Category: Surface

Jun152020June 15, 2020June 15, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Run Hyper-V on Windows 10 on ARM and the Surface Pro X

Run Hyper-V on Windows 10 on ARM and the Surface Pro X

Posted in Hyper-V, Microsoft, PowerShell, Surface, Virtualization, Windows, Windows 10

Here is a quick blog post on how you can run Hyper-V virtual machines (VM) on Windows 10 on ARM and the Surface Pro X.

I am running the Surface Pro X as my daily driver for a couple of months. It is a fantastic device and combines a light designed and the Surface Pro form factor with a 13-inch screen. But the most significant difference to the other Surface devices like the Surface Pro 7, is that the Surface Pro X is running Windows 10 on ARM. It has a custom Microsoft SQ1 chip. This limits it to run native ARM64 or emulated 32-bit x86 applications, and it can’t run classic 64-bit x64 applications at the moment. Another limitation was that I wasn’t able to run Hyper-V virtual machines (VMs) on my Surface Pro X.

With the Windows 10 Insider Preview build 19559, you were able to install Hyper-V. However, you didn’t have a compatible image to run inside the virtual machine (VM). With the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19631, Microsoft is now also providing an ARM64 VHDX file, which you can download and run as a guest OS in Hyper-V.

How to enable Hyper-V on Windows 10 on ARM

You need a Windows 10 ARM-based PC with a Microsoft SQ1, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx, or Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 processor. To enable the Hyper-V feature on Windows 10 on ARM and the Surface Pro X, you will also need to have installed the Windows 10 Insider Preview build 19559 or higher and have Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise.

  1. Join the Windows Insider Program and update to the latest Windows 10 Insider Fast Ring build 19559 or newer
  2. Upgrade your Windows edition from Home to Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise
  3. Install the Hyper-V feature on Windows 10You can run the following PowerShell command to install the Hyper-V feature.
    Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
  4. Download the Windows 10 on ARM VHDX file from here.
  5. After that, you can create a Hyper-V virtual machine (VM) with an existing VHDX file on your Surface Pro X.
  6. Visit Windows 10 on ARM developer center for more details and documentation.

Conclusion

I hope this gives an overview of how to run Hyper-V VMs on Windows 10 on ARM. This is still in preview, but if you are like me and want to give it a try, you can. Let me know if you have any questions.


Jun112020June 11, 2020June 10, 20202Commentsby Thomas Maurer
Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 Mini Review

Surface Headphones 2 Mini Review

Posted in Hardware, Hardware, Microsoft, Surface, Windows 10

This week I just got my new Microsoft Surface Headphones 2, and since I got asked a lot about my first impressions, I want to share this mini-review. First, let me quickly tell you why I bought the Surface Headphones 2 since I also got the Surface Earbuds. I really like the first generation Surface Headphones, which I use in my home office or when I fly. However, they are pretty big, and when I go to the local office, I don’t feel like taking the large headphones with me, that is where the Surface Earbuds come in.

Surface Headphones 1 vs Surface Headphones 2

Surface Headphones 1 vs Surface Headphones 2

For me, the Surface Headphones are great because they are very comfortable, they connect to multiple devices at the same time. They also have great controls for noise cancellation as well as amplifying the sound around me, so I don’t have to scream during calls because I can’t hear myself talking.

Surface Headphones 2 Mini Review

Here are my impressions of the Surface Headphones 2:

  • The look and feel is mostly the same as the first generation. I like the dial controls to change volume and noise cancellation.
  • The Surface Headphones 2 also have buttons on the side, which allow you to pick up and end calls, skip to the next track, pause and resume music playback.
  • You get the same 13 levels of noise cancellation as on the first generation headphones, which is excellent. I also really like to amplify the sound around me, so I can hear myself speaking during calls, so I don’t scream into the microphone.
  • They are now available in a beautiful matt-black color.
  • They’ve been upgraded to Bluetooth 5.0 and now support Qualcomm’s aptX Bluetooth codec, which offers better audio quality.
  • I love that they connect easily to multiple devices at the same time. For example, I can have them connected to my Surface Laptop 3 to do Microsoft Teams calls and can easily just take a phone call on my Android phone.
  • That said, they are not Microsoft Teams certified. Don’t get wrong; for me, they work great with Microsoft Teams. However, some things just don’t work together. For example, the mute button on the Surface Headphones 2 does mute the microphone on the headphones, but that does not show in Microsoft Teams.
  • Bluetooth connection works great for me. I heard that others are having trouble with BT headphones like delay. I never experience this on the Surface Headphones 1 and Surface Headphones 2. But this can also heavily depend on your Bluetooth hardware on your computer, laptop, or phone.
  • The ear cups can now rotate 180 degrees.
  • They charge using a USB-C port and they come with an extra audio cable for devices you can’t connect using Bluetooth.
  • The On/Off button and the mute button stick out more, to make it easier to find them.
  • Battery life has also been extended from 15 hours to 20 hours (I was not able to test that yet, but for my workflow, the first generation was already good enough.
  • The voice of the assistant has changed and is much faster in some cases. I like that when you turn on your headphones, and the assistant tells you how much battery they have left, and to which devices you are connected to.

These were my quick first impressions of the Surface Headphones 2. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. If you want to know more, check out the Microsoft tech specs here.

Surface Headphones 2 Box

Surface Headphones 2 Box

Conclusion

Overall I like the Surface Headphones 2. They bring the great experience and features from the first generation Surface Headphones with a couple of improvements and a lower price. I hope you liked my Surface Headphones 2 mini-review. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment.

Disclaimer: I work for Microsoft, but I am not part of the Microsoft Surface team.


May312020May 31, 2020June 27, 20206Commentsby Thomas Maurer
Microsoft Surface USB-C Travel Hub Review

Microsoft Surface USB-C Travel Hub Mini Review

Posted in Hardware, Microsoft, Surface, Windows, Windows 10

Last week Microsoft started shipping the new Surface Dock 2 and the Microsoft Surface USB-C Travel Hub. Since I usually do a lot of presentations at events, I ordered a Microsoft or Surface USB-C Travel Hub, which allows me to replace many of my Surface adapters for HDMI, Ethernet, or additional USB-A ports. I got the Microsoft Surface USB-C Travel Hub a couple of days ago, and I want to share my first impressions as well as a mini review, right here.

You can buy the Microsoft Surface USB-C Travel Hub here.

The Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub is designed for professionals who travel, so this adapter can give you the extra ports and connections you need when you work on-the-go. It works with PCs and Surface devices that have a USB-C port. It works with different versions of Windows, macOS, Android, Chrome OS.

The Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub can be connected to a USB-C port on your machine, which needs to support USB-C alt Mode. It provides you with the following ports:

  • HDMI 2.0 (supports a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 60Hz)
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • VGA
  • USB-A 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps) USB-A port with pass-through accessory charging
  • USB-C 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps) port with pass-through accessory charging

You can buy the Microsoft Surface USB-C Travel Hub here. If you need more information about the Microsoft Surface USB-C Travel Hub capabilities, check out the Microsoft support page.

Read More

May312020May 31, 2020June 20, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Surface Dock 2 Review

My Surface Dock 2 Mini Review

Posted in Hardware, Microsoft, Surface, Windows 10

Last week Microsoft started shipping the new Surface Dock 2 and the Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub. I ordered the Surface Dock 2 since I was looking for a second docking station to connect to my monitor, so I can easily switch between two Surface devices. I got my Microsoft Surface Dock 2 a couple of days ago, and I want to share my first impression and a mini-review.

You can buy the Surface Dock 2 here.

Surface Dock 2 Review

The Surface Dock 2 transforms your mobile Surface devices into a desktop computer, with which you can easily connect monitors, power adapter, and other external peripherals. The Surface Dock 2 comes with the following ports:

Surface Dock 2 front-facing ports

Surface Dock 2 front-facing ports

  • 199W power supply
  • Supports dual 4K at 60Hz
  • Surface Connect cable (80 cm)
  • 2 front-facing USB-C 3.2 (10 Gbps) (15W)
  • Two rear-facing USB-C 3.2 (10 Gbps) video display enabled (7.5W)
  • Two rear-facing USB-A 3.2 (10 Gbps) (7.5W)
  • 3.5mm in/out audio jack
  • 1 gigabit Ethernet
  • Security lock support (Kensington compatible)
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May072020May 7, 2020May 6, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Surface Pro X with Slim Pen

How to Enable or Disable Hibernate on the Surface Pro X

Posted in Hardware, Microsoft, Surface, Windows, Windows 10, Work

I am sure you have seen that I am the proud owner of a Surface Pro X. The Surface Pro X is one of the latest Microsoft Surface devices, and instead of coming with an Intel or AMD x86 processor, it comes with a custom Qualcomm ARM CPU, called the Microsoft SQ1. The Surface Surface Pro X also runs Windows 10 on ARM, which allows you to run ARM64 and emulated x86 (32-bit) apps. Since I really like this device and the always-on feature, I just quickly want to share how you can enable or disable hibernate on the Surface Pro X.

The reason why I want to disable hibernate is that I can take advantage of the always-on capabilities for a much longer period of time. To understand the differences between shut down, sleep, or hibernate, you can check out the following Microsoft support article.

Shut down, sleep, or hibernate your PC and the Surface Pro X

There are different ways of handling your PC when you are not using it, you can turn your PC off completely by shutting it down, make it sleep, or you can hibernate your PC.

Sleep

Sleep uses very little power, your PC starts up faster, and you’re instantly back to where you left off. You don’t have to worry that you’ll lose your work because of your battery draining, because Windows automatically saves all your work and turns off the PC if the battery is too low. Use sleep when you’re going to be away from your PC for just a little while—like when you’re taking a coffee break.

Hibernate

This option was designed for laptops and might not be available for all PCs. Hibernate uses less power than sleep and when you start up the PC again, you’re back to where you left off (though not as fast as sleep). Use hibernation when you know that you won’t use your laptop or tablet for an extended period and won’t have an opportunity to charge the battery during that time. First check to see if this option is available on your PC and if it is, turn it on.

(Source Microsoft Support)

Enable or Disable Hibernate on the Surface Pro X

To enable or disable hibernate you can use the following options by using PowerShell or the Command Prompt as administrator.

Disable Hibernate run:

powercfg.exe /hibernate off

Enable Hibernate run:

powercfg.exe /hibernate on

You can also find out more about the battery behavior of your Windows 10 devices by using powercfg, so you can see how much battery power your devices uses in sleep or hibernation or while using it. I wrote a blog post called Troubleshoot Windows 10 Battery Life and Modern Standby.

Windows 10 SleepStudy Report

Windows 10 SleepStudy Report

I hope this post helps a couple of people dealing with the power management of Windows 10 and how to enable or disable hibernate on the Surface Pro X. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.


Mar262020March 26, 2020March 27, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Microsoft Teams Video Call

How to host Tech Workshops and Trainings online

Posted in Cloud, Cloud Advocate, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure, Office, Office365, OneNote, Surface, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Work

I just got asked by one of my blog readers, who is a consultant and trainer, about what tools I use to give online tech workshops and trainings. I thought this would make a good blog post; that’s why I want to share with you how you can provide tech workshops and trainings online. This can obviously also be used in day to day collaboration and meetings.

How to give Workshops and Trainings online

In my previous job, I worked with a lot of customers and provided workshops and trainings. Here are some of the tools I used, and I am still using. I know that there are a lot more applications out there which can give you a great experience. Some of them are optimized for public streaming, others for collaboration. The same is true for my list; depending on the use-case, meeting, workshop, or content you have, maybe one tool is better than the other. So have a look at these tools and decided which one works best for your workshop or training. I also need to point out that you can use them not just as a standalone app, but also in combination with each other.

Microsoft Teams

The first tool which pops in mind and is the one I use the most is Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is a fantastic collaboration tool. It lets you do a couple of things like meetings and video calls with screen sharing and PowerPoint presentations as well as included whiteboard experience. In addition to meetings and chats, you also get a rich collaboration space with teams and channels, which you can also use to share workshops and training material over time. You can provide an excellent experience for your customers and team members even after the workshop or training is done. There are many features in Microsoft Teams. The best thing is to check out the product page to see all the capabilities of Microsoft Teams. You can invite people outside of your organization as guest accounts to have a collaboration space.

Microsoft Teams Video Call

Microsoft Teams Video Call

I want to share two of the live chat and video experiences that you can use in Microsoft Teams for online meetings, trainings, and workshops.

Microsoft Teams Online Meetings – This is the experience most users probably are familiar with. With Microsoft Teams online meetings, you can host audio, video, and web conferences with anyone, and you get features such as scheduling assistance, meeting note-taking, screen sharing, meeting recording, and instant messaging.

Microsoft Teams Live Events – With Microsoft Teams live events you can broadcast video and meeting content to large online audiences. This can be inside and outside of your company. Live Events are meant for one-to-many communications where you are leading the interactions, and audience participation is primarily to view the content shared by you. Live events feature is excellent if you want to organize things like webinars. While the online meetings functionality has a chat, the live events comes with a Q&A feature, which makes it easy to keep track and answer questions.

If you want to learn more about how to present PowerPoint in Microsoft Teams, check out Sarah Lean’s blog post.

Microsoft Whiteboard

Another tool I use a lot is the Microsoft Whiteboard app, and I already wrote a blog post about why IT Pros should use the Microsoft Whiteboard app.

Microsoft Whiteboard

Microsoft Whiteboard

The Whiteboard app is a digital whiteboard that allows you to invite people online to collaborate in real-time. It also integrates into Microsoft Teams as well.

PowerPoint – Present Online and record Presentations

PowerPoint Present Online

PowerPoint Present Online

As mentioned before, you can use Microsoft Teams to share and present your PowerPoints. However, what a lot of people don’t know is that PowerPoint already has an integrated sharing feature. You can share and broadcast your PowerPoint presentation online directly within PowerPoint, without the need for an additional tool.

Present Online in PowerPoint

Present Online in PowerPoint

You can also record PowerPoint presentations and share them online later on.

Record Slide Show

Record Slide Show

 

Visual Studio Code Remote Share

When it comes to code, Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code (VS Code) offer you a feature called Visual Studio Live Share. Live Share allows you to share your code in real-time. You can collaborate and work with multiple people on the same code. New is that you can not only join using VS Code or Visual Studio, but you can now also join by just using a browser.

Invite people with Visual Studio Live Share:

Visual Studio Code Live Share

Visual Studio Code Live Share

Collaborate on the same file:

Sharing code online with VS Code Live Share

Sharing code online with VS Code Live Share

I hope this blog was helpful and gives you a couple of ideas on how you can provide workshops and trainings online as well as collaborating in real-time with people. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Thanks to Martin Dimovski, who gave me the idea of this blog post.


Mar082020March 8, 2020March 15, 20200Commentby Thomas Maurer
Home Office Setup 2020

My Home Office Setup 2020 – How does yours look like?

Posted in Fun, Hardware, Hardware, Microsoft, Office, OneNote, Surface, Thomas Maurer, Windows, Windows 10, Work

A couple of days ago, Microsoft and other companies recommended that people work from home (if they can) due to the Corona disease (COVID-19). Since I am part of a remote team, I work mostly from home when I am not traveling, and so let me share my home office setup 2020 with you. I did share my home office setup already in 2018 after we just moved. Since then, I have upgraded my home office with a couple of new things, which I believe make working from home even more productive and enjoyable.

This is it, this is my Home Office Setup in 2020

Here is a quick view at my desk setup:

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    Thomas Maurer

    My name is Thomas Maurer. I am a Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft. I am part of the Azure engineering team (Cloud + AI) and engage with the community and customers around the world. I am located in Switzerland. I am focusing on Microsoft technologies, especially cloud and datacenter solutions based on Microsoft Azure, Azure Stack and Windows Server. Opinions are my own.

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