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[NotHereToPlayGames]

I have seen browsers cause BSODs in XP if the user tries to enable Hardware Acceleration.  Hardware Acceleration is not designed for XP, the correct APIs do not work in XP, and the browser settings should never be set to "try" to enable it.  Kind of like "multi-process" e10s in Mozilla browsers - just because you "can", doesn't mean you "should".  I'm speaking specifically to the XP crowd, of course.  "Mileage may vary."

[NotHereToPlayGames]

1 hour ago, Anbima said:

@NotHereToPlayGames

A few more question:
1. Is there a special version that you continue to update, or do you do everyone the same?

2. Is there a master passport for the stored passwords, with which I can see the stored passwords?

3. For some pages, a message is displayed due to the SSL encryption. This is in Chinese language (V13.5). Can you translate this?

4. Is it possible to install certificates so that this message is no longer displayed?

I try to update all four on the same day or two.

No clue on passwords, I've never enabled any web browser to store passwords spanning my 36 years of computer usage.

You'll never get 100% SSL "valid security checks" on XP.  The "messages" are FALSE ALARMS and are meaningless to pay any attention towards.

[XPerceniol]

1 hour ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

I try to update all four on the same day or two.

Terrific news! Looking forward to your updates and thank you for your work.

Edited April 24, 2022 by XPerceniol

[UCyborg]

Just now, NotHereToPlayGames said:

I have seen browsers cause BSODs in XP if the user tries to enable Hardware Acceleration.  Hardware Acceleration is not designed for XP, the correct APIs do not work in XP, and the browser settings should never be set to "try" to enable it.

I doubt Mypal users with BSOD problems are getting out of their way to enable OpenGL backend for hardware acceleration. Ignoring browser issues and their HW acceleration, which came later and is a bit specific, XP was all about HW accel, from graphics to sound - look at DirectX Diagnostic Tool - Win + R -> dxdiag.

At the same time, the OS is old school and there is very little room for mistakes. A hiccup that might just cause a screen flash on Windows 10 may bring Windows XP down. Granted, hiccups are still possible in other areas on newer OS, but graphics drivers got a bit special treatment so not every hiccup crashes the entire OS.

And properly working XP installations where everything adds up might be rarer than we think.

[NotHereToPlayGames]

As a CAD designer using XP for various 3D CAD applications spanning 31 years, hardware acceleration has always been extremely problematic.  (edit - not all 31yrs of CAD has been XP, I started back in the DOS days.)

Whenever Customer Support was called over the years for CAD application instability, the Top Three suggestions has always been, "Have you disabled Hardware Acceleration?"

I can't speak for gaming applications, I haven't played a video game since the local Dairy Queen got rid of their table-top Mrs. Pac-Man in the mid-90s.

But I can speak for 3D CAD applications.  

Edited April 25, 2022 by NotHereToPlayGames

[UCyborg]

Things crashing left and right with HW accel is not the norm. There is a specific market of graphics cards for professional applications (including CAD), used to be NVIDIA Quadro and ATI FirePro/FireGL brands, now such cards are marketed under different brand. I doubt such market would exist if HW accel did not work, especially considering the high price tag.

[D.Draker]

14 hours ago, UCyborg said:

(VP9 codec) without GPU acceleration

 

Hi . VP9 hardware decoding is only available since the seventh generation of PureVideo HD (C). So we (you and I) wouldn't be able to use it , even if wanted to, because we have old cards . I have a 8 years old Titan X that doesn't support it. Also , the browser makes direct calls to the driver and then to the BIOS of your card to see what is available (hence many hardware related BSODs reported on unsupported hardware). How do I know this ? Simple. Vista doesn't support HEVC and VP9 officialy , yet the accelleration works on GTX1080 and drivers starting from 372.54. To see if it works on XP you can try GTX960 of GTS950 (the first cards to implement partial HEVC and VP9 support) .

Open GPUZ and see you DXVA capabilities. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nvidia_PureVideo

[D.Draker]

17 hours ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

If this was directed at me - 

Not throwing stones at anyone , like i said. We are all gathered here to help each other . I just don't understand why you promote your favourite 11th version almost at every case  of our encounters. I think I wrote several times I can't use it. Beleive me , I would if I could . But websites here , in rich European countries,  are always updated llike crazy ! So , like @UCyborg wrote and I agree with him 100% , youtube is not a good example. I can't do anything , even with the 12th ver.. I can't order food , I can't order discounts at my gym website , I can't .... Well , think of it like it's your water bill wesite . I'm very glad the US is far behind the EU in this case. Also , I use Yahoo , yes , don't throw stones at me ))))

I need yahoo . This is not an ad , I don't work for them. Yes , I know they read my emails . Thanks.

[D.Draker]

17 hours ago, Dave-H said:

only 3GB usable in XP because of the native limitation of a 32 bit operating system of course

Dave , your mobo must be very greedy ! I had a similar case in the past and a similar CPU with G31.smth mobo . Yes, it also allowed to use 3GB only, at first !

Then I went to the BIOS and switched on the function called smth like "Memory remap... , or remapping,  allocating"? And it allowed me to use all 4 gigs !!!

Later boards removed that function , but it was about 3.5GB , not 3.0 ! It worked with both Vista and XP. All 4GB could be used. Try it.

Also , may switch off your onboard adapter in the BIOS or reduce its memory to 128mb.

Regards.

Edited April 25, 2022 by D.Draker
the function name

[UCyborg]

4 hours ago, D.Draker said:

16 hours ago, UCyborg said:

(VP9 codec) without GPU acceleration

 

Hi . VP9 hardware decoding is only available since the seventh generation of PureVideo HD (C).

I was actually referring to normal acceleration dealing with web page compositing, because the slowness doesn't necessarily come from inability to decode video on GPU. Obviously, on XP, no browser will even try to query GPU video decoding capabilities because expected APIs are missing. My CPU is doing fine in general decoding 1440p @ 60 FPS VP9 streams.

But no browser I'm aware of on any Windows version I can run on my computer is actually able to handle that video resolution / frame rate smoothly without frame drops. Pale Moon on Linux handles it like a champ though (not that anyone here actually cares).

Edited April 25, 2022 by UCyborg

[NotHereToPlayGames]

4 minutes ago, UCyborg said:

(not that anyone here actually cares)

[NotHereToPlayGames]

4 hours ago, UCyborg said:

There is a specific market of graphics cards for professional applications (including CAD), used to be NVIDIA Quadro and ATI FirePro/FireGL brands, now such cards are marketed under different brand.

The problem is that every company I've ever worked for (only three companies, I don't believe in "job-hopping") doesn't buy high-end computer systems.

They buy "bulk enterprise" types of systems.  They basically tend to be "middle of the line".  I wouldn't call them "cheap", but far from "high end".

The Engineer and the CAD Technician use the same "bulk enterprise" PC that the receptionist answering phone calls and playing solitaire in her free time uses.

The Engineer and the CAD Technician can requisition for more RAM, but we're stuck with a "middle of the line" graphics card.

Some of us are LUCKY and can get a desktop PC instead of a laptop PC and are a "little" better off - but still "middle of the line".

Edited April 25, 2022 by NotHereToPlayGames

[Dave-H]

6 hours ago, D.Draker said:

Dave , your mobo must be very greedy ! I had a similar case in the past and a similar CPU with G31.smth mobo . Yes, it also allowed to use 3GB only, at first !

Then I went to the BIOS and switched on the function called smth like "Memory remap... , or remapping,  allocating"? And it allowed me to use all 4 gigs !!!

Later boards removed that function , but it was about 3.5GB , not 3.0 ! It worked with both Vista and XP. All 4GB could be used. Try it.

Also , may switch off your onboard adapter in the BIOS or reduce its memory to 128mb.

Regards.

Off-topic here of course, but I don't have any settings like that in my BIOS.
I know there are ways to extend the memory capabilities of 32 bit XP, but some sound very dodgy as far as stability is concerned, and I've never bothered.

[NotHereToPlayGames]

31 minutes ago, Dave-H said:

I know there are ways to extend the memory capabilities of 32 bit XP

I tried several out of curiosity a couple years ago.  Don't waste your time.  I never found one that didn't result in BSODs at least once every ten minutes!  If the system would boot at all!

[Dave-H]

Thanks, that just confirms what I thought!