------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerStrip 2.50.03 Release Notes June 6, 1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------- (c) Copyright EnTech Taiwan, 1995-99. HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT ======================== To view pstrip.txt on screen in Notepad, maximize the Notepad window. To print pstrip.txt, open it in Notepad or another word processor, and then on the File menu, click Print. CONTENTS ======== LICENSE, REGISTRATION AND SUPPORT POWERSTRIP DESCRIPTION LIMITATIONS IN THE POWERSTRIP DEMO INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING THE POWERSTRIP UPGRADING THE POWERSTRIP REMOVING THE POWERSTRIP POWERSTRIP REFRESH RATE SUPPORT NON-ADMINISTRATORS UNDER WINDOWS NT NOTES ON SPECIFIC CHIPSETS AND DRIVERS KNOWN LIMITATIONS HISTORY LICENSE, REGISTRATION AND SUPPORT ================================= This version of the PowerStrip is shareware. You must read and accept the terms of the legal disclaimer below before you can use this software. LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This software is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the software is with you. Should the software prove defective, you assume the cost of all necessary servicing, repair or correction. In no event will EnTech Taiwan be liable to you for damages, including any general, special, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the software (including but not limited to loss of data or data being rendered inaccurate or losses sustained by you or third parties or a failure of the software to operate with any other programs), even if such holder or other party has been advised of the possibility of such damages. REGISTRATION - The PowerStrip can be purchased for US$29.95 through RegSoft's Registration Service. For on-line registration, please follow the link at http://www.entechtaiwan.com/ps.htm. Voice and fax orders can be placed by calling 1-888-REG-IT80 or 770-497-9126 (voice), or 1-770-497-9234 (fax). Please refer to Product ID #3573. SUPPORT - PowerStrip support is available from EnTech Taiwan via Internet e-mail addressed to support@entechtaiwan.com. Program updates are made available over the Internet at http://www.entechtaiwan.com. POWERSTRIP DESCRIPTION ====================== The PowerStrip is a desktop enhancement and display control utility, specifically optimized for use with current and future 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows. The PowerStrip works in conjunction with your display driver and graphics hardware, supporting on-the-fly color depth, resolution, and refresh rate switching, user-defined presets, program/ shortcut associations, an optional toolbar, graphics system information, screen saving, power management, cursor controls, color correction, and extensive monitor support. A full description of PowerStrip features can be found in the online documentation. LIMITATIONS IN THE POWERSTRIP DEMO ================================== The PowerStrip Demo is fully functional, but will randomly discard your preferences from one session to the next. The single exception is DPMS settings, which are maintained but stay in effect for only 30 minutes. Licensed versions of the PowerStrip do not display the "PowerStrip Demo" splash screen on start-up, and - naturally - save and restore all your preferences. INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING THE POWERSTRIP ========================================= To install PowerStrip, you must have a PC running Windows NT or Windows 95/98, and a graphics card or monitor specifically approved for use with the PowerStrip. These instructions assume that you have already successfully installed the very latest display drivers provided by your graphics card manufacturer or by Microsoft. NB: The PowerStrip is NOT designed for use with proprietary display drivers and/or firmware which deviates significantly from the chip vendor's reference designs. To install PowerStrip software, carry out the following steps: 1. Run the included Setup program. Or to install manually, right-click the file pstrip.inf file using the Windows Explorer, and then click Install. 2. Run the PowerStrip from the PowerStrip folder in the Start menu and double-click the PowerStrip icon on the system tray, or select PowerStrip configuration... from the PowerStrip popup menu or toolbar. 3. Select color depth, resolution and refresh rate combinations of your choice and drag-and-drop on Preset button to save settings, or on monitor image to preview settings. To remove the PowerStrip from your computer, select the Add/Remove option from the Control Panel, and select "PowerStrip (remove only)" from the list. Detailed instructions follow below. UPGRADING THE POWERSTRIP ======================== When you upgrade the PowerStrip from an older version, all your presets and associations are preserved, but custom monitor information and refresh rates will be lost. This is a deliberate safety precaution. There is no need to uninstall an older version of the program prior to upgrading. REMOVING THE POWERSTRIP ======================= To completely remove the PowerStrip from your system, follow these steps: 1. Open the Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs applet, and select the "PowerStrip (remove only)" option from the list. 2. Re-install your display drivers to ensure that driver registry information has been restored to its original state. 3. Re-confirm your Windows monitor type (under Windows 95/98/NT5) to ensure that monitor registry information has been restored to its original state. 4. If you have a secondary 3D accelerator (e.g., PowerVR PCX1/2, Voodoo Graphics or Voodoo II card), re-install the drivers for this device. POWERSTRIP REFRESH RATE SUPPORT =============================== The PowerStrip may include extensive refresh rate support which goes far beyond the level of support provided by the chip vendor's BIOS and drivers. However, this additional support requires that the PowerStrip be running. Since the PowerStrip will, of course, be loaded after the Windows desktop appears, Windows will first start up at the closest refresh rate supported directly by the driver, and only then switch to a custom refresh rate (if enabled) when the PowerStrip loads. For example, if you have a Rendition or Riva128 accelerator and have used the PowerStrip to set the refresh rate to 150Hz, Windows will typically startup at 120Hz (the closest rate supported directly by Rendition and nVidia), and then switch automatically to 150Hz when the PowerStrip loads. NON-ADMINISTRATORS UNDER WINDOWS NT =================================== By default, the PowerStrip provides direct hardware support under NT only to administrators. Non-administrator access to the PowerStrip is available by using the Setup program. Note that it is very important to follow the Setup program instructions to the letter, to ensure the PowerStrip is properly registered as a service. NOTES ON SPECIFIC CHIPSETS AND DRIVERS ====================================== AGP cards in general - Under Windows 95 you will need OSR2.1 (with USB support installed), as well as a special VXD provided by your mainboard's chip vendor. Many graphics card vendors are automatically installing Intel's VXD driver with their display driver, but this will only work with Intel core logic. If you have one of the new Socket 7 AGP boards from VIA, SiS ALI or ETEQ, you will need to ensure you have the appropriate GART manager installed. Non-DDI compliant drivers - Some display drivers report support for downloadable gamma ramps, when in fact this support is not implemented and may result in a GDI illegal instruction error. To circumvent this problem, you may need to manually add a "No-DDI=1" switch to the [Options] section of the pstrip.ini file. ATI - PowerStrip refresh rate support may not work with ATI cards under Windows 95/98 unless you are using a Microsoft driver. Because of ATI's PLL settling characteristics, programmable refresh rates are not supported. Also note that all clock settings are critically dependent on the reference oscillator, which can vary from one ATI board to another. If the PowerStrip reports abnormally high or low clock speeds, please contact tech support for instructions on how to fix this problem. S3 ViRGE/GX2 - PowerStrip TV output controls for the GX2 under NT requires BIOS version 2.16.08 or a later release. Matrox MGAs - PowerStrip refresh rate support will not work properly with MGA cards under Windows 95/98 unless you (1) configure the Matrox PowerDesk to use a native Windows monitor, or (2) use a Microsoft driver, or (3) select a standard Matrox VESA monitor type. If you select a Matrox using the PowerDesk, your refresh rates may be limited to the ones defined by PowerDesk. Voodoo Rush - The PowerStrip has been tested and approved for use with the AT3D and AT25 only. While the program can detect earlier Alliance chips like the AT24 and 6422, timing characteristics are likely to be very different. BIOS version will not be reported. Trident ProVidia 96xx - The PowerStrip is designed for use with the 3Dimage/ Blade3D series of chips. It is unlikely to work correctly with earlier ProVidia 96xx chipsets. Also, under NT, the PowerStrip may occasionally set an incorrect custom refresh rate. Cirrus Logic Alpine - The PowerStrip contains optimized code for the 5436/46 and 5480; earlier 5430/34/40 chipsets are also supported in API mode. Intel740/752 - The PowerStrip should *not* be used with Asus drivers for Intel chips, under Windows 95/98. Riva128/128ZX - Under NT, DPMS services may appear to work correctly, but be unable to wake up with certain BIOS and driver combinations. Setting the "Force DPMS" switch on the PowerStrip Trouble shooting page may fix this problem. Dedicated 3D Acceleraters - PowerStrip support for dynamically switching between primary and auxiliary D3D devices has been tested with 3Dfx Voodoo Graphics I and II, and Matrox M3D/Videologic PowerVR cards only. Note that for PowerVR support, you must be using driver release 4.0 or higher. If you have a Voodoo card which uses proprietary drivers, a special undocumented switch may need to set before you can safely change the default D3D device. Banshee and Voodoo - Banshee drivers will normally overwrite Voodoo I/II Glide files with Banshee files of the same name. In the event, you can use the "Disable Banshee Glide support" option on the PowerStrip 3Dfx page, and then proceed to re-install your Voodoo drivers. From that point on you can safely switch between Banshee and VoodooI/II Glide support from within the PowerStrip. KNOWN LIMITATIONS ================= Icon Corruption after Changing Color Depth On-the-fly ----------------------------------------------------- Under Windows 95 it is possible that icons (even PowerStrip icons) may be corrupted after switching color depth dynamically. Multi-language Support ---------------------- Some of the translated text strings may be either too long or less than accurate. If you encounter a translation error and/or can suggest a more accurate or abbreviated translation, we would appreciate your input. Naturally, we apologize in advance for any translations that are inaccurate. Translations are not available for extended Plug and Play monitor information. Support for Windows 2000 RCs ---------------------------- Low-level hardware support under NT 5.0 is fully enabled in this release. If you encounter problems with specific drivers, you may need to manually add a "BIOS=2" switch to the [Options] section of the pstrip.ini file. Note that checked/debug builds of NT are not supported. HISTORY ======= 2.50 - 06/06/99 Added Rage128 and Voodoo3 support Added vsync switch for i740 Fixed non-US time format conversions Added memory recovery hotkey Fixed V3 22 bit switches and NT LUTDAC support Revised NVidia VClk, MClk and NVClk routines Padded V3 VClk routine Replaced DX properties menu link with Performance link Resolved reappearing toolbar issue Validated TNT2/Vanta/Savage4 support Revised S3 VClk routines Fixed Rage3D SClk error Altered NT installed service detection Rewrote VClk routines for all S3 chips Added some minimal preliminary i752/754 support Validated NT5B3 support 2.40 - 03/13/99 Added Banshee and NVidia support for 56Hz Added DX hotkey support for color correction w. alternate modifiers Fixed Banshee blank screen after closing screen saver Reduced level of hardware support for SiS6326 Changed i740 refresh rate implementation Added some LCD portrait-mode support Changed installation Added support for new V2K driver switches Added more Savage vclk support (720xNNN) Disabled HW support for NT5B3 Build 1946 (BSoD) Added Blade3D support Added dual MGA monitor support under NT4 2.35 - 01/20/99 Added stand-alone DPMS screen saver for NT Eliminated redundent register checks Improved ATI support Added command-line clock parameters Added programmable TNT memory timings Fixed up S3 CommandDMA and AGP aperture size switches Added support for G200 1280x1024x32bpp at 85Hz 2.30 - 11/28/98 Added color temperature control (RG:B ratio) Updated monitor database and added best-match DDC routines Bolstered NT DPMS routines with direct hardware calls Re-instated aggressive memory timing option for nVidia chips Revised MGA base address aquisition Improved Glide switcher Added Savage3D AGP texture size control Changed default association method to CreateProcess/suspend Added physical memory flush controls and methods Added undocumented support for Obsedian and Pure3D2 Added full support for S3 LC2X Validated NT5B2 multi-monitor support Added Polish language support Added programmable refresh rates for the P2 under NT Added IE4 shell crash handler Added LUTDAC support for TNT under NT Reduced resource consumption 2.29 - 10/10/98 Added LUTDAC support for TVP3026 (Permedia/1, Millenium, etc.) Updated monitor database Relaxed standard refresh rate some more Fixed up TNT and Banshee memory size/type issue Fixed G200 CREXT error Added preliminary Glide switcher 2.28 - 10/06/98 Reworked the AGP diagnostic report Fixed up compatibility problems with NT5B2 Relaxed standard refresh rate support Revised G200 clock support Fixed AGP/PCI multi-monitor priority Added IDirectDraw4 support Improved Savage3D TV-out support Added new method for screen positioning 2.27 - 09/25/98 Moved color controls to the toolbar Right-click on Info icon now brings up Performance page Added BIOS code to support ATI chips Prioritized LUTDAC over DDI support Reworked the DPMS code to support NT security Added TV-out for Savage3D (needs work) 2.26 - 09/20/98 Added preliminary TNT and Banshee support Fixed GX2 TV hotkeys and DuoView control Revised and validated MGA G-series clock controls Refined color calibration controls 2.25 - 08/18/98 Revised monitor calc Fixed V2k refresh rates Added DPMS command-line support Added DDC disable switch Relaxed Riva memory timing optimizations Added specific FPU code word support Revised GX3 support and added D3D switches Added G100 and G200 support 2.24 - 07/14/98 Updated monitor database Added some hardware support for ATI and Matrox Improved 3Dfx support under Win98 Added support for flat panel controllers Added timing optimizations for i740 and Riva 2.23 - 06/25/98 Updated monitor database Added support for 100MHz ZX parts Added polygon mipmap support for Rendition ICD Fixed CRTC/VClk conflict under NT Expanded PCI latency support to cover all PCI devices Revised monitor and cursor dialog boxes 2.22 - 06/12/98 Added multi-monitor support Optimized NT hardware calls Improved (?) installation 2.21 - 05/30/98 Added Savage3D support Fixed up some Voodoo and PVR methods Improved non-admininistrator support under NT 2.20 - 05/20/98 Added DDI and CLUT color calibration Revised Verite clock and other controls Shifted some routines to secondary threads Fixed compatibility problem with SiS 6326 NT driver Fixed broken associations with color depth Fixed GX2 PAL uder/overscan support Added Voodoo support for NT 2.17 - 05/01/98 Added 3Dfx Voodoo I and II controls Revised D3D HAL selection Revised NT DPMS support again Added PowerVR controls Revised RivaZX support 2.16 - 04/17/98 Fixed up broken GX2 TV-out support Revised 3Dimage and i740 MClk Added I/O access to PCI configuration registers 2.15 - 04/12/98 Added overview Revised 3Dimage and i740 support Reduced default monitor to 75Hz/48kHz Added support for NV3T Added PCI device enumerator Moved some code to new pstrip.dll 2.11 - 03/21/98 Added non-administrator support under NT Revised DPMS support under NT Fixed 3Dfx D3D bug under 95/98 Revised monitor override support Changed Rendition methods under NT Added support for Permedia P2v and P2a 2.10 - 02/26/98 Initial shareware release [..] 1.00 - 02/01/96 Initial OEM release for Permedia