I want a Windows 7 Start Menu when I’m in desktop mode on Windows 8.1 without installing third party applications or going to a lot of trouble. I implemented a simple workaround that provides some of the functionality I’m seeking. It’s limited to operating system specific features. I’ll call it a half-full glass. What I want is the box on the ...

The scammers are most probably dialing sequentially trying every possible phone number. Just because they say they can hack a computer doesn't mean they can. Pay no attention to these scammers. As long as you don't install their software or go to their website, the most they can do is waste your time.

Backing up SQL Server to the cloud makes a lot of sense, particularly for small businesses. Managing the physical media takes up too much time and effort for a small shop. Azure storage simplifies the backup process allowing a small business to allocate its limited resources more effectively. As I was preparing this post and editing the screen ...

If your copy of Windows 8.1 is set to automatically install updates, you may have missed that you now have new usability enhancements to improve the user experience for both using a mouse and working in desktop mode. You can easily pin modern apps to your taskbar by right clicking a live tile. Figure 1. After right-clicking the Skype live tile, ...

Whenever a new version of SQL Server is released, I compare what is in SQL Server Management Studio to get an overall, visual representation of the differences. There are of course differences that aren’t readily apparent by comparing what’s in SSMS. The scope of this post is limited to the differences that are apparent in putting the different ...

I’m increasingly recommending cloud based strategies to both drive down costs and simplify things. Cloud technology is now at a point there there are very clear guidelines and frameworks for addressing security concerns. Take a look at the Microsoft Azure Trust Center for a list of all of the security certifications Microsoft has earned. Notice ...

How about guid performance in an in memory database, which is latch free?

While testing exports of SQL Server tables to files, one thing led to another and I started investigating the file server where the files are saved. Finding files on the server seemed slow. Further investigation revealed several MSDN and TechNet posts on how 8.3 file names adversely affect both file enumeration and creation performance. This post ...

I’ve observed that not very many data professionals are familiar with OData. It’s an open data access protocol built on AtomPub and JSON. It provides a RESTful means of retrieving data, which is what this post is about. One of the things that makes OData important is that it is recommended by the Open Government Data Initiative. Although this ...

We’ve all seen data on a web page and wished we had it in Excel. Copying a table from a web page and pasting it into Excel often leads to disappointing results. Power Query makes it easy to import data from a web page into Excel. As a nurse, I’m particularly interested in analyzing public health data for research purposes. I found some good data ...