Neowin.net

"We are excited to offer a preview of the next version of Windows XP Embedded. For device developers who are familiar with Windows XP Embedded, you will notice some significant changes to the product, and we think you will be impressed with what it has to offer. For developers who are new to Windows XP Embedded, we are thrilled to share this first experience with you.

This release focuses on three major areas:

Security & Networking Enhancements - The SP2 Tech Preview includes the new Windows Firewall. This component enables device builders to configure the firewall by opening & closing certain ports (based on the network topology that the device will be deployed to). Additionally, in-bound connections are not permitted by default. The Tech Preview also includes a hardened Internet Explorer, that enables more reliable browsing through stronger security profiles. Finally, partners such as Computer Associates & Sygate offer supported anti-virus & network protection clients for Windows XP Embedded.

Enterprise-Class Manageability – Easily integrate your Windows XP Embedded-based devices into pre-existing network infrastructures, by using Microsoft-wide management technologies such as Software Update Services (SUS) & Systems Management Server 2003 (SMS). SUS enables automatic scanning & deployment of Microsoft-issued security updates on Windows XP Embedded-based devices. SMS enables you to update your line-of-business application. Choose the technology that’s right for your device.

New Features For Innovation -- Build powerful multimedia appliances using DirectX 9 capabilities. Integrate your device into a broader array of networking infrastructures, by implementing Bluetooth support. Enable your device to boot quickly using our new faster boot technology."

Download: Windows XP Embedded with Service Pack 2 Technology Preview
News source: Windows Embedded Developer Center

What's new ?

Added lost extended registers unlocking code in RAM configuration detection routine for NVIDA GeForceFX and newer boards.

Hour is now displayed correctly on time markers in hardware monitoring log file viewer.

Fixed driver-level color correction for non-default rotation angles under the Detonator 42.10 and newer drivers.


Added ForceWare 66.31, 66.29, 66.32, 66.51, 66.70, 66.72 and 66.81 drivers support.

Updated databases for Detonator and ForceWare driver families. Due to more complex database build automation process used to generate database build scripts in this version, the databases contain many new system registry entries, missed in database build script in the previous versions.

Updated NVStrap antiprotection and ForceWareAntriprotector patch scripts for ForceWare 66.31, 66.29, 66.32, 66.51, 66.70, 66.72 and 66.81 drivers.

Revised antialiasing modes list for the ForceWare drivers.

Changed ForceWareFSAAModes format. Now system requirements are specified using GPU family ID rather than PCI DeviceID.

Updated Catalyst 4.9, 4.9 hotfix and 8.07 beta certified SoftR9x00 and ATIOverclockingAntiprotection patch scripts.

Added RV410 support. Now all R420 specific features including clock frequency control, temperature and fan speed monitoring / control are also available on RADEON X700 series. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with ATI RADEON X700XT.

Added VID monitoring for NV40 GPU based display adapters. Now GeForce 6800/GT/Ultra owners may also see either raw VID data or the corresponding voltages in hardware monitoring window.

Improved VID interpretator for "Core VID" hardware monitoring data sources:

Now besides NV30/NV35/NV38 specific "ISL6569 with hardwired VID0 / VID1" VID interpretation mode, RivaTuner's database also contains "1.1V + 0.1V / 0.3V loop", "1.1V + 0.3V / 0.2V loop" and "1.1V + 0.1V / 0.2V loop" interpretation modes allowing to translate raw VID data to the corresponding voltage on all NV40 based boards.

Added "Autoselect" button to the "VID interpretation" dialog. This button forces RivaTuner to compare voltage table stored in VGA BIOS with all VID interpretators available in the database and automatically select matched one.

Added interpretation preview window to the "VID interpretation" dialog. Now RivaTuner displays all available VID values and the corresponding voltages for selected intepretator.

Greatly improved built-in patch script engine:

Added BIOSChecksumGenerator RTS post-installation plug-in module, allowing you to restore BIOS checksum after patching a file with RivaTuner's patch script engine.

Added BIOSChecksumGenerator stub patch script, allowing you to restore VGA BIOS checksum in image file without making any additional changes in it.

Improved patch script format. Now the DstFile and BakFile fields can contain %filename% and %ext% macro strings. This feature is useful when source file name contains wildcards and is unknown a priori.

Added NV40BIOSUnitsMaskEliminator patch script, allowing you to remove software pixel / vertex units mask from VGA BIOS image file.

New patch script formats support. Now besides previously available native patch scripts, applying changes to a file, RivaTuner's patch script engine also supports so called runtime scripts, which can be applied directly to a driver loaded in memory. Runtime patch scripts are useful for patching runtime decoded drivers, protected against native patch scripts. Furthermore besides native-only and runtime-only patch scripts, patch script engine also supports so called universal patch scripts, which can be installed in both modes.

Added ATIOverclockingAntiprotectionRuntime patch script, based upon newly introduced runtime patching technology. This script is an example of universal patch script, which can be applied to both driver miniport binary file in the distributive and directly to the miniport driver, loaded in memory.

Improved NVIDIA VGA BIOS formats support:

Now BIT structure based VGA BIOS images with no BMP structure are fully supported by RivaTuner. This allows displaying "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" diagnostic report category on GeForce 6600 display adapters family, which have no BMP structure in BIOS.

Added BIT tokens list interpretator. Now locations of tokens defining offsets to performance and voltage tables are calculated by translating and scanning whole BIT tokens list and no longer referenced using fixed offset from the beginning of BIT header.

Improved low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic report module:

Now NVIDIA VGA BIOS version is read from the BIT rather than from the BMP when both structures are available in VGA BIOS.

Added dozen of new NVIDA / Intel / SiS / AMD northbridges to RivaTuner's hardware database.

"GPU units mask" line in "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" diagnostic report category has been renamed to "SW units mask". Software units mask representation has been also changed to make it more plain for beginners. Now RivaTuner displays "none" instead of "16x1,6vp" when there are no software masked units detected in VGA BIOS, and shows which pixel / vertex units exactly are disabled if software units mask exists in VGA BIOS.

Added "HW units mask" line to "NVIDIA specific display adapter information" diagnostic report category. This line displays "none" if the GPU doesn't have hardware masked pixel / vertex units, otherwise it shows which pixel / vertex units exactly are masked with hardware straps.

New NVStrap v1.6 driver brings you more nice exclusive features:

Now the NVStrap driver configuration tab contains "Allow enabling masked units" option, allowing the driver to force the graphics processor to activate all pixel / vertex units, even if they are hardware strapped as damaged. Please be extremely careful and use this option at your own risk. Enabling hardware masked units, which have not passed hardware quality testing, may cause unpredictable results and even permanently damage your graphics hardware.

Improved "Custom graphics processor configuration" dialog layout. Now you may also see enabled/disabled state of each pixel/vertex unit in separate column. New "HW masked" column shows you which pixel / vertex units are hardware strapped as defected and protected from enabling by default by hardware mask to prevent system instability.

Added NVStrap driver version tracking wizard. This module checks version of the currently installed NVStrap driver each time you open NVStrap configuration tab and offers you to replace outdated version with new one if you have not reinstalled the driver manually after upgrading RivaTuner version.

New NVInfo v1.4 bundled DOS utility. Now NVInfo provides RivaTuner-styled command line interface for R/W access to NVIDIA graphics processor's registers. Take a note, that NVInfo correctly supports queued R/W commands like RivaTuner's command line interface.

Due to users' requests, unofficial support for integrated NVIDIA graphics processors is returned back.

Due to numerous requests from third party developers, some components of RivaTuner's SDK are no longer available via personal email request only and will be included in distributive since this version. Now RivaTuner's publicly available SDK includes RTHMSharedMemory VC++ sample, allowing third party tools to access RivaTuner's hardware monitoring statistics in realtime.

Improved compatibility with some slow flashrom chips used on NVIDIA display adapters.

New Easter eggs. Added built-in device driver dump utility, allowing you to dump loaded driver memory and save it to the file for subsequent analysis. This utility is useful for analyzing runtime decrypted drivers as well as for creating runtime patch scripts and tracking differences caused by other tool patching driver in runtime.

Improved installer. Now RivaTunerEx.sys driver is automatically unloaded from memory during installation to ensure proper driver operation.

Added about 10 new overclocking and NV40 softmodding related questions and answers to FAQ.

Minor UI changes and improvements.

RIVATUNER IS SUPPLIED "AS IS". THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, DIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF RIVATUNER This program should be used at your own risk. We are not responsible for anything that happens to you or your computer after using this utility.