Windows 8: SemanticZoom that covers also App title area

Challenge

In my Windows 8 XAML app, I use GridView surrounded by SemanticZoom. However, you are only able to zoom in/out if you pinched (visually) on top of the GridView that was surrounded by the SemanticZoom control. On Surface and other devices with smaller screen, it was quite common one of the fingers used for pinching was outside the SemanticZoom control, i.e., on top of the app title Grid row on top of the screen making semantic zoom not work.

Solution

Consider the height of your app title row is 140. You need to set the margin of the SemanticZoom to have -140 top margin in order for the control to cover also title row. Then you need to take this -140 into account in your GridView control and add 140 top margin there. This solution seems a bit too quick and dirty for me, maybe there is more sophisticated solution?

Technorati Tags: Windows 8,XAML

Windows Store URL for updating apps

Challenge

I wanted to release update for my Windows 8 app, but cannot find Windows Store or the site where I originally published the app. Google/Bing don’t find anything relevant with queries like “windows store”, or “windows store apps”.

Solution

Here’s the link: https://appdev.microsoft.com/StorePortals/EN-US/Account/signup/Start

Technorati Tags: Windows 8

Win8: Could not find usable certificate. Error: Element not found. 0x80070490

Problem

When trying to start Hyper-V virtual machine in Windows 8 CP, you get error

Could not find usable certificate. Error: Element not found. 0x80070490.

Thoughts

Restarting Windows doesn't help.

Solution

Check that your Hyper-V VMM service has generated a self-signed certificate required to run virtual machines.

Steps (from KB967902):

1. Click Start , click Run, type mmc, and then click OK.
2. On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in.
3. Click Certificates , and then click Add.
4. Click Service account , and then click Next.
5. Click Local Computer , and then click Next.
6. Click Hyper-V Virtual Machine Management , and then click Finish.
7. Click OK to close the Add/Remove Snap-in window.
8. SEE BELOW! Expand Certificates - Service , expand vmms\Personal, and then click Certificates.
9. SEE BELOW! Double-click the VMM Service certificate, and you should be able to view it's properties, such as expiration date.

If you don't see the Certificates folder under vmms\Personal, you don't have the required certificate.

Creating the missing certificate is easy:

1. Open Hyper-V Manager
2. Right click on the name of your local Hyper-V host machine
3. Select Stop Service, then Turn Off
4. Right click on the name of your local Hyper-V host machine
5. Select Start Service
6. Refresh the Certificate MMC window you hopefully still have open, and you will see the new certificate under vmms\Personal\Certificates, and you're good to go for the next 1000(!) years.