It's Not Just You™ - NVIDIA Drivers Released Today Seem To 'Reset' Notifications Back To Default (ON)

Just a quick post to say that, if you Updated your NVIDIA GPU Drivers today (2018.09.19) and think that the Notifications (Pop-Up Messages) are 'resetting' themselves back to 'ON', if you set them to 'OFF', after rebooting, etc - that It's Not Just You™...

I personally prefer them all 'OFF' (sometimes I leave the Screenshot Notification 'ON') - and so I noticed right away, that after setting them to 'OFF' and then rebooting - they appear to have 'reset' themselves automatically to 'ON' again.

Highlighting the very-helpful 'toggle all' slider, this is how the Notifications look when they are all turned OFF

(GeForce Experience, NVIDIA GPU Software)

I thought maybe I just didn't properly Disable them, so I brought up the GFx In-Game Overlay (formerly SHARE, formerly SHADOWPLAY, etc) and turned off the Notifications (there is a great one-click 'disable all' shortcut-type toggle, wtg NVIDIA!). Then I rebooted.

Restart'in Windaz (Windows 10 Power/Restart Interface)

Upon startup, I hit the Screenshot key configured and 'BLOWP', there was the pop-up Notification ["Blowp" is the sound an NVIDIA Notification makes on this Timeline].

"BLOWP! I SAVE A SCREEN THING!"
(Oh and this is what My Desktop looks like at the moment... The background Wallpaper I made from a Fallout 4 Screenshot. Some icons are made by me as well - if people start asking for them, I will release them, either as a "Pack" or separately, sometime)

I opened up the configuration for the In-Game Overlay (SHARE...SHADOWPLAY...etc) just to see if it was 'reset' back to 'ON' - and it was.

The Notifications in GeForce Experience's In-Game Overlay seem to have automagically 'reset' themselves to the 'ON' setting, after Rebooting the system (GeForce Experience, NVIDIA GPU Software)

Not a huge deal - many of us don't even turn off our systems or need to Reboot near as much anymore these days - and although there is the possibility that NVIDIA intended it to be 'resetting/defaulting to ON', as some sort of "Hey, I'm Runnin' Here" notification to Users after Restarting/Rebooting/etc; I still wanted to try help improve GFx [my abbrev.] and keep it 'free of issues' (as much as I can assist) and 'just in case' went to inform NVIDIA's Support Team that this is occurring with their latest iteration, so I opened up the Feedback and typed this in:

This seemed a lot funnier late at night and really tired... I totally thought I was going to 'cheer up someone's day' with a semi-silly little "complaint", heh (Feedback, GeForce Experience, NVIDIA GPU Software)

Then, I came to Share [pun originally not intended] with my dear readers, or Searchers of this issue/popup occurrence, that this indeed happens - hopefully making the world a little safer and happier, letting others know that if you run into this issue of the notifications 'resetting themselves' with this latest Update of NVIDIA's Drivers - that It's Not Just You™...

And More: It's Not Just You™ - Windows Desktop Icons Sometimes Loading Small Versions Of Themselves For No Reason At All

[Windows Related] Although not really anything 'new' - this is something I have been experiencing off and on in Windows for years now - I wanted to mention something here (just in case it might help others too) that today is, for some strange reason, the first time I am submitting Windows Feedback on an aging issue: where the Desktop Icon images sometimes (for unknown reasons) load as wee-little versions of themselves - intermittently showing smaller images of the 'normally-256x256-or-higher' resolution images - and if you are experiencing this too, It's Not Just You™...

For the last few versions of Windows, I have been seeing, at random times, Desktop Icons loading - not their nice, large representations of their games, both alluring and alluding to the fun to be had in the games 'behind-the-mask' - but loading wee-little teeny-tiny versions of themselves, squishing the pixels in merciless transgression, giving my normally-full-of-icons Desktop scattered pimples of picturesque perturbation. One example of one of these perpetrators, is below:

As you can see, the [lower] Warhammer 40k Icon I created/assigned, has loaded 'full size' (Windows Large Preset Size), whereas the Vindictus Icon [on top] has loaded a 'smaller size' of its' normally larger self today - for no stated reason at all. No message, no little exclamation mark on the corner of the image, to indicate "something went wrong", leading me to troubleshoot what might be the issue. Indeed, I can do nothing, but try to ignore my pimple-popping urge to fix these intermittent occurrences to my Desktop (temporarily, by replacing the Icon image with something else - the only repeatable 'workaround' I have come across so far).

And so, after many years of finger-in-the-dam work on bypassing this little problem [pun not intended], I have finally mentioned it to Microsoft, via their Official Windows Feedback Hub, found in Windows 10...

The Official Windows Feedback Hub personally thanking me for submitting my feedback about icons loading smaller sizes of themselves, randomly, for no reason whatsoever other than to make me notice that game that I haven't played in years but still have installed, taking up space on my drives, which is already at a premium due to my screenshot and clip hoarding tendencies

As many of you already know, MS has been trying very hard to really listen to Users these last few generations of Windows, implementing Suggestions and continually collecting Feedback on a myriad of topics that have to do with Windows, from how it operates, to how it simply looks. Today, I finally got around to telling them about this little virtual thorn of mine. Perhaps someday, they will find out why this happens randomly [to different icons each time!] and I may one day feel relief in my virtual lion's paw... Good Luck, Microsoft - I think you'll need it; and if you, dear reader, are experiencing this too, remember - It's Not Just You™...




Addendum:
Just a quick note that I have been creating/editing my own Windows Desktop Shortcut Icons for some time now, from multi-layered compositions (with added sun flare!) to simple crops from game boxes or ads (like the one shown above, for Warhammer) - someday, I plan on sharing these Icons with you, my dear readers, here at The Blog. I have no idea when, but it's safe to say that I will be able to collect them up, polish them down and pack them in a Zipped-up File and share them sometime around 2025... Soon™

It's Not Just You™ - HumbleBundle 'Vegas Pro, Discover Creative Freedom' Installer/Registration Not Working [Notification]

For the next two weeks (13 Days, according to the Countdown at the HumbleBundle Website, starting today) there is a fantastic offer for Video Editors, Music Composers, Web Developers and more - over $900 worth of Software, including Sony's Vegas Pro [the Vegas Editing Product Line was bought out by MAGIX, a German software company that has produced it's own editing software for years, popular for their "Music Maker" and "Movie Edit Pro" lines]. So what's the issue? Well, this Bundle is so darn popular, many parts of it aren't working/responding, at this time. For example, if you run into the Installer 'starting but just closing/crashing' or the store or program 'not registering' or the 'website is down'... just letting you know... It's Not Just You™

Part of the reason why this Bundle is so popular (although many HumbleBundles are quite popular at different times), is because one of the main pieces of Software offered is Vegas Pro Edit, originally by Sony. This video editing software is a Premium Version ("high end") of this program, normally being sold at around $400. Along with other great products, such as Magix Music Maker, Xara's Photo and Graphic Designer, Xara's Web Designer, Photo Story Deluxe and more - it's easy to see why this Bundle is so popular, for all kinds of content creators and producers. Indeed, if you are into (or trying to get into) making music, editing video, or web design, at all; I highly recommend picking up this fantastic bundle of software, if you can. The link/URL to the HumbleBundle directly, is here:

https://www.humblebundle.com/software/vegas-pro-creative-freedom

For those unfamiliar with HumbleBundle, it is a retail site that offers a mix of software, books and games, connected to and donating a portion to, a customer's chosen Charity. For example, my account is connected to Extra Life, the 'Gaming Marathon' Fund Raising charity that I try to play for every November, on behalf of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Because I attached this Charity to my Account, any purchases I make will contribute a portion to my charity. One of the greatest things about HumbleBundle however, is that the products - although one is not able to choose which products to buy specifically - are usually offered in 'portions' or 'packs' for any amount that you can afford to pay (as low as $1 up to whatever you can pay for the software company/charity/etc); and the more you can pay/donate, the more software/books/games/etc you will get. Since 2010, these 'Pay What You Want' Bundles (for Windows, Mac and Linux) have become quite popular over time.

The issue that has arisen this time then, is that the Bundle is so popular, that the server for the Installer has become Unresponsive ("not working"). Even the Website for the Retail/Vendor/Developer itself has become Unresponsive, giving this Error Message [to me] seen below (from Chrome):

As also sometimes happens with the most popular HumbleBundles, some people are experiencing very slow Downloading of their purchased products (as in 256kBps or less). Others are experiencing the Installer for the products stops functioning. This is what I personally am experiencing too (the Installer seems to startup, but then 'crashes' (or at least disappears) and is unable to continue. After one random attempt, I got a message stating that the Installer actually tried to Download the Installation Files but could not properly communicate with their servers. The message that came up [for me] can be seen below:

Trying another time later on, I did see the Installer for the 'MAGIX Music Maker 80's Version' pop up and start Downloading, which was nice to see; however the overall download speed was pretty slow [understandably] at about 300kBps.

If I may make a Suggestion then - if you are running into any of the issues above, at this time: my suggestion would be, to definitely pick up the Bundle if you can [Note: You have to purchase the Bundle for at least $20 to get Vegas Pro] - then wait a while before you attempt to install anything. According to the MAGIX website, you can access your purchase (to install it) anytime after buying it, from now until September 2018 [Note: A free Magix account must be created if you do not already have one]. So, there is no rush, once you purchase it, to get the Installation Files from MAGIX. I also recommend backing up your Installation Files, once Downloaded, onto a USB drive, External Drive or even Optical Disc - anything that can back up your purchase for future re-installation, if needed (at least, until you buy a newer version of any applications you like..).

By the way, a quick note about Vegas Pro 'Edit Version' (about a 450MB download) - for those wondering about the difference between the Vegas Movie Studio versions and the Vegas Pro versions (and what the 'Edit' identifier means), here is a short summary of the differences:

• the Movie Studio versions of the editor are an easier-to-use, scaled-down version of the Vegas editor, with still many features, allowing up to 200 Tracks of Events (clips/media) - increased from 20 Tracks recently! It just lacks many of the advanced features of the Pro versions (such as the  'NewBlueFX Titler' [professional version], Bézier Tool Masking ("any shape"), et.al). The Movie Studio version comparisons can be found here:
  
  http://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-movie-studio/product-comparison/#productMenu
  
• the Vegas Pro 'Edit version' of the editor costs less than the other Pro(fessional) versions, as it is missing the DVD/Blu-Ray authoring package, as well as some advanced filters and creation utilities (such as the Boris FX media generators, et.al) - it is still a 'full featured' Professional-level Video Editing program however, allowing Unlimited Tracks, full 4K Support, Bézier Tool Masking ("any shape"), includes the 'NewBlueFX Titler' [professional version] and much, much more. The Pro version comparisons can be found here:
  
  http://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/product-comparison/#productMenu

[Note that the links above will show the most recent versions of the programs, but the comparisons themselves (the effects and capabilities of each) will remain similar, despite the edition versions changing over time]

Here is a capture of the Vegas Pro 'Edit version' comparison, for the 14th edition [CAD prices, sorry]:

Although the Vegas line of editing products have always had a bit of a learning curve due to their more advanced capabilities (Sony used to give out a DVD with some introductory courses for it; I am privileged to say I have one of these), MAGIX has created a few tutorials of their own, which can be found at the MAGIX Vegas Pro Tutorials website, here:

http://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/online-tutorials/

So, try not to let it bother you 'too much', if you have run into any of these issues (downloading, installing, registering, etc). Just wait a little while longer and try doing it again, in the near future. For now, don't worry - It's Not Just You™...

Good Luck with it - and Have Fun!

[Note: I am not affiliated with Sony, MAGIX or HumbleBundle in any way, and I will not receive any compensation for mentioning them here - I am merely an enthusiastic user of their products and wanted to share what I felt was helpful information/notification. I have used other video editing programs in the past (such as PowerDirector, Nero Vision and Windows Movie Maker and some free video editors, such as Avidemux, DVD Soft's FreeVideoEditor and VirtualDub) and will still use them when desired in the future]

Addendum:

During the time it took for me to compile this posting, I was able to try again and began Downloading then eventually Installing Vegas Pro [Edit version] - and it is going smoothly still - however, Downloading of the various applications in the Bundle are still quite slow. 

If you do not mind that, dear reader, go ahead and try again now; otherwise, as in my Suggestion, perhaps wait a while (as in days) before attempting to have a fast/smooth installation of these popular applications. 

It's Not Just You™ - The Elder Scrolls: Legends A.I. Seems Pretty Hard To Beat Now [Noticed]

Just a little notification that, if you are playing TES:Legends recently and find it's quite a bit harder to beat the computer opponent (AI/NPC)... It's Not Just You™

I was in the Beta for The Elder Scrolls: Legends; but never got around to finishing my "First Impressions" article on it [as is how it usually goes for me and posting, heh]. Legends has been out of Beta for a few months now, and if I could summarize the game in one paragraph, I would say that Legends is a Virtual Collectible Card style game, that is 'both Single-Player and Multiplayer' (you can play against other human opponents, in matches and "Arena" rounds - but you don't have to, you can entirely play against the computer AI both in single matches and in 'Arena playoffs', if you desire). It is actually more of a "Card Collecting" game than a "Trading Card" game - as I have not seen a way to trade with human players yet - but that is similar to other 'virtual card games' of this genre, like Hearthstone and Gwent ("World Of Warcraft" Lore and "Witcher" Lore -based virtual card games, respectively). The game cannot be played Offline and you don't actually get any 'Real Life' Cards of any form; but that again, is the same for the other virtual card games mentioned.

After playing a little bit when it was first Released, I didn't play Legends for a few months, only recently picking it up again to play a bit - and boy was I in for a surprise!

The computer AI as it is now, offensive and ticked off
(Cropped Screenshot of art by Bethesda Game Studios)

Perusing the Updates for the game (which there seems to be one of every few weeks, a nice thing to see for a game!) - there was an Expansion for the game released at the end of June 2017 (Heroes of Skyrim) - but nothing that says, "We felt the AI was a little too easy to beat, so we beefed it up a bunch and it also will pull cards out of it's butt hat, getting exactly what it needs at times, to win!" - so I'm not sure when this AI change occurred... [I didn't play for a good few months or more, so sometime around mid-2017, I reckon].

Judging by the recent changes to the Computer Opponent A.I., get used to seeing this screen more often...

Legends is a fun game still, with it's flashy effects and nice sounds, not to mention the wonderful Elder Scrolls-style 'realistic' art on everything; I personally don't mind if I am going to be losing to the Computer a lot more; but it would have been nice to see a more obvious notification of it somewhere - or a way to perhaps adjust it (via a Slider or Dial or anything..).

I do think the AI was 'just a little too easy' at first, making simple moves and not many combos, losing a lot more than it won against me - but now it seems pretty darn hard - almost too hard, pulling multi-combos everywhere and buffing cards a lot more and getting 'the perfect card' or 'just what it needs' at times, to pull off a win (as though, instead of the AI having a prepared set of cards, cards seem now 'generated as the game goes', to "keep it competitive"). I can still win once in a while against the AI in Solo Play and Solo Arenas - and I understand that Bethesda might want to make things 'a bit difficult' to encourage selling Card Packs; but... Dearest Beth: It's "Just A Little Too Much" Now... [in my opinion]

The 'new' Computer Opponent A.I. at work, busy buffing its' cards to no end

I won't stop playing, of course - and I won't stop getting Card Packs once in a while (for all three of the Collectible Card Games mentioned above, when I can) - but I just wanted to mention this, for others too; that if you noticed the Computer seemed 'tweaked' lately and is now pretty darn hard to beat as an Opponent in Legends - It's Not Just You™...

If I play some Versus matches, which I do from time to time - See You In The Game!


Addendum
Changes Seen:
- Increased Combination plays (Buffs, Debuffs, then Attacking)
- Increased Healing cards (Health added to Opponent)
- Highly Increased 'instant-kill' or 'unsummon' type "Destroy A Creature" cards (Piercing Javelin, Lighting Strike, Execute, Cast Out, etc)
etc.

It's Not Just You™ - Fallout 4 Crashing with NVIDIA's SHARE Game Recorder (Possibly Relating To The High Resolution Texture Pack) [Notification, Text-Only]

Updated 2017-06-19: I found one cause of the crashes with SHARE and Fallout 4 (for me) - The HRTP

Just a quick post to say that, if you are experiencing Fallout 4 CTDs (Crashes To Desktop, where FO4 closes without any messages or anything and you are left staring at your Desktop in Windows), I want to let you know It's Not Just You™ - as I am finding I am experiencing this as well, lately...

I haven't looked into Forums specifically for this, but perusing Forii off and on over the past year or so, where many are talking about Fallout 4 and Crashing, it seems to happen a lot to people anyway, for just about any reason, unfortunately. I myself wasn't experiencing this very much though (gladly), until just recently when playing FO4 again [and spending way too much time building up Settlements instead of getting Quests done], I was testing out different Game Recording Programs and started seeing this happen.

I'm happily playing Fallout 4, getting frustrated at the Building mechanics or shooting some Raiders attacking my Settlement, when all of a sudden, BOOM - desktop image and icons. No message, nothing. Fallout 4 has closed itself instantly. I of course start it up again and begin to see where I last hit QuickSave or the game automatically Saved for me - but this has happened a few times in a row now where BOOM - the desktop greets me and icons appear. No message, nothing.

It's Not Just You ™ - Heroes Of The Storm 'Screen Shake' = 'Motion Sickness' (Dizzy, Nausea, Headache) [Notification]

Just a quick post to let others know that - if you are experiencing this phenomenon - getting dizzy or even nauseous while playing Heroes Of The Storm lately: It's Not Just You™... I even whipped up an Example of the effect, for those that aren't quite noticing it:

Example of 'the screen shake effect' I made, in GIF format
(Click to see slightly larger Full Size)

I first came across this in the Official Heroes Of The Storm Forums at Battle.Net. It was originally posted by "Phoenix" a couple of weeks ago, here. Although I have seen it personally in-game (noticed it), I have not suffered the nauseating effects that many may/do suffer with this Special Effect the game offers - even though I have experienced 'game motion sickness' from other games. [I did notice when testing and creating the above Example, that it made me slightly queasy however..]. Mainly, I have 'been lucky' with not experiencing it because I do not normally play the Heroes that have/produce this effect (the 'screen shake' effect). Here is a list of all the Heroes and Spells that can produce this effect, thanks to a helpful post by "Hatsoz" on the Official Forums:


Spells with Screen Shake
Zagara - Nydus Network (R)
Genji - Swift Strike (E)
Sgt. Hammer - Concussive Blast (W), Blunt Force Gun (R), Napalm Strike (R)
Gazlowe - Deth Lazor (W)
Lucio - Soundwave (Q), Sound Barrier (R)
Valeera - Blade Flurry (W)
Zul'jin - Twin Cleave (W), Guillotine (R)
Ragnaros - Sulfuras Smash (R)
Alarak - Lightning Surge (E)
Cho - Upheaval (R)
Karazhim - Radiant Dash (Q) (Only with Volley of Blows Talent Lv. 16), Seven-Sided Strike (R)
Anub'arak - Burrow Charge (E) (Upon resurface)
Li Li - Water Dragon (R)
Diablo - Shadow Charge (Q), Fire Stomp (W), Overpower (E)
E.T.C. - Face Melt (W), Stage Dive (R) (Landing only)
Falstad - Hinterland Blast (R)
Kerrigan - Impaling Blades (W)
Muradin - Thunder Clap (W), Dwarf Toss (E), Haymaker (R)
Sonya - Ancient Spear (Q) (On Hit), Leap (R)
Stitches - Slam (W)
Tyrael - El'druin's Might (Q) (On sword landing), Angelic Flash (Q) (Teleport to sword), Judgment (R)
Uther - Hammer of Justic (E), Divine Storm (R)

It's Not Just You™ - Mirillis' ACTION Crashing On Startup After 2.2.0 Update [My Issue Fixed with 2.2.1]

Just a quick post, to let those of you using the game and desktop recording application ACTION! by Mirillis know that a few days ago (on February 10th, 2017) the program was Updated to version 2.2.0. I enjoy testing out ACTION! as it has good performance - I purchased a License for it a while back and I want to do a 'Game Recorder Comparison' for The Blog which includes it as 'one of the contestants' here someday "Soon™" - but for now, I wanted to let other users of it know that ACTION! currently seems to be crashing after this latest Update...

Example of ACTION! currently crashing on Startup as of the date of this post.
GFX (GeForce eXperience, my abbrev.) shown in the background as having the Latest Drivers.
Click to see Full Size.

Now, this may only be NVIDIA GPU owners - I recently received a shiny new GTX 1060 GPU for Christmas from Santa and was testing out some game recording applications off and on - and found that ACTION! is crashing. Steam users are talking about it as well, as they seem to be having the same issue [my version of ACTION! is the Standalone version]. *Note, I am not "Joker5", one of the users mentioning this issue, in the Screenshot containing the Steam Activity Feed about it, I did not make a comment on the Feed at this time

While I am sorry to say that I do not have a Solution or Fix at the moment (I usually put "[Fix]" or something similar in the Title if I do), this is just a quick post to let other users of Mirillis' ACTION! know that - if you are having 'crashing-on-startup' issues at this time - It's Not Just You™...




Update 1 (2017-02-14):
I did eventually get the application to start, but it took six tries/restarts to do so. I will Update this post when a more permanent fix/update is known

Update 2 (2017-02-15 AM):
There is a new version of NVIDIA drivers released (378.66 dated 2017-02-13), but after installing them, now ACTION gives an Error 104 about half the time when starting it up... I purchased a Commercial Use License for ACTION a while ago, and made no changes to my firewall (the error is related to those aspects) so this should not be happening. I may contact Mirillis or post in their forum, etc. to see if this is related and/or notify them of this

Example of an Error that was occurring with ACTION version 2.2.0 showing NVIDIA Driver version in GeForce Experience
Click to see Full Size

Update 3 (2017-02-15 PM):

There was just now an Update released for Mirillis' ACTION (version 2.2.1, released today, 2017-02-15)

Update 2.2.1 notification message at the bottom of the ACTION! interface
Click to see Full Size

I have installed this new version and tested it - and it runs without issue - I have closed it an opened it numerous times now, without any problems. Here is a Screenshot of it starting up:

Screenshot of ACTION! version 2.2.1 starting up in Windows (including a wide-angle Desktop Wallpaper I compiled from multiple screenshots, with customized logo, I will make these available in the future)
Click to see Full Size

Using this version now, I went and looked at the Changelog for it (History of Changes and Updates to the program). Here is the Changelog for this version:

It is the first item that I find interesting, as I recently was testing out a 'Razer Surround Pro' audio device that came with my Gamepad - and as a result of porting audio through that device, there are no longer any Audio Devices listed as operational in the Recording tab of sound devices in Windows. Here is what my list of input devices look like now:

I only mention this because it is interesting to me [I wonder how related having no Input Devices was, to the issue I was experiencing (along with others, according to their forum and Steam Feeds), with ACTION - prompting this Update? I don't know the answer, of course, I am not a Developer or Programmer for Mirillis... I am merely thinking out loud. Wondering, heh].

Regardless, if you have run into this issue, it seems to have been solved by this update that 'just' came out - go get it - hopefully it will fix any issues for you too. Way to go, Mirillis - keep it up!



[Personal Note/Declaration: I am not affiliated with Mirillis or any of their products in any way (look at the links, there are no 'affiliate links' or 'tags' in them) and have not and will not receive any compensation in any form, for talking about ACTION here. I am merely a user of their program and wanted to share this information to help others. I have also utilized other similar programs in the past (such as FRAPS and Bandicam, free recording programs like OBS and MSI's Afterburner and more) and will use any of these products in the future]

It's Not Just You™: AMD's Crimson Drivers, Radeon ReLive Not Working At First [Possible Fix]

Just a quick post before I go to bed here, that I wanted to share about the AMD Crimson Drivers that I got notified about just a bit ago, which included AMD's "ReLive", their new Game [and Desktop] Recording utility - 'built-in' to their 16.12 Drivers... For those who couldn't get it working right away (I see posts about it already in the Official AMD Forums), I couldn't either... And although I eventually did, I wanted to let others know, if you are having issues with it: It's Not Just You™

I was already starting to get tired when I saw a notification of the Driver Update - and I had no idea there was a nifty Game Recording 'app' incoming with it [I haven't been reading much lately, I have another Cold for pete's sake!]. For AMD GPU owners, waiting patiently to see if AMD was going to come out with their own Game Recording utility - it's here! The future is now!

Check out AMD's Video on their ReLive edition of Radeon here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRSm12lwRe4

[I really wanted to start Testing it all out tonight, running Benchmarks and collecting Data for a TestRun or a Quality Test with it; but my sleepyness is actually building and getting the better of me, so I better go soon - I wanted to share what I did this evening though, to get it working (for me), before I go...]


Without going over the few things I tried first that didn't work (setting configuration, testing with different games, etc), here's the steps to take that finally got it running, for me:

• Download the Latest AMD Drivers via their main Website (http://support.amd.com/)
• Uninstall the main AMD Drivers via the Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall/Change Program
• Reboot
• Install AMD Drivers via the Download from their Website
• Reboot

That's it!

After that, even though I have a 200 Series* AMD GPU at the time of this writing**, I was able to get ReLive up and running, even playing a little bit with the configuration and making a couple of short test recordings, before I came here to write this quick 'tip' of what might help get it going for others... It's a larger 'step' (messing with Drivers, as opposed to just messing with Configuration/Settings); but I always like to Troubleshoot from the smallest steps first (eg. changing some settings) to larger steps (eg. re-installing software) to huge steps (eg. OS reinstallation, hardware changes). Thankfully, it started working just fine after only a bit of a 'larger step' taken.

Although with the most recent versions of Windows you don't always have to Reboot it when making changes, it helps to get everything 'in order' in the background, re-initializing all hardware and Drivers fully - which is why many installers/software still get you to do it through their installation programs.

I plan on putting the Game Recorder through it's paces, working on a TestRun and a QualityTest, to come in the future here at The Blog - for now though, hopefully ReLive can get up and working for you, too - good luck, and if you are having troubles with it, remember - It's Not Just You™!






* The AMD page on ReLive at their main website (http://www.amd.com/en-us/innovations/software-technologies/radeon-software/gaming/radeon-relive) shows only 400 Series GPUs as 'Officially Compatible'. Although it does not state 'it will not work with earlier Series', it is unknown 100% at this time if it is possible, hence my mentioning it above


** Disclaimer and Personal Veracity Statement: Although I currently own an AMD GPU, I have owned NVIDIA GPUs in the past and will do so in the future. I have no personal preference between the two, purchasing one or the other as Upgrades depending on my needs at the time and my financial limitations at the time I choose to Upgrade. I have not and will not receive any compensation for mentioning or talking about either companies' products. I am merely an enthusiastic user (of both).

It's Not Just You™ - Battle.Net Issues with Logging In Today [Notification]

Just a quick post to let others know that if you are having logging in to Battle.Net today (August 1st) that lots of people have been having problems as of this morning. Blizzard has addressed this with a quick note via their twitter, seen at:

https://twitter.com/BlizzardCS/status/760100687111938048

Retry or Go Back To Bed? Hmmm....

For those playing Blizzard/Battle.Net games this weekend, hopefully it will be up soon - just letting you know, It's Not Just You™ !

It's Not Just You™ - Battle.Net Issues with Logging In and Updates The Past Few Days [Notification]

Just a quick post to let others know that I am having issues logging in to Battle.Net - well, I don't mean 'just me', sorry, I mean "me too" - as in, lots of people have been having problems the last few days, as seen in places like:

http://downdetector.com/status/battle-net/map/

and

https://twitter.com/BlizzardCS


The Battle.Net Launcher [agent.exe] just kept 'trying' to log in... forever.

Logging in... forever

Eventually it told me that I could only play Offline (error 3801 in my case). It also gave a link to the Battle.Net website for the error (a link is put in the Launcher after it can't connect) which directs you here:

https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/BLZBNTBGS80000011

This seems to be a 'generic' error of "we might be under maintenance but we don't really know"

Once I finally got logged in to the Launcher, it got stuck doing "updates"... Finally, after quite a while, it now seems to be able to function fully - I can open Hearthstone or World of Warcraft, for example - and play those now.

Just letting you know that if you are experiencing problems with Battle.Net, the Blizzard Launcher or their games over the weekend - It's Not Just You™... and once it gets working for you - See You In The Game!

Steam - Stuck On Updating Steam Information Message Thingy [It's Not Just You]

Just a quick Tip to let others know, if you've been trying to play a game on Steam 'just now' and have only been seeing this:

Updating Steam Information.... forever

It's Not Just You™ (slash-whew) 

It seems to be many, many people all over the world. It's not a 'regular maintenance time', so it feels odd, I know. But, as I recently saw in multiple forums talking about this occurrence - it shouldn't last too long. In fact, even though it started only a few minutes ago for me; it just ended now - my Steam is up and Ready!

So, like many things in life... just close your eyes, open your mouth, try to relax... and wait just a little bit longer (it took over 5 minutes for me, which felt crazy to wait for; but it has taken much longer than that for some people). If it hasn't happened for you yet, it may, the next time to start Steam. Don't Panic

Just letting you know [my personal experience with this that just occurred and may be the same for you..].

See You In The Game - Soon, Hopefully!

Guild Wars 2 - Slightly Annoying Not-So-Little Grey Arrow That Points Down And Does Not Go Away [It's Not Just You]

Just a quick Tip to others playing Guild Wars 2: I popped into GW2 after a long time away, mainly for some Stock recordings; but I found a weird little arrow that doesn't seem to have a reason for being there - other than covering up my Buffs and pointing to the 6th Skill (for no reason?). Here's what it looks like:

I asked around in the game (noone knew how to get rid of it, but others complained about it) and I looked in on the Official Forums, eventually finding this - an Official Response from a Dev there (from about a month ago):
http://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/support/bugs/Escape-key-no-longer-opens-menu/first#post5088931

Messing about with it a little more, it seems nothing gets rid of it for most (including myself, when it occurs). I personally have:

• Healed
• Died (while AFK)
• Used a Waypoint
• Hit ESC 42 times
• Logged out then logged in again

That last one cleared it for me, slash-whew.. But it may return, and it may not go away until I Logout again... [Maybe something will change from today's update..?]

Just letting others know that 'it's not just you' - and as of the time of this post, it seems there's nothing we can really do about it slash-sadface

See You In The Game Anyway!