Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Brave new world

Waiting at the local cafe for a take away coffee.  Normally there are three tables here full of people enjoying the morning sun :(


Thursday, March 26, 2020

Using DISM to inject Windows updates into an image (.wim file)



Who is this for?


This is for anyone that uses Windows image files *wim.  If you don't then it might be best to look away :)

Background


To add updates to an image of Windows 10 will save time when it comes to deploying a new computer.  This technique will work with an MECM/SCCM deployment or WDS.  You should even be able to replace the WIM file in a boot USB device.  The advantage is that your freshly imaged computer will be delivered with the updates pre-installed.

Requirements

  • ISO file of the Windows 10 image that you want to update.  Note this assumes that there is only one image in the WIM file.  If there are multiple images in your WIM file you will need to export this before proceeding.  The information on how to do this can be found elsewhere.
  • Administrator access on the computer you will be performing this task
  • Reference computer built using your image fully updated from Microsoft Update.  This is used to get the list of required updates

Process

  1. Open an Administrator command prompt
  2. Type "C:" to confirm that you are working on the C: drive
  3. Type "MD C:\Temp".  This will create a folder called C:\Temp.  You can use another name if you choose, but you will need to alter your references accordingly.
  4. Type "CD \Temp" you should now be in your working folder
  5. Type "MD Updates" (To hold windows updates)
  6. Type "MD Mount" (working directory used by the DISM command)
  7. Go online to https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/home.aspx and type in the KB numbers that you want to add to your image.  For example 4497165 and then search. You will find the numbers on your reference computer under "View installed updates" in the Control Panel.
  8. Download the appropriate version for your Operating System and architecture (x86/x64 etc.) and place it into "C:\Temp\Updates".  Do this for all updates that you need to add to the image.
  9. Type "Notepad addUpdates.cmd" and then press enter.  You will be told that the file does not exist and would you like to create it.  
  10. Copy the following lines into addUpdates.cmd

    @echo On
    dism /mount-wim /wimfile:%1 /index:1 /mountdir:Mount
    dism /image:Mount /add-package /PackagePath:Updates
    dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:Mount /commit
    dism /Cleanup-Wim
  11. Close the file and click Yes to save the contents
  12. Right click on the ISO file and select mount.  Mine appeared as E: drive
  13. in your Administrator cmd prompt type "Copy E:\Sources\install.wim C:\Temp\Install.wim".  You may need to export your specific version of Windows 10 here as most Windows OS disks have multiple versions in the one WIM file
  14. It is best to call your WIM file something that identifies what it actually contains.  IE. Something like "w10Ent1909x64.wim" Would identify the file as containing Windows 10 Enterprise 1909 x64.  Use whatever naming convention makes sense to you.  Rename it now.
  15. in the cmd prompt type "addUpdates.cmd w10Ent1909x64.wim" replacing "w10Ent1909x64.wim" with the name of your WIM file.
Walk away for a while and your WIM file will be ready for delivery to a new computer.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Lockdown

Penny got these lock down flowers the other day.  No point to life being drab if we have to stay home :)  Google photos performed some of it's effect magic on this.  All I did was download it.

#Flowers #Colour #Home #Lockdown


12PAof2020 - March assignment : Sand

I had some difficulty getting to sand this month.  However for the last hunt Penny had setup some sand in our backyard to be used for one of her photos.  I used it for this Barbie / Cub meerkat image.

Don't put your head in the sand always be prepared.


Talking about colour

Hi all

I have been absent for a little while as I had been working on my home network infrastructure.  I see that we are talking about colour to brighten up our lock down situation.  Here is what I saw yesterday morning.  The world continues.  Stay safe everyone.


Saturday, March 14, 2020

People are scared

This morning I visited my local supermarket, as I do every Saturday morning.  Normally at 7 am I am one of perhaps 5 customers.  This morning was insane...  There were 100 - 150 customers in the shop and the car park was full.  The girl manning the checkouts said that at 5:30 there were 40 people waiting to get in the shop.

I shudder when I think what it will be like later in the day.  I do not think this is going to end well and it is not the virus that is going to do the damage.

Stay safe everyone.  Be careful out there it is a jungle.

Image from happier times at Port Fairy


The commuters

Jammed in like sardines on the early morning train


Skyline

The city of Melbourne catches the first rays of the sun and glistens like a jewel.

Image from the top step of Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance looking directly down St Kilda road/Swanston street


On this day - 14th of March

last year I lined up at the drug doughnut kitchen to get my fix of sugar.  It was all in the name of the scavenger hunt and the word donut (sic.). 

The irony here is that the van is called the American Doughnut (correct spelling) Kitchen.  This is a Melbourne institution and has been operating out of the Queen Victoria Market since the 1950's...  YUM!!!


Friday, March 13, 2020

On this day - 13th of March

in 2014 it was all about choices.  Which do you choose and why? This was taken at lunch time in the back streets of Richmond


Thursday, March 12, 2020

Word of the day - Waiting

There is a saying in Melbourne used when you want to meet someone.  "I'll meet you under the clocks".  At some time in the past they wanted to remove them and replace them with a digital display.  You could hear the outcry from the moon.  The clocks were refurbished instead.


That sky

Yesterday morning this was my view from Princes Bridge looking east.


Word of the day - Waves

The surfers at surfers beach Philip Island


On this day - 12th of December

in 2016 we visited the Prime Ministers office (It was not dissimilar to visiting the principals office) circa 1988, at old parliament house in Canberra.  What I discovered was that we have carpets and curtains of the exact colour and fabric at our house.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Early morning commute

A lone commuter waits for the next train at Richmond station.


On this day - 11th of March

in 2013 I was at Danny's Lookout on mount Hotham in Victoria.  It was also the day 30 years ago that my eldest was born.  Happy birthday Laura.


Monday, March 9, 2020

On this day - 9th of March

in 2015 we watched the balloon festival on the lawns of old parliament house in Canberra along with quite a large crowd.  Canberra has never seen so many angry birds, green eyed monsters or dodo's.  Oh wait it is always like that in Parliament :)




Sunday, March 8, 2020

Hunt 27 page has been updated

I have updated the hunt 27 scavenger hunt page with links to all of the winners and full albums.  There is some excellent work in there.  Have a browse in the rabbit hole.

The next hunt is taking entries on April the 1st.  Subscribe to the mailing list on their home page if you would like to get more information

https://scavengerhunt.photography/

On this day - 8th of March

in 2015 we were in Canberra to visit Penny's son who was living there.  It was a perfect time to visit as there were a lot of activities happening at the time.  I really love Canberra as a place to visit.  This image is of the National Carillon from Commonwealth park.  We were up early to watch the Balloon festival that was happening in front of Old Parliament house.


Saturday, March 7, 2020

Contingency plans

With the great toilet paper shortage of 2020 I have gone back to the past for inspiration.  I knew there would be a good use for the Herald sun newspaper.

This was how my Grand parents solved a recycling issue.


On this day - 7th of March

Last year all the bears were paying attention...  Except for Jenkins.  He was focused on something off to his left

Friday, March 6, 2020

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Word of the day - Forgotten

Found on a G+ photowalk back in 2014.  This guy was forgotten and abandoned

Word of the day - Orange (Bonus edition)

Drawn and quartered.  Technically Penny took this image for the word quarter in a scavenger hunt last year...  Art direction by me :)

Oh...  It was taken on this day!

On this day - 5th of March

in 2016 I was trapped in my TV.  Apparently we still used DVD's back then...  How quaint :)


Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Word of the day - Orange

I think I nailed the brief


On this day - 4th of March

in 2018 I was in scavenging mode looking for the word ends.  I created the book names in Photoshop.  In this case every title relates to the scavenger hunt in progress at the time.  I have included the original unedited image for comparison.  It is quite difficult to make text look like it belongs.



Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Image resize and export

As a photographer I am always looking for ways to speed up my work flow.  One thing that has bugged me for a long time has been exporting and resizing images.  Lightroom was slow and Luminar (which I currently use) is even slower.  If you need to export and resize 1000+ images be prepared to wait.

I say wait no more...  In my travels I have found a much better solution that even works with raw files direct from my camera.  The proviso is that you are using Windows 10 1903+ and have the "Raw Image Extension" installed.  This can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store here https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/p/raw-image-extension/9nctdw2w1bh8?activetab=pivot:overviewtab and is an official  free Microsoft extension.  This works flawlessly with both my Olympus *.orf files and my Nikon *.nef files.  There are some raw formats that are known not to work.  Either way it is well worth installing to see if it works for you.  You can tell it works by simply opening any raw image and if it displays in photos, then this process will work for you.

The other thing that you will need is "Image Resizer" by Brice Lambson.  You can get this from here http://www.bricelam.net/ImageResizer/.  Image resizer is a recognised Microsoft power tool.  Go ahead.  Download and install it now.  Image resizer is awesome.  You can resize and rename files in batches by simply right clicking on your target files.  Even better you can configure standard sizes and save the configuration for later use.  In a real example for me the scavenger hunt has asked for all of the submitted to be a maximum of 2048 pixels on the long edge.  They also need to be named in a particular format.  I simply created a preset and the images were resized and renamed with very little effort.  To ensure the size is 2048 simply make both x and y dimensions 2048.

Image resizer is so fast I was able to export 100 images in less than two minutes.  Compared to 30 minutes with Luminar.  This was over a wifi connection.  Wi
th the other packages on WiFi the time balloons out to hours. 

If you want to export a small number or thousands of images.  You want this.

Enjoy


Empty

Empty office space on Spring street Melbourne


On this day - 3rd of March

last year it was all about sunflowers and still life


Monday, March 2, 2020

Lavender

This was in the front yard of a house in the next street.


On this day - 2nd of March

in 2018 I was on southbank on the way to work and took this magnificent cityscape.  At the time I liked this so much it became my phone background for a time.


Sunday, March 1, 2020

Word of the day - Number plates (Bonus Edition)

For a previous scavenger hunt we had the word ladybug...  So I had thoughts of getting a VW bug (of course)...  Included here are three images.  The original source image that  I used along with two variations.  The Ladybug and as a challenge I also created a Bluebird... 

Enjoy





Word of the day - Number plate

This number plate is on Australia's first home grown car.  The Holden FX circa 1948.  This car and brand has held fond memories for most of Australia. My dad had an FJ...  Now that was awesome.  I have no idea how he manged to fit all seven kids in that one :)

This photo was taken at our local shops.  I have seen it there quite a few times so I guess the owner is a local.  The Holden brand has been discontinued which is a sad day for Australia.

Here is a wiki for reference https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_48-215


On this day - 1st of March

in 2018 it was all about reflections...  I love the city after rain.  Colours, lights reflections and even the smell all combine to create something awesome.  This was taken with my mobile.