I was pretty delighted when my Microsoft MVP was reawarded on the 1st of January for a second year.  Microsoft award their “Most Valuable Professional” award each year to around 4,000 individuals covering almost all of their product lines.  In a statement on their website they say…

We seek to recognize the best and brightest from technology communities around the world with the Microsoft® Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award.  These exceptional community leaders come from a wide range of backgrounds. They are teachers, artists, doctors, engineers, as well as technologists, who actively share their high-quality, real-world technical expertise with the community and with Microsoft.  With the MVP Award, we thank these inspiring individuals for representing the voice of thousands in the community through the powerful and independent feedback they give us, and for helping our customers maximize the potential of their software.

Getting an MVP is pretty cool and my renewal came as a big though very welcome surprise and does come with some tangible benefits (software mostly) and access to product groups within Microsoft to feed back comments and ideas, and find out what’s up and coming with their products in the coming months.

I received my award pack yesterday and I thought you might be interested to see the physical goodies that Microsoft give awardees.  They include a lovely glass trophy which you get in your first year with a small lug with the year written on it.  In successive years they just send you more lugs.  These include blue 5 year lugs for long-time awardees (some have been MVPs for as long as 17 years!).  Also in the pack you get a Microsoft ID card for when you visit company sites, a metal lapel badge, a framed certificate and this year, which seems a little out of place, a set of MVP stickers.

In fact I’ve been challenging people to come up with the most imaginative use for the MVP stickers and I’m offering a small prize for the best suggestions (why not give your suggestion in the comments below) and ones so far have included being stuck to a car dashboard so the traffic police in the Microsoft car parks don’t give you a ticket, marking your coat hook at work or covering the glowing Apple logo on a Macbook (alas they’re not quite large enough for this).  For now I’ve settled with one on my laptop lid.

I was renewed in part because of my writing here at gHacks and our sister site Windows7News and I’d like to thank all of you for your support this last year.  2012 is going to be great as I have at least two Windows 8 books coming out 

Despite the MVP renewal I will continue to call out Microsoft whenever they get something wrong and, in all honesty, I’m considering buying my first Mac this year too!  Photos of the 2012 MVP award pack are below along with the use I put at least one sticker to.

It’s official!  The new look TheLongClimb.com has gone live with a series of no fewer than eight colour schemes and a layout and design inspired by Microsoft’s Metro interface as used across Windows Phone, Xbox 360 and Windows 8.

Easier to use!

It’s not just for show however.  The new layout is designed specifically to make it easier for you to find the information you want, with large accessible buttons to take you directly to videos, events, reviews, news and books.  The colour changer, mimicking some of the most-popular colours available in Metro will also make the website easier to use and read for everybody including the colour-blind.

Touch-Ready!

The entire website is also now completely touch-friendly, ready for use on your tablet computer.  Frankly all websites these days should be tough-friendly, but the Long Climb is helping to show the way forward.

So don’t delay, try out our new website and new colour themes today at TheLongClimb.com, images from all eight colour schemes available can be seen below.  I’d love to hear what you think of the new look site too, so please email me or leave your comments.

• Very large panel just under your eyes
• Highly immersive themes
• Full HD Video tabletops
• New experience to interact with virtual objects
• Virtual mouse pads and keyboard pads with visual feedback
• Your world under your eyes
• Keep an eye on your social networks
• View news feed, weather
• Your video channels, webcams
• Statistics, alerts
• Snapshots and memos
• Download dedicated applications from EXOstore
• Download new themes
• Customize your experience with libraries of table tops, video backgrounds, objects and animations

I’ve seen two exclusive new videos of the device in action and the themes are every bit as exciting as you might imagine, being either static or animated, and the overall touch and animation effects the company is showing off are simply amazing.  I will have another exclusive at the end of next week the company tells me with a first public look in depth at the ExoDesk in video.

• Contextual information
• Live information and data feeds
• Dashboards, alerts and metrics
• Image and document viewing
• Workflows and procedures
• Quick guides and visual information
• Tools and utilities
• Smooth customization and integration
• Customize using XML and HTML based templates
• Interoperability layer for easy integration with your infrastructure
• Private cloud

• Exciting HTML5 application development
  kit
  • Full HD, hardware accelerated HTML5 container
  • JavaScript extensions
  • Auto-transitions for backgrounds and objects
  • Contextual information (active app, multiple display, mouse and keyboard stats,  clipboard, access to the other screens as images in canvas, etc)
• Increase your own productivity
  • Applications dedicated to developers
  • Visual guides
  • Contextual information (color picker, mouse position, objects dimensions)
• Have fun and make money
  • Most immersive HTML5 development kit
  • Publish your free and paid apps and tabletops to the EXOstore

the HTML5 development kit includes functions to implement physics behavior for all applications (realistic behavior including gravity and friction)

I had another article posted on the official Microsoft TechNet blog this week.

Most smartphone platforms these days are designed with consumers in mind. After all, what business wanting its staff to be productive wants a handset that encourages updating Facebook, playing Angry Birds and engaging in online chat?

All the major smartphones are guilty of these including Blackberry which made its name in the business space. Now though, Windows Phone’s latest update, Mango, is changing the way businesses can work with and utilise smartphones.

The previous choices for smartphones in the Enterprise were either the aforementioned Blackberry or the now retired Windows Mobile. When Windows Phone first launched a year ago some features were incomplete, though in Microsoft’s defence they managed to pull the entire platform together from scratch in just 18 months.

I thought I’d detail here for you why I now believe that Windows Phone is the only smartphone platform you should be deploying in your business.

Some of the changes are simple and elegant, such as new threaded email views and direct integration with Office 365. Most business want more server-centric features however and Mango delivers these.

Exchange support has been greatly improved and now offers Information Rights Managed restrictions to be placed on messages, determining what recipients can and cannot do with them once they have been received. Exchange support has been tightened up greatly from the first builds of the Windows Phone OS.

There’s better password support enabling IT administrators to enforce password management through Exchange group policy in the same way as exists on the desktop.

Wireless and VPN network access has been improved with support for hidden and fully configurable networks. Search is automatically extended to your Exchange server as well when you set up an Exchange account on a phone.

Server support is comprehensive with not just with a new generation of content-rich apps, but also a targeted application distribution channel for businesses to push their own bespoke applications to handsets.

Integration with Microsoft’s new communication platform, Lync, is built in along with other links to Office and Server-side features, and the full editions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, with the online sync they bring are simply excellent in my view and I use them constantly.

On top of this there are many other improvements in Mango including full support for HTML5, integration with LinkedIn and new richer live tiles bringing the latest and most relevant information directly to the attention of the user.

These are not features offered by other smartphone makers who operate in different ways. Apple’s “buy more apps” approach has left its platform confined to consumers, and Blackberry’s traditional mobile approach has become dated and unpopular with their market share dropping month on month, especially as they try harder to consumerise their platform. Finally Android’s security and malware problems are keeping Google’s OS firmly away from the Enterprise.

With mango, Windows Phone is completely ready for business and with a focus that concentrates on information, productivity and accessibility, and that can be configured for consumer and business-centric environments separately; it stands apart from the competition in my view as being far from a gimmick.

Windows Phone, just one year from its launch is a mature and Enterprise-ready platform that will surprise many as it gains further traction and brings new levels of efficiency to the workplace.

Just to show how seriously Microsoft takes us here at Windows7News.com (and our sister sites), they have selected five of my Windows 7 Troubleshooting videos to appear on the official Microsoft support website at support.microsoft.com.  The videos were made to promote my Microsoft Press book, Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out late last year and are the only Windows 7 video content currently on the site.

Microsoft have given them a prominent position, listing them third out of the 16 help sections for Windows 7 help and support, and personally I think they’ve done a fabulous job in the way they’re presented.  Microsoft does occasionally feature help and support content from MVPs but I am delighted that they invited me to submit my videos.  I will also be making new videos them into the future to include Windows 7 and Windows 8 among other subjects, which could yet include Windows Phone and, as you’ll read below, Office 2010 and Office 15 (when it is released next year or during 2013)

The videos cover the subjects, Using the Automated Troubleshooters, Repairing Corrupt Boot Files, Using the System File Checker, Using the Windows Event Viewer and the ever-popular Using Windows Startup Repair.

But the news doesn’t just end there! There are advanced negotiations currently underway between Microsoft and my publisher to host the Step by Step tutorial videos I made, and that have now been released for free on YouTube on the Microsoft support site as well.  These videos include Windows 7 and Word 2010 but also includes the as yet unreleased PowerPoint 2010 and HTML5, and any tutorial that helps teach people how to use PowerPoint responsibly has got to be good thing    There’s over ten hours of free tutorial videos for Windows 7 and Word 2010 alone.

And there’s more! My next eBook has been confirmed will be released in November by US publisher Fair Trade Digital Exchange (FTDX).  Need2Know Office 365 Security for Small Business will be around 100 pages and retail for around $5 (to be confirmed).  There’s no cover artwork as yet (and to be honest I have to crack on with writing it!) but I’ll share this with you in a couple of weeks.  The ebook will cover all aspects of maintaining good security, not just within Office 365, but it will also look holistically at every aspect of your computing infrastructure, covering everything from your web hosting and broadband connection to your PCs, laptops, smartphones and your approach to mobile working.

Microsoft are about to embark on their annual Springboard tour of Canada and the US and my book “Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out” will be going with them.  On every stop along the way there will be copies being given away, yup, for free!  I like giving things away for free.

Join us for a full day as we take you through a deep dive into the tools, solutions and options to help you do more with less. We will cover managing the flexible workspace, a first look at Windows Intune and Office 365. We’ll also show you some of the new Windows Slates and give you details around Microsoft’s strategy for Slate devices. We will preview the new tools in the MDOP 2011 suite, a deep dive into managing and deploying Office 2010 and great tips and tricks to help you deploy Windows 7 and move your users from Windows XP with speed and ease.

The tour stops in Toronto (May 2nd), Detroit (May 4th), Chicago (May 6th), Indianapolis (May 9th), Dallas (May 11th) and Columbus (May 13th) before finally finishing up at the Tech-Ed Atlanta event on May 16th.  That’s a tour of 7 major cities and major events in just over a fortnight.

It’s great too that for these events, aimed squarely at IT professionals, Microsoft have decided the free gift people will really benefit from is Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out, and a little while ago they grabbed a whole pile of them to give away to attendees.

The event days are free to attend and events will feature technical demos, Q&As and ask the expert sessions.  You can book your place at a Springboard day here and perhaps even walk away with a free book at the end of the day!

I’m delighted to be able to formally announce that I’ll be teaching a series of Windows 7 Enterprise Troubleshooting masterclasses at the University of York (UK) during 2011 based on my book Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out from Microsoft Press.  The course will take you even deeper than the book into Enterprise troubleshooting tools, tips and techniques.

The courses will run over a weekend and cover, inside out, everything you need to diagnose and repair problems with Windows 7.  My course will be run on the following weekends (future dates are yet to be confirmed) and you can book your place for just £250.

16-17 April 2011, 9-10 July 2011, 24-25 September 2011

Businesses no longer have time to spare – working weeks are for working, not learning, and whilst weekends are for relaxing and for family, sometimes it would be great to devote a whole weekend to furthering your career. Our two day masterclass format gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself outside of your hectic work day. We pack a huge amount of content into the short time, and all attendees are committed to learning – unlike most “mandatory” training classes!

Session description

Day 1 – The Basics

• Introductions
• Install and configure or boot from a VHD
• Updating, Backing Up and Restoring Windows 7 using various in-Built Tools
• How to Troubleshoot Problems, Windows 7 Troubleshooters, Common Problems in Windows 7 and easy fixes
• Viruses, Malware and Other Common Threats, Driver Issues
• Troubleshooting Start-up with Windows 7, Safe-Mode, Diagnostic Start-up
• Reading the BSOD, Remote Diagnostics and Repair in Windows 7

Day 2 – Diving Deeper

• Using the Windows 7 Event Viewer (both GUI and Command Line)
• Performance Information and Tools in depth
• Using the Computer Management Tools
• Finding and using Third-Party Troubleshooting Tools and Services
• Windows Firewall and Group Policies
• Working with the Windows 7 Registry
• Q&A & Close

Note: Each session will take the form of a practical demonstration with group discussions and exercises.

I’ll be one of several expert presenters helping to cover a range of topics.  Other classes currently scheduled include PowerShell for IT Professionals, Server Virtualisation and an Exchange Server 2010 Masterclass.  Future subjects to be covered in weekend courses will include…

-Windows PowerShell
-Virtualisation
-Architecting and Administering Microsoft Exchange
-Security and Malware Protection
-Active Directory Management and Architecture
-Advanced Troubleshooting for Server 2008R2 and Windows 7
-Windows Deployment
-Windows SharePoint

All the courses will be held on the University of York’s new campus.  You can find out more about the courses and book your place here.

There’s a lot happening this spring and plenty of opportunities to catch up with Mike Halsey in the next couple of months.  Here’s the latest events diary and where you can catch up with Mike. 

Tue 8 Feb – The Modern Desktop Webcast

I will one of the experts on hand to answer your questions about Windows 7 and other Microsoft products as part of Microsoft’s The Modern Desktop webcast which will go out on Tuesday 8th February 2011 at 2pm GMT. 

“An introduction to what’s possible with Windows 7, Office 2010, Internet Explorer 8, Silverlight, Direct Access and Branch Cache.” 

You can register for this event here. 

Fri 11 Feb – ComputerAmerica Radio Show

I will be making a return appearance on the ComputerAmerica radio show on Friday 11th February 2011.  The show is broadcast nationally in the US on the Business Talk Radio and Lifestyle Talk Radio networks and is the #1 daily tech podcast according to the New York Times. 

The show goes out live at 10pm -12 midnight EST (7pm-9pm PST) and will also be available shortly afterwards as a podcast.  You can find out more at www.computeramerica.com.  I will be the guest for the whole two hour show and will again be doing a tech Q&A phone-in where callers will each get a free copy of my book Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out. 

UPDATE:  The podcast is now online.  You can get it, edited without the adverts here.  If you want to download it to play when you want then the link you need for a ZIP file is here.

 

Thu 24 Feb Thu 10th Mar - Troubleshooting Windows 7 Webcast

The date of this webcast has had to be moved due to a scheduling conflict at O’Reilly.  Apologies for any inconvenience.

I’ll be doing a live webcast entitled “Essential Troubleshooting Tips for Windows 7” on Thursday 24th February 2011.  The webcast goes out live at 6pm – London | 1pm – New York | Fri, Feb 25th at 5am – Sydney | Fri, Feb 25th at 3am – Tokyo | Fri, Feb 25th at 2am – Beijing | 11:30pm – Mumbai and you can find out more details on how to take part at the O’Reilly website. 

“Windows 7 might be the most stable and reliable version of Microsoft’s operating system yet, but things still can and do go wrong. In this webcast Mike Halsey MVP, the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out, will show you some of the ways you can maximise productivity by using clever troubleshooting techniques.” 

Wed 23 Mar – Mike Halsey at Yorkshire IT Group, Seminar

If you’re in the UK and want to meet up in person I’ll be giving a talk at the University of York IT Academy (Yorkshire, UK) on Wednesday 23rd March 2011.  The talk is entitled Troubleshooting Windows 7 for Advanced Users and is free but requires pre-registration. 

“Windows 7 contains a great many features and tools to help advanced users troubleshoot and repair problems from the common to the complex. Join Mike Halsey MVP (Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out) as he talks about these advanced tools, and how you can use them to save time, money and frustration.” 

More information and registration for this event is available at: http://www.york.ac.uk/univ/advict/ita/events.cfm?page=149 

Thu 14 Apr – Mike Halsey at British Computer Society (BCS) Sheffield, Talk

If you miss my talk at the University of York, I will also be talking about Troubleshooting Windows 7 for Advanced Users at the British Computer Society (BCS) in Sheffield on Thursday 14th April 2011.  

The details of the talk are as above, and the event will require pre-registration.  You can find out details and book your place at this event here. 

It’s now been three months since my Microsoft Press book, Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out, went on sale and I thought I’d share with you just some of the reviews from professionals, journalists, bloggers and the public that have been published online.

Starting with the book’s readers, always the most important people, ZQuinn3 of Chicago said…

“Contains a TON of information. There is even several pages on Linux! This book contains just about everything you would ever need to do with Windows 7 – from basics to rather advanced material, this book includes it.  90% of the sections are “worded” in a basic manner, so it is not intimidating.”

and SGrajan said…

“Well written with screenshots. Any one can read and understand it. Simple language is used to help all kind of users.”

The professionals have also been very kind.  GeekTech Solutions in Woolongong, Australia said…

“Well-written book that is very useful for everyone. I like the very open minded approach of using third party applications and operating systems. Detailed, simple to follow, great tips… Absolutely recommended.”

and Midwest Book Reviews said on Amazon…

“Mike Halsey, a valued blog writer on Windows and its latest news and features, offers much information for dealing with the finer intricacies of what the world is using now. Ranging from security issues to hardware issues and much more, “Troubleshooting Windows 7″ is an excellent guide for those who want to use Windows more effectively.”

The book has also had a couple of full book reviews.  Digitizor.com said…

“it’s written in simple, easy to understand English which makes it really easy for you to understand the matter in no time at all.”

and WinUser.co.uk said…

“Halsey has a way of drawing the reader into this book and, although somewhat technical in nature, he doesn’t talk down to his reader. I have to admit that I found Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out an extremely interesting read.”

“To be honest I wasn’t sure that Halsey’s book would actually live up to its title when I first picked the book up; however, after a few pages my opinion had totally changed. I found it extremely readable and, more importantly, informative…If you didn’t know anything about troubleshooting windows 7 before you read this book, you certainly will by the time you have finished it. If you really want to know how to fine tune your Windows 7 operating system and how to deal with those minor irritations that Windows unexpectedly throws up then Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out is definitely for you; I highly recommend it!”

If you would like to review the book then get in touch on the Contact us page.

I got the news on Wednesday morning but I had to seek all types of clarification before I believed it was genuinely true.  I’m delighted to announce that my first ever book published through a proper publisher (I’m not counting my own self-published Windows 7 book here) Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out from Microsoft Press, has become one of the publisher’s top 25 selling eBooks for 2010.

The reason I found this so difficult to believe at first is partly because it’s my first book, but also because the book only went on sale at the end of October, so was only actually available for the last two months of that year.