diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 26fa99157e..f1562e1b0f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: LAGraph CI
+name: LAGraph CI with Builtin GraphBLAS
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
@@ -13,38 +13,34 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         config:
-         - {grb_version: 7.1.0, conda_grb_package_hash: h27087fc, conda_extension: tar.bz2}
-         - {grb_version: 7.3.0, conda_grb_package_hash: h27087fc, conda_extension: tar.bz2}
-         - {grb_version: 7.4.1, conda_grb_package_hash: hcb278e6, conda_extension: conda}
+        # if there are multiple items in this list, only use should
+        # deployit=true for just one of them.
+         - {grb_version: 9.3.1, deployit: true}
     steps:
     - name: Checkout
       uses: actions/checkout@v2.0.0
     - name: Install tools for build
       run: |
         sudo apt install -y lcov
-    - name: Get GraphBLAS binaries
+    - name: Build GraphBLAS
       run: |
-        mkdir graphblas-binaries
-        cd graphblas-binaries
-        wget --quiet https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/graphblas/${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}/download/linux-64/graphblas-${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}-${{ matrix.config.conda_grb_package_hash }}_0.${{ matrix.config.conda_extension }}
-        if [ ${{ matrix.config.conda_extension }} == "tar.bz2" ]; then
-          tar xf graphblas-${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}-${{ matrix.config.conda_grb_package_hash }}_0.${{ matrix.config.conda_extension }}
-        else
-          unzip graphblas-${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}-${{ matrix.config.conda_grb_package_hash }}_0.${{ matrix.config.conda_extension }}
-          tar xf pkg-graphblas-${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}-${{ matrix.config.conda_grb_package_hash }}_0.tar.zst
-        fi
+        git clone https://github.com/DrTimothyAldenDavis/GraphBLAS.git
+        cd GraphBLAS
+        git checkout tags/v${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}
+        make compact
+        sudo make install
         cd ..
     - name: Build project
       run: |
-        export GRAPHBLAS_INCLUDE_DIR=`pwd`/graphblas-binaries/include
-        export GRAPHBLAS_LIBRARY=`pwd`/graphblas-binaries/lib/libgraphblas.so
+        export GRAPHBLAS_INCLUDE_DIR=`pwd`/GraphBLAS/include/suitesparse
+        export GRAPHBLAS_LIBRARY=`pwd`/GraphBLAS/lib/libgraphblas.so
         cd build
         cmake .. -DCOVERAGE=1 -DGRAPHBLAS_INCLUDE_DIR=${GRAPHBLAS_INCLUDE_DIR} -DGRAPHBLAS_LIBRARY=${GRAPHBLAS_LIBRARY}
         JOBS=2 make
         make test_coverage
     - name: Deploy
       uses: JamesIves/github-pages-deploy-action@4.1.1
-      if: matrix.config.grb_version == '7.4.1' && github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/stable'
+      if: matrix.config.deployit && github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/stable'
       with:
         branch: gh-pages
         folder: build/test_coverage/
@@ -59,9 +55,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         config:
-         - {grb_version: 7.1.0, conda_grb_package_hash: h7881ed4, conda_extension: tar.bz2}
-         - {grb_version: 7.3.0, conda_grb_package_hash: ha894c9a, conda_extension: tar.bz2}
-         - {grb_version: 7.4.1, conda_grb_package_hash: ha894c9a, conda_extension: conda}
+         - {grb_version: 9.3.1}
     steps:
     - name: Checkout
       uses: actions/checkout@v2.0.0
@@ -70,22 +64,18 @@ jobs:
         brew tap-new libomp/cask
         brew extract --version=14.0.6 libomp libomp/cask
         brew install libomp@14.0.6
-    - name: Get GraphBLAS binaries
+    - name: Build GraphBLAS
       run: |
-        mkdir graphblas-binaries
-        cd graphblas-binaries
-        wget --quiet https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/graphblas/${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}/download/osx-64/graphblas-${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}-${{ matrix.config.conda_grb_package_hash }}_0.${{ matrix.config.conda_extension }}
-        if [ ${{ matrix.config.conda_extension }} == "tar.bz2" ]; then
-          tar xf graphblas-${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}-${{ matrix.config.conda_grb_package_hash }}_0.${{ matrix.config.conda_extension }}
-        else
-          unzip graphblas-${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}-${{ matrix.config.conda_grb_package_hash }}_0.${{ matrix.config.conda_extension }}
-          tar xf pkg-graphblas-${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}-${{ matrix.config.conda_grb_package_hash }}_0.tar.zst
-        fi
+        git clone https://github.com/DrTimothyAldenDavis/GraphBLAS.git
+        cd GraphBLAS
+        git checkout tags/v${{ matrix.config.grb_version }}
+        make compact
+        sudo make install
         cd ..
     - name: Build project
       run: |
-        export GRAPHBLAS_INCLUDE_DIR=`pwd`/graphblas-binaries/include
-        export GRAPHBLAS_LIBRARY=`pwd`/graphblas-binaries/lib/libgraphblas.dylib
+        export GRAPHBLAS_INCLUDE_DIR=`pwd`/GraphBLAS/include/suitesparse
+        export GRAPHBLAS_LIBRARY=`pwd`/GraphBLAS/lib/libgraphblas.dylib
         # adding an extra line to the CMakeLists.txt file to locate the libomp instance installed by brew
         echo 'include_directories("/usr/local/opt/libomp/include")' | cat - CMakeLists.txt
         cd build
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c62160797c..90a9350697 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@
 cmake_minimum_required ( VERSION 3.20 ) # LAGraph can be built stand-alone
 
 # version of LAGraph
-set ( LAGraph_DATE "Jan 20, 2024" )
+set ( LAGraph_DATE "Aug 20, 2024" )
 set ( LAGraph_VERSION_MAJOR 1 CACHE STRING "" FORCE )
 set ( LAGraph_VERSION_MINOR 1 CACHE STRING "" FORCE )
-set ( LAGraph_VERSION_SUB   2 CACHE STRING "" FORCE )
+set ( LAGraph_VERSION_SUB   4 CACHE STRING "" FORCE )
 
 message ( STATUS "Building LAGraph version: v"
     ${LAGraph_VERSION_MAJOR}.
@@ -247,13 +247,13 @@ elseif ( "${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Intel" )
     #if ( CMAKE_C_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 18.0 )
     #    message ( FATAL_ERROR "icc version must be at least 18.0" )
     #endif ( )
-elseif ( "${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Clang" )
+elseif ( "${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "Clang" AND NOT "${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_FRONTEND_VARIANT}" STREQUAL "MSVC" )
     # options for clang
     set ( CMAKE_C_FLAGS  "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -O3 " )
     #if ( CMAKE_C_COMPILER_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.3 )
     #    message ( FATAL_ERROR "clang version must be at least 3.3" )
     #endif ( )
-elseif ( "${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "MSVC" )
+elseif ( "${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "MSVC" OR "${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_FRONTEND_VARIANT}" STREQUAL "MSVC" )
     # options for MicroSoft Visual Studio
 elseif ( "${CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID}" STREQUAL "PGI" )
     # options for PGI pgcc compiler
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index f7a0f454a3..758ed824e3 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+Aug 20, 2024: version 1.1.4
+
+    * fix MMWrite when matrix is dense
+
+Mar 22, 2024: version 1.1.3
+
+    * minor updates to build system
+
 Jan 20, 2024: version 1.1.2
 
     * minor update to build system
diff --git a/data/comments_full.mtx b/data/comments_full.mtx
index 430b7756bb..097bb7a77a 100644
--- a/data/comments_full.mtx
+++ b/data/comments_full.mtx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 %%GraphBLAS type double
 % comments for full.mtx
 % this file was created by test_MMRead.c
-3 3 9
+3 3
 .646
 .709
 .754
diff --git a/experimental/CMakeLists.txt b/experimental/CMakeLists.txt
index 2caaa1c6d9..217abb9b92 100644
--- a/experimental/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/experimental/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ if ( BUILD_STATIC_LIBS )
         C_STANDARD 11
         PUBLIC_HEADER "include/LAGraphX.h" )
 
-    if ( MSVC )
+    if ( MSVC OR ("${CMAKE_C_SIMULATE_ID}" STREQUAL "MSVC") )
         set_target_properties ( LAGraphX_static PROPERTIES
             OUTPUT_NAME lagraphx_static )
     endif ( )
diff --git a/experimental/test/CMakeLists.txt b/experimental/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 3f72d74b9e..0df29008ae 100644
--- a/experimental/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/experimental/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ if ( BUILD_STATIC_LIBS )
         C_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON
         C_STANDARD 11 )
 
-    if ( MSVC )
+    if ( MSVC OR ("${CMAKE_C_SIMULATE_ID}" STREQUAL "MSVC") )
         set_target_properties ( lagraphxtest_static PROPERTIES
             OUTPUT_NAME lagraphxtest_static )
     endif ( )
diff --git a/include/LAGraph.h b/include/LAGraph.h
index 6eed809cb9..8357c8bdb5 100644
--- a/include/LAGraph.h
+++ b/include/LAGraph.h
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@
 // See also the LAGraph_Version utility method, which returns these values.
 // These definitions are derived from LAGraph/CMakeLists.txt.
 
-#define LAGRAPH_DATE "Jan 20, 2024"
+#define LAGRAPH_DATE "Aug 20, 2024"
 #define LAGRAPH_VERSION_MAJOR  1
 #define LAGRAPH_VERSION_MINOR  1
-#define LAGRAPH_VERSION_UPDATE 2
+#define LAGRAPH_VERSION_UPDATE 4
 
 //==============================================================================
 // include files and helper macros
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 09177c73ee..451f0bd2ba 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ if ( BUILD_STATIC_LIBS )
         C_STANDARD 11
         PUBLIC_HEADER "include/LAGraph.h" )
 
-    if ( MSVC )
+    if ( MSVC OR ("${CMAKE_C_SIMULATE_ID}" STREQUAL "MSVC") )
         set_target_properties ( LAGraph_static PROPERTIES
             OUTPUT_NAME lagraph_static )
     endif ( )
diff --git a/src/test/CMakeLists.txt b/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 37e56418ae..db36bd3581 100644
--- a/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ if ( BUILD_STATIC_LIBS )
         C_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON
         C_STANDARD 11 )
 
-    if ( MSVC )
+    if ( MSVC OR ("${CMAKE_C_SIMULATE_ID}" STREQUAL "MSVC") )
         set_target_properties ( lagraphtest_static PROPERTIES
             OUTPUT_NAME lagraphtest_static )
     endif ( )
diff --git a/src/utility/LAGraph_MMWrite.c b/src/utility/LAGraph_MMWrite.c
index 51bd5841c2..4c4c8828f9 100644
--- a/src/utility/LAGraph_MMWrite.c
+++ b/src/utility/LAGraph_MMWrite.c
@@ -459,8 +459,18 @@ int LAGraph_MMWrite
         nvals_to_print = nself_edges + (nvals - nself_edges) / 2 ;
     }
 
-    FPRINTF (f, "%" PRIu64 " %" PRIu64 " %" PRIu64 "\n",
-        nrows, ncols, nvals_to_print) ;
+    if (MM_fmt == MM_array)
+    {
+        // write `nrows ncols` if the array format is used
+        FPRINTF (f, "%" PRIu64 " %" PRIu64 "\n",
+            nrows, ncols) ;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        // otherwise write `nrows ncols nvals` for the coordinate format
+        FPRINTF (f, "%" PRIu64 " %" PRIu64 " %" PRIu64 "\n",
+            nrows, ncols, nvals_to_print) ;
+    }
 
     if (nvals_to_print == 0)
     {