Windows 7 Reaches End of Life in precisely 6 months as of today. This means Microsoft will no longer patch Windows 7. Without Security Patches it will become vulnerable and more susceptible to Malicious software. Obviously with the large market share of Operating System, it is a prime time for hackers to target in order to steal bank details etc when users use online banking or to install randsomware “pay us if you want to access your files again”. In addition to Microsoft not supporting Windows 7, hardware vendors such as Intel have dropped support for Windows 7. This means that newer computers do not have Windows 7 drivers and thus Windows 7 will not run on newer hardware they produce. This is likely to become more and more prevalent as there is little incentive for hardware manufacturers to spend resources supporting a legacy Operating System. Other software companies especially those who make internet browsers such as Mozilla, Google may also drop Windows 7 support soon, which will once again make it even less secure.

Fortunately the free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 still works as I demonstrated a few moments ago.

I have created guides on performing a PSID Revert on Crucial and Samsung Solid State Drives (SSDs):

The Windows 10 Version 1903 Media Creation Tool is now available to download:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

The Windows 10 Version 1903 Media Creation Tool is now available:

https://software-download.microsoft.com/download/pr/MediaCreationTool1903.exe

The Landing Page for the Media Creation Tool hasn't been updated yet.

Despite the Tool Referencing:

• "MediaCreationTool1903"
• "File/Product Version 10.0.18362.1"

It does not give a:

• "Windows 10 Version 1903 Build 18362.1 ISO"

When I tested this tool I obtained a:

• " Windows 10 Version 1809 Version 2 ISO"
• "Created by Microsoft on the "12th of March 2019"
• The ISO is "Version 10.0.17763" and "ServicePack Build: 379"

One of my favourite childhood games was Red Alert 2. There is an Open Source Version in Development called OpenRA2. OpenRA (Red Alert 1) has been out for a while.

More details on doing this are available here.

Microsoft Edge Preview Based on Chromium is available for those on Windows 10 Version 1809 and Windows 10 Version 1903:

https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/?form=MD18G4&OCID=MD18G4

Unsurprisingly it looks and feels very similar to Google Chrome (with Bing Search Results) which is also built on Chromium.

Code

$latex \displaystyle M=\left[ {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 \\ 9 & {10} & {11} & {12} \\ {13} & {14} & {15} & {16} \end{array}} \right]$

Text Block

Classic Block

Code

removing the $ signs at the start and end



latex \displaystyle M=\left[ {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 \\ 9 & {10} & {11} & {12} \\ {13} & {14} & {15} & {16} \end{array}} \right]

Display Issue

• Download Dell Windows 7 Pro ISO (Media Refresh January 2016) from Dell and Make a Bootable USB

• Slipstream Updates (Media Refresh March 2019) and Drivers to the Dell Windows 7 Pro Bootable USB

• Convert Dell Windows 7 Pro Bootable USB to another Edition e.g. Dell Windows 7 Home Premium

• Installing Dell Windows 7 Pro as a Virtual Machine Using Downgrade Rights

Article 13 is an act by the Federalist European Superstate to censor the internet. It allows legislation to deliberately give a monopoly to pro-EU companies and pro-EU media and allows political persecution against any dissidents. Jan Krohn author of Heidoc.net writes an article in more detail here:

EU Copyright Reform, Upload Filters, Article 13, and the Death of the User-Generated Internet

We the 17.4 million in the UK have already tried to leave the dreadful EU by voting for Brexit, a decision that looks increasingly likely to be ignored by our political class.

This is likely the build which will be released to mainstream Windows 10 users. Windows 10 Version 1903, not watermarked and with no expiry date. This means it will likely be tested for 1-2 weeks before a new Media Creation Tool is created, likely sometime in the first 10 days of April.

I made a video tutorial of creating a website/blog with WordPress using the Block Editor.

I go through:

• Discussing blocks
• Text Block
• Images Block (Images Inline)
• Gallery (a Gallery of Images)
• Slideshow (Pictures as a Slideshow)
• Text and Image
• A GIF
• Download Link, Button and File
• Uploading YouTube Videos
• Making a List
• Making a Table
• Adding Social Media Links (Not Working Properly)
• Adding Custom HTML e.g. an Advert
• Adding Code
• Adding Symbols using Windows 10's Emoji Panel
• Adding a Map
• Adding Open Hours
• Adding a Contact Form
• Discusses Permanent Pages and a Wall of Posts
• Creating/Updating a Table of Contents (Pages)
• Changing Theme
• Adding a Widget to the Sidebar

I am now a Windows Insider Most Valued Professional (MVP).

The Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18343 (Slow Tracks) ISOs have been released by Microsoft:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewadvanced

You can use Rufus to make a Bootable USB:

https://rufus.ie/

The English Checksums are.

Windows10_InsiderPreview_Client_x64_en-gb_18343

• 7374b4f3778b087e6f53c292d7f0b17c
• 653128ac43a7c6ac277fd21da60d3971b7d8ee2f
• d526ec62af91cfddd94aba1f09c6676e262a58f827672d69e9f12ea864f2f467

Windows10_InsiderPreview_Client_x32_en-gb_18343

• 262f3500430602b0d100fa32678c8da0
• 2d2de656a68ab62e8096f07cdbb72dcc509671a6
• d7fd83786fda6195f89f76859ca0a776ded6bdac6b568ce9ff709613416a8eb6

Windows10_InsiderPreview_Client_x64_en-us_18343

• f80be41cdf8066cd2a0d9a57a061c943
• 0ffd1ed658d0235768ff8b9c12714c9f1fcd1545
• 774944d68ab14371d37a119e714adc4edd337b780017bd3924920ba4c4df26a7

Windows10_InsiderPreview_Client_x32_en-us_18343

• 7ee9823c6f7b22d81ca55526258912a1
• 1f9e12f0a91e97abf3cd860f99de938f7aa6131b
• 008bbdd76253522c920452912bc28292a590515c5e08d308e74ee28a0af4209a

The Tutorial Video I made on Referencing with Mendeley Desktop has now reached 250,000 views and 1,000 interactions with (>95 % positive feedback).

The Video is here:

The written guide is here:

https://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/academic-referencing-using-mendeley-desktop-with-microsoft-word/

Video

Windows 10 Version 1903

Microsoft have changed the Version Number on their latest Windows 10 Insider build to Version 1903 suggesting a Late March 2019 Release date. They have update the keyboard input methods:

Enabling the Paste Clipboard

Enabling the Touch Keyboard Button

Symbol Support in the Touch Keyboard

Symbol Support in Emoji Panel for Keyboard/Mouse Usage:

Paste Clipboard

Paste Options for Pasted Data from Paste Clipboard:

I have put together some new installation guides which instruct in the slipstreaming of Dell System Drivers and in the case of Windows 7 Updates into Windows 10 and Windows 7 Installation Media Respectively:

• Dell Business Systems: Slipstreaming Windows 10 Drivers to Windows 10 Installation Media
• Dell Business Systems: Slipstreaming Windows 7 Drivers to Windows 7 Installation Media

This can be both be used to leave the system in a state which is very similar to a Factory Image.

These guides are only applicable to Dell Business Models such as the Dell OptiPlex, Latitude, Precision and XPS ranges. Dell Driver Packs are not available for the Home Models such as the Inspiron or Vostro Ranges. The Windows 10 guide can possibly be modified for other OEMs such as Lenovo using the Lenovo SCCM Driver Packs.

Microsoft Office

I will create more Word Guides later:

• Installing Microsoft Office 365
• Academic Referencing in Microsoft Word Using Mendeley Desktop (I made a Tutorial Video for this ~3 years ago and it reached 235 K views)

Video Capture

• Debut Video Capture

I will also write one on the Windows Gamebar.

Drive Encryption and SSD Guides

• Bitlocker Encryption
• Upgrading to a Solid State Drive (Updated)
• Macrium Reflect 7: Backing up your Windows Installation and Restoring it onto a new SSD (Updated)
• Unlocking the Physical Security ID (PSID) of a Crucial SSD
• Data Recovery Using Fedora (Updated)

I will create a video on updating the firmware of a Crucial SSD via the UEFI BIOS – a video has already been released.

An Introduction to Scientific Programming

I have spent quite some time learning how to use Octave/MATLAB. I am still learning and put together some videos but found some better ways of doing things. So at present am working on writing written guides before remaking the video tutorials:

• Working with Scalars – Using Octave/MATLAB as a Scientific Calculator
• Introduction to the Octave/MATLAB Workspace and Assigning Variable Names
• Introduction to Arrays Using Octave/MATLAB (Scalars, Vectors, Matrices and Higher Dimension Arrays)
• Plotting 2D Figures in Octave/MATLAB
• Interpolation using Octave/MATLAB
• Fitting a Curve in Octave/MATLAB Using Polyfit and Polyval
• An Introduction to For Loops in Octave/MATLAB: Examining the Properties of a Magic Square Using For Loops

Windows 10 Version 1809 is re-released:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

• Dell F12 UEFI Preboot Diagnostics
  • Dell Systems Older than 2010 – Legacy Preboot Diagnostics (Bootable USB)
• Lenovo F10 UEFI Preboot Diagnostics

I made a guide using Dell Data Wipe on my OptiPlex 7040/7050/7060 and XPS 9365:

• Dell Data Wipe UEFI BIOS (UEFI BIOS Touchscreen Optimised Version e.g. XPS Laptop – Written Guide)
• Dell Data Wipe UEFI BIOS (UEFI BIOS Non-Touch e.g. OptiPlex Desktop – Written Guide)

Also updated the Parted Magic Securely Wiping your Drives guide:

• Using Parted Magic to Securely Wipe your SSD/HDD

Just got an OptiPlex 7040 Micro from eBay so decided to do a Windows 7 64 Bit Installation Video on it:

Updated written guide here

Also Updated the written guide on applying OEM Downgrade Rights using VMware Player on an OptiPlex 7060.

This is not available for mainstream Windows 10 users yet.

In the Latest Windows 10 Insider Preview of Windows 10 build 18267, Microsoft have updated the Touchscreen keyboard in Windows 10 to make it easy to access, commonly used symbols such as currency symbols, mathematical symbols, arrow like symbols and Greek letters.

I left Windows feedback for Microsoft to make a modern character map last week based on their emoji panel. It may be coincidence but it seems like they took this feedback and instead applied it to the touchscreen keyboard:

The touchscreen keyboard can still be accessed on non-touch systems by right clicking an empty area on the taskbar and selecting show touch keyboard:

Once this is done you will see the touchscreen keyboard icon beside the system clock. You can open it by left clicking with the mouse:

In the Windows 10 Insider Preview build, press &123 to access the numbers and symbols:

Press the Ω key to access the new symbols:

Some screenshots of the new layout (the video above shows more details):

Microsoft are improving the keyboard and input methods with Windows 10. Let's hope they release a modern updated character map with keyboard shortcut [Windows] and [ c ] in the next build of Windows 10.

Clipboard – Windows 10 Version 1809

Microsoft have created a Windows 10 Clipboard which allows you to Copy and Paste multiple items.

Press [Windows] and [ v ] to open the Windows Clipboard. This will allow you to paste not only the last text you have copied but all text before hand.

If it doesn't work for you. First check you have Windows 10 Version 1809. To do this right click the start button and select System:

Under Windows Specification, check Windows Specification to see you have Windows 10 Version 1809. If you have Windows 10 Version 1803, then note Windows 10 Version 1809 has been released and revoked because a minority of users lost files during an upgrade install. It will likely be updated to fix to this bug and re-released soon. See Windows OEM FAQs and Downloads for more information.

If you have Windows 10 Version 1809, then to the bottom left select Clipboard:

Ensure Clipboard History is Enabled:

Emoji Panel – Windows 10 Version 1803

Press [Windows] and [ . ]

Feedback – Implement a New Character Map with Shortcut Symbol Windows and [ c ]

Please up vote my Windows Feedback for this so it is brought to Microsoft's attention. To do this press [Windows] and [ f ] to open the Windows Feedback App and sign into the feedback app, if you aren't already signed into a Microsoft Account. Then select the Feedback Hub:

Search for character map and upvote please. Leave an optional comment if you've got additional ideas:

Windows 10 Version 1809 (September 2018) released to Windows Insiders: