2k games.new screen shots and a extended trailer of the game has been released this year.the extended trailer was released with a letter from one of the deveopers of the game.in the letter the developer has stated that every thing we see in the trailer has been rendered in real time.the game is expected to be released this year on all the three major platforms.

Mafia was of those rare games which had combined two distinct styles of game play properly.it is like a sand box shooter yet the game had its own set pieces and unique game play.when mafia was released it was reeking with realism and was never dubbed as a GTA clone.the best part about the game was its awesome action sequences backed up with a solid story line.the only thing which was a turn off in the game was the really slow vehicles.due to mafia's strong single player action and awesome graphics these small flaws are easily overshadowed.

Here are some screenies and trailer of the game

Unconfirmed news about Dark sector getting ported to the pc have been around for a while.for the uninitiated Dark Sector is a third person action adventure game which was released last year as an console exclusive.PC version screen shots of the game has been found on digital extreme forums,but the game portrayed in the screen shot seems to be like an Russian release because the whole menu of the game is in Russian and the only thing that indicates this as an pc release is the enter and escape button seen on the bottom of the screen.

the game got pretty average reviews when it was released on console.i guess after dead space,dark sector will be a nice addition on the pc platform.an Russian e-store has announced that the game will be entirely in Russian and will be released in Russia on January 22nd 2009 here is the link for the site

Here are some screenies of the game











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After Free radical entertainment  announced that they lost the rights to develop Star Wars: Battlefront III in October,the rights to develop the game was given to Rebellion developments  known for creating Star Wars Battlefront:Renegade Squadron. On january 15th a leaked footage of the game supposedly captured by cellphone camera during a screening for its in house developers was broadcasted across the internet. The version seen on the footage seems to be like an alpha build of the game. The game is stated for release this year and it is going to be released on PS3,XBX360,Wii,Nintendo DS and PC.

Here is the leaked footage:

The Trailer for Code masters Latest game "FUEL" has been released.In this game players can race on both four and two-wheeled vehicles on the no-boundaries play field of over five thousand square miles.So far I've never seen a Codemasters game with a open world game play.its nice to see them exploring new style for the racing game genre.Anyhow this game will be released sometime this year on all the three major platforms.

The world apparently isn't full of money making diglets (Hello, Microsoft!). There exist some very thoughtful souls who code some of the best programs out there. Innovative, useful and very likeable. I'd like to honour them with something I like to call the "I'd Love To Have It On MY C: DRIVE" award. (ILTHIOMCD)

Burnout:paradise dubbed as Burnout: ultimate edition will be releasing as a PC exclusive in North America on February 5 ,whereas in Europe it is getting released on all the three major platforms on February 6.the ultimate edition for the PC consists of all the patches and dlc that have been made so far when the game was released on consoles ,this includes the DLC which enables players to ride two wheelers in the game.this is the first burnout game for the PC ,lets hope it doesn't turn out to be another badly ported game like GTA 4 or Saints Row 2.no official information on the system requirements have been made available so far.

Security has been a biggest concern for PC users all around the world.In the wake of new virus attacks,spamming,phishing incidents,we are in dire need for security applications which can protect us from new threats that are mushrooming everyday.Nowadays browsing the internet without any proper security solution is like walking on a minefield blind folded,you will never know whats going to happen to you if it does it is going to be an hour of endless frustration and cursing.

Installing a cracked anti virus software will not provide full protection that your computer needs,many users who download bootlegged software are oblivious to the fact that antivirus software needs to be updated on a regular basis so that they can protect their computer from new virus attacks that are spawning almost every day,so in order to provide the security that you computer needs ,in this post i'am going to discuss about security applications that you can use without spending a dime.


AVG ANTI VIRUS:This is the most preferred free ware antivirus out there.this software detects almost any virus if it is present and new updates to the software is supplied almost every day.the main drawback is it does not detect viruses from a pen drive if any virus is found proper information regarding the virus is given to the user the inter face is also clean and uncluttered.it is not a huge resource hog and you can even schedule virus scan on dates of your choice.it is really good security solution for a home user.get it here

AVIRA ANTIVIR PERSONAL :This software isn't as robust as AVG but it does the job.the free ware version gives basic protection against worms,torjans and dialers and it also comes with a anti phishing filter ,the main drawback is the free ware version doesn't provide protection against spy wares.virus updates are made available periodically and resource utilization is also ok if not great.protection against root kit is also provided.get it here



AVAST HOME EDITION:Avast is one of the most feature rich antivirus software which is available for free.if you want protection for more than one computer you have to get the professional edition which costs money.avast comes with anti spyware protection, root kit protection and it even provides kernel level protection which is highly critical for an OS.on the downside avast can be really intrusive at times and can be a resource hog but it does protect your computer really well.get it here
SPY BOT SEARCH AND DESTORY:Only a few anti virus software gives protection against spy wares,for an end to end solution spybot s&d is highly recommended it is a free ware and there is no professional edition for it .it is totally supported by donations made by satisfied users around the world.besides being a strong spyware removal tool it has this feature called tea timer which gives the user total control over start up entries, whenever a software tries to make a start up entry the tea timer immediateley warns the user ,even though this is a great feature , it becomes irritating after a while due to repeated notifications.get it here




AD-AWARE 2008:this is one of the famous anti spyware which is available.ad-aware does not provide total protection as spybot because the free version doesn't have real time protection.even though features are very limited this software provides really strong protection against spyware's.get it here



COMMODO FREE FIREWALL:If you think windows fire wall does not give you enough protection than i suggest commodo.it is simply one of the best free firewall software that is available out there.the latest commodo even comes with antivirus protection.unlike other fire wall software it is not irritating i mean you wont get notifications popping up all over your desktop space asking you whether to allow this software to run or not.resource utilization is also economical.Get it here




ZONE ALARM FREE FIREWALL:Even though it is not as effective as commodo,it provides strong protection against hackers and spy wares and guards your personal data pretty well.for a free ware zonealarm does provides it users some very basic level of protection.the main draw back is this software is a real resource hog and notifications pop up every time.get it here




HIJACK THIS:The Numero uno Root kit revealer is a community supported software.this is a power full utility which allows you to get rid of any root kits present in your computer.all you have to do is run a scan with the software after running a scan a log file will be generated.basically the log files consists of registry keys of the root kits present in your computer,so after getting the log file ,post it on hijack this community forum there experienced users will tell you what registry keys you have to delete.most of the time you have to be patient before getting any reply's and if you delete any registry keys related to your system than you will find you self in deep trouble.Get it here