What do you want to see in my new Windows 8 books?

Next week, when I finally download the Windows 8 Consumer Preview I’ll start writing not just one, but two new Windows 8 books, with a third being written later this year, so I’m going to be stupidly busy until the summer  :}  and I want to make sure that the books I write are what you both need and want to read.  I thought then that I’d introduce these books to you and ask what it is that you would like to see in them.

The Windows 8 Power Users Guide is the first commercial version of my self-published Power Users Guide series.  The book is getting a content makeover this time around and will be for enthusiasts and IT Pros who either want to find out how to use Windows 8 like the pros do, or who already are a pro and want to really unlock the power of the OS.

Windows 8 Out of the Box is a very different book for a very different market.  This book will be for complete computer newbies or non-technical people.  It will focus on the things we all actually do with our computers and work through simple and, crucially, short instructions on how to achieve the most common computing tasks.  This will include things that Windows 8 might not be able to do natively but that we use our computers for day to day.

I thought I’d take this opportunity to ask you all, as you’re all brilliant here at gHacks, what you would like me to include in these books?  Are there any areas you’d particularly like me to focus on, perhaps virtualization or deployment in the Power Users Guide or advanced photo editing or home networking in Out of the Box.  Why not let me know in the comments below and you can help shape these books to become the very best that they can be.  Thank you all  :)

Using Virtualization in Windows 7 Free Webcast

As we all use computers over more and more years we become comfortable with software that “just works” and we want to continue using it for as long as possible.  This causes problems though as Microsoft develop new versions of Windows as, no matter how well each version of Windows is supposed to be compatible with all the Windows software that came before it, they’re just not.

The solution is to use virtualisation tools and on any modern PC this becomes relatively simple (depending on the tools you use).  In my monthly free webcast for February I’m taking a beginner’s look at virtualisation, examining what it is and the different tools available, and looking at how you can use it on your PC to help you keep running older software and how you can have multiple operating systems running side by side.

With a PC bought in the last couple of years you can run multiple operating systems side by side with little or no performance loss overall, as modern processors are very efficient at handling the extra OS calls virtualisation produces, and the amount of memory in modern PCs is more than enough for even demanding tasks.

The webcast takes place online at 10AM PT San Francisco | 6pm – London | 1pm – New York | Fri, Feb  3rd at 5am – Sydney | Fri, Feb  3rd at 3am – Tokyo | Fri, Feb  3rd at 2am – Beijing | 11:30pm – Mumbai on Thursday 2nd February.  It’s completely free and if you can’t make it live you can watch it recorded afterwards provided you have registered before it begins.  You can register for this webcast here.

Psst! Fancy Writing Your Own Windows 8 Book?

Three years ago this month I began doing some very serious planning.  Back when Windows Vista was released I wrote a 68 page “Vista Power Users Guide”.  It wasn’t very in depth but was intended as a getting started eBook and was primarily written to help stop friends and family from calling me with tech questions when I was out with friends, each of which would “only take a minute”  ;)  It was very well received though and I decided early on that when the next version of Windows was released I would write a proper book for sale.

Getting a book contract at this point proved pointless, though I did try.  I hadn’t proved myself so eventually in 2008 I decided that self-publishing would be the way forward.  Thus in January 2009 when the Windows 7 beta appeared I began designing page layouts, insert graphics and a draft table of contents for what would be my “Windows 7 Power Users Guide“.  I went through several drafts and designs when writing the first three chapters but eventually found my stride and on August bank holiday, shortly before Windows 7 was released to manufacturing, I released my new eBook and paperback for sale.

As a way of making money they were never going to be the route to my next foreign holiday, and the eBook was made free a year later.  As a 170 page book however I felt that perhaps I could use it to prove my mettle and began contacting publishers through the submission links for new authors on their websites.

There were a few knock back emails I received, and some emails went unanswered but eventually a nibble came in the form of an email from a senior editor at Microsoft Press.  They were looking for someone to write a Windows 7 Troubleshooting book and wanted to know if I was interested.  Two months later the contract was signed and “Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out” was published in October 2010, one year after the release of Windows 7.

Since then I’ve been able to better enjoy the fruits of my labour.  I was given a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable professional) award in the Windows Expert category in January 2011 and this was recently renewed for a second year.  I’ve also spent the last year receiving review hardware from companies including Samsung, ASUS, Nokia and HTC and have had a great many Windows Phones, laptops and more through my door to play with (a very pleasant perk of the job).

Now my Power Users Guide has been formally picked up by US publisher APress and the “Windows 8 Power Users Guide” is scheduled for release this year to coincide with general availability for Windows 8 itself.  I’m also working on an eBook project for Microsoft Press’ parent company O’Reilly for whom I am continuing to run a monthly series of help and how-to webcasts.  In addition I was last year signed by a new publisher, co-founded by the man responsible for making the Dummies books popular, and where Ed Bott is now Editorial Director, and my first eBook for them “Need2Know Office 365 Security Essentials” was released last November.

In short the last three years have been amazing (though very hard work too) and I thought I’d throw down the gauntlet and encourage you to get here too, after all, if I can do it anybody can!  Have you ever wanted a book contract of your own?  Do you want to write about Windows 8 or perhaps the next version of Microsoft Office?  If you do then now is the time to start planning as the public beta for Windows 8 will begin at the end of February.

Writing a book, even one as small as 170 pages (I know, it sounds ridiculous to me too) isn’t easy, doubly so if you’ve never done it before.  It will monopolise your time and you can expect to spend three months writing it in your spare time.  If you have a book about Windows 8 in you though I strongly encourage you to write it.  After all, you never know what opportunities it might open up for you.  The rewards can be unexpected and very welcome, and the feeling you get from helping people is worth it on its own.  ;)  I’d love to read your Windows 8 books later this year and see your particular spins on the format.  Good luck all.

Diagnosing and Repairing Difficult Problems in Windows 7 Free Webcast

Windows 7 is Microsoft’s most stable and reliable version of their desktop operating system yet, but it’s still such a complex piece of software that when something does go wrong it can be extremely difficult to diagnose and repair the problem.

As the author of “Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out” from Microsoft Press one of the most popular webcast requests I have received is for how you can diagnose and repair these complex and difficult problems, so on January 12th 2012 this is exactly what I’m going to do.

The webcast is completely free, live and starts at 10AM PT - San Francisco | 6pm – London | 1pm – New York | Fri, Jan 13th at 5am – Sydney | Fri, Jan 13th at 3am – Tokyo | Fri, Jan 13th at 2am – Beijing | 11:30pm – Mumbai

It can be difficult enough finding out what’s gone wrong with windows 7 or a program, but some problems can be a nightmare to diagnose. In this webcast, Mike Halsey, the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out talks you through how to diagnose really stubborn and hidden problems in Windows 7, and explains how you can go about fixing them.

In this webcast I’ll cover the tools and skills you’ll need to diagnose problems, and I’ll show you the extensive diagnostic tools that already exist inside Windows 7 to help you with the job.  In fact it’s possible to diagnose complex Windows 7 problems using nothing more than Windows 7 itself.

If you’re not able to make the webcast when it’s broadcast live, just register in advance and you’ll be given free access to watch it afterwards online through the O’Reilly website.  It will last for approximately 60 minutes and is part of a series of regular webcasts that, from February, will return to their regular first Thursday slot.

You can register for this free webcast here.

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Setting up and Configuring a new PC Live Webcast

Tis the season for people to buy you all manner of new technological goodies; at least you hope so.  I’m running a special pre-Christmas webcast on Tuesday December 13th on the subject of Setting up and Configuring a new PC.  The webcast is free for everybody and you can book your place on the O’Reilly website.  Better still there’s a special Christmas present for everybody on the day, so make sure you sign up (and have been a good boy or girl throughout the year).

Tis the holiday season bringing gifts of new computers for young and old. In this webcast, Mike Halsey the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out cuts through the mess of pre-installed bloatware and shows you how to set up your computer system so that it will give you a trouble free, and performance-boosted life. This webcast comes with free downloadable easy guides you can print and keep.

The webcast takes place at 10AM PT, San Francisco | 6pm – London | 1pm – New York | Wed, Dec 14th at 5am – Sydney | Wed, Dec 14th at 3am – Tokyo | Wed, Dec 14th at 2am – Beijing | 11:30pm – Mumbai.

My monthly O’Reilly webcasts are now booked for the first half of 2012.  You can get more information at OReilly.com/webcasts and each one will take place at exactly the same times listed above.  Put these in your diary and join me for these great live events.

January 12^th 2012 – Diagnosing and Repairing Difficult Problems in Windows 7

It can be difficult enough finding out what’s gone wrong with windows 7 or a program, but some problems can be a nightmare to diagnose.  In this webcast, Mike Halsey, the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out talks you through how to diagnose really stubborn and hidden problems in Windows 7, and explains how you can go about fixing them.

February 2^nd 2012 – Using Virtualisation in Windows 7

Despite Microsoft’s best efforts, Windows 7 won’t run every piece of software and some of it you might really want or need.  In this webcast, Mike Halsey, the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out explains how you can use free virtualisation tools in any edition of Windows 7 to keep valuable and useful older software working in a safe and secure way.

March 1^st 2012 – Building a Bomb-Proof Backup Strategy

Backup, Backup, Backup is a common mantra, but often it’s easier said than done maintaining a good backup strategy due to the time and effort involved long-term.  In this webcast,
Mike Halsey, the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out talks you through how you can build a simple, hands-free backup strategy that is quite literally bombproof.

April 5^th 2012 – Manually Removing Viruses and Malware from Windows 7

Getting a virus on your computer is a pain and they’re becoming ever more difficult to remove.  In this webcast, Mike Halsey, the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out talks you through the process of manually and safely removing viruses and malware from your computer without damaging your files or Windows itself.

May 3^rd 2012 – Building and Upgrading a PC

With computers now more powerful than ever before, and with wallets being squeezed, there are more and more reasons to hang on to your existing equipment.  But how can you breathe new life into an ageing PC on a tight budget?  In this webcast, Mike Halsey, the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out shows you how to quickly and simply get extra life and performance out of your PC, fix common hardware faults and what to look for to build a fantastic new PC from scratch.

June 7^th 2012 – Managing Family Safety in Windows 7

The Internet is a dangerous place and every parent worries about what their children might be doing, and what they might be exposed to online.  In this webcast, Mike Halsey, the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out walks you through the process of keeping your children and your family safe online from viruses, criminals and inappropriate content with simple to use free tools.

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gHacks Editor’s Office 365 Security eBook goes on Sale

It’s been a top secret project I’ve been working on with several people including veteran author and ZD Net blogger Ed Bott.  But today my new eBook, “Need to Know: Office 365 Security Essentials” has gone on sale for the paltry price of $11.45 (£7.42) on Amazon US and UK or just $9.95 direct from the publisher.  Fair Trade Digital Exchange is a new US-based publisher where Ed Bott has taken up the position of Authoring Director.

Fair Trade Digital Exchange is a revolutionary “digital first” publishing company devoted exclusively to technology topics. The Fair Trade DX development model lets us turn content from world-class authors into high-quality books and learning products, at a pace that leaves traditional print publishers in the dust. Unlike other publishers, we treat authors as full partners, and our shared goal is to inform, enlighten, and delight readers.

We’re proud to announce our first four titles, available today in all popular digital formats.

• Need2Know: Ed Bott’s Windows 8 Head Start, by Ed Bott
• Need2Know: Microsoft Office 365 Security Essentials, by Mike Halsey
• Need2Know: Broadcasting your PowerPoint Presentation, by Katherine Murray
• Need2Know: Building ASP.NET Web Pages with WebMatrix, by Jim Wang

I wanted to make this first book a really holistic view at Office 365 security for small businesses.  In this I look at every aspect of business computing from your ISP and Internet connection to your PCs, smartphones, tablets and even employment policies, home working and more.

It’s fantastic to have been invited into such esteemed company as they’re all brilliant authors, and doubly so to be with them during the launch of the publisher and their first new book series.

Regards Office 365 Security Essentials, the publisher says…

Many smaller organizations rely on a few tech savvy managers to ensure that Microsoft Office is configured and deployed to best support core business objectives. If you are one of these indispensable managers, you are probably aware that the online collaboration features of Office 365 also create security risks not associated with desktop versions of Office. In Need2Know: Microsoft Office 365 Security Essentials, author Mike Halsey identifies and explains those risks, and answers essential questions about how to run Office 365 safely and
securely. With a program that eliminates the need for a patchwork of third party solutions, it’s important to harness the tools at your disposal to the fullest.

Microsoft Office 365 Security Essentials shows you how to secure your Office 365 team site, how to manage your users and administrators, and how to employ secure practices with Microsoft and third-party tools, as well as good old common sense. Author Mike Halsey brings wisdom from his extensive work with Microsoft Windows and the Office product family to the table to help you address the security threats you must know how repel in order to protect your company and its assets.

In Microsoft Office 365 Security Essentials, you will quickly learn how to:

• Manage Office 365 email and contacts securely
• Implement team site security effectively
• Handle security when using Office 365 with other Microsoft products
• Create and manage different types of Office 365 user accounts
• Set appropriate permissions on Office 365 team site accounts
• Identify different types of Internet threats, and implement an effective antivirus solution
• Implement common sense password security and use encryption to protect sensitive data

Microsoft Office 365 Security Essentials also includes handy references to safe password creation, secure web browsing, and anti-spam best practices, suitable for sharing with employees and coworkers.

You can find out more about this new book series at the fair Trade Digital Exchange website.

Click to view full size

 

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gHacks Editor’s Videos go Live on Support.Microsoft.com

I’m really delighted to be able to announce that this morning five of my Windows 7 troubleshooting tutorial videos went live on the official Microsoft support website at support.microsoft.com.  The videos, which are about three minutes each 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 which has already had over 4,500 views since going live on YouTube a few months ago.

As you can see from the screenshot below they’ve also been given a very prominent position, listed third in the list of sixteen help and support subject areas.  Personally I’m delighted with what Microsoft have done to showcase them.  Microsoft do occasionally showcase help and support content from MVPs but this will be the first video content on the Microsoft help and support site.  I will also in the future be providing more content for the site covering products including Windows 7, Windows 8 and Microsoft Office.

These videos were made late last year to promote my Microsoft Press book Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out and differ from the versions that currently appear on YouTuibe slightly in that these videos don’t have the music the accompanied them originally due to licensing restrictions.

Screenshot only, no playable video in this image

You may also remember that a little while ago Microsoft Press released for free on YouTube a series of videos I had made accompany their Windows 7 and Word 2010 Step by Step books.  The videos are full tutorials to the products and run to more than 10 hours.  I can also announce that discussions are in an advanced stage for Microsoft to also host these videos on their support website.  IN addition to these I also made tutorial video series for PowerPoint 2010 and HTML5.  I can certainly see the latter being popular, while any tutorials that can help teach people how not to bore their co-workers to death with PowerPoint has got to be welcomed  :)

In other news!  I can also now announce that my next eBook will be released by US publisher Fair Trade Digital Exchange (FTDX) in November (if I ever finish writing it!).  Need2Know Office 365 Security for Small Business will look at all aspects of running a safe and secure business environment using Microsoft’s new cloud-based server and productivity package.  As well as looking at Office 365 itself, the book will also look holistically at every aspect of your business computing security from your domain hosting and broadband connection, to your storage solutions, PCs, laptops and smartphones and also your attitudes to mobile working and workers using their own IT hardware.

Finally the big announcement!  As if all this wasn’t enough for one day there is one final announcement, but I can’t officially say anything for another month or so.  All I can officially do is make a statement and show you a picture.  Though it shouldn’t be at all difficult to piece together the clues.

The statement… “I will definitely NOT be writing a Windows 8 Power Users Guide as a follow on to my similar guide to Windows 7”
And the image…

…have you guessed yet?  ;)

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