Driver Update: Hercules Display Drivers 7.91

Hercules has released new drivers for its video cards with a Radeon core. These are version number 7.91 and are based on the Catalyst 3.6 drivers. Windows 2k/XP users can download the new release here. Those who still use Windows 98/Me download their driver package from this location. The changelog leaves the following changes:

Fixed in these new Display Drivers:

• Switching to the program Second Life using the ALT-Tab command no longer results in the system not responding or looping indefinitely
• Running the demo game Lord of the Realms 3 under Windows XP with a RADEON 9000 series card installed no longer results in the system not responding when a 3 stage effect is used
• The game Unreal Tournament 2003 no longer hangs when loading the CTF-December level
• The geometry flashing throughout the background of Second Life is now resolved
• Flickering and display corruption in the game NeverWinter Nights is now resolved
• Running ViewPerf 6.1.2 under Windows ME with any RADEON™ family product installed no longer results in the application not being able to render an image
• Objects are now generated and the VP is no longer gray when running 3ds max in D3D mode
• Loss of focus when switching between different layers in Studio Tool 10.1 is now resolved
• Full Screen Anti-Aliasing no longer causes corrupt geometry in model viewer program
• Overlay no longer disappears when moving the mouse around in panning mode on the secondary display adapter in the application Overfly
• Multimedia mode scaling and positioning issues have now been resolved when using TV out
• Display corruption noticed on the ATI Demo Rachel running under Windows XP is now resolved
• The lighting and triangle culling on the 3D pipes screensaver no longer is incorrect when using a RADEON™ 7000 series card under Windows 2000
• Significant CPU usage is no longer noticed when Hardware Overlay Deblocking is in use
• Enabling Overlay Theater Mode and playing an HDTV source through the ATI File Player, no longer results in the system rebooting
• Connecting a secondary DFP and attempting to enable extended desktop mode no longer now results in the secondary display device becoming active
• Setting an LCD as the primary display, and a CRT as the secondary display followed by enabling Overlay Theater Mode, no longer results in display corruption when preview the screen saver on the secondary display
• Enabling extended desktop at certain resolutions and color depths no longer results in display corruption on the secondary controller
• Installing a RADEON™ 9600 series card in a motherboard supporting AGP 8X no longer results in some 3D applications failing to respond

New feature in those new Display Drivers:

• Force TV detection
  Some TV sets may use non-standard inputs resulting in the TV enable button continuing to stay grayed out in the ATI Displays tab. This issue is address by a Troubleshoot button that is now available. This button allows the user to force detection of their TV. However, features that rely on automatic detection of the TV will not be supported on the TV display. TV detection will also need to be re-enabled each time the system is restarted.

[break]These drivers include Control Panel 5.0.21. This new release is also based on Catalyst 3.6 and weighs just over twelve megabytes.