Windows Administration - How Do I Run CHKDSK?

What do you do when Windows starts complaining about hard disk corruption?  Do you simply throw it away and buy a new one?  Do you run it down to Best Buy and let the "Geek Squad" take a look?

No.  You fix it yourself!

*** Be sure you backup your files if possible before applying any fixes ***

How do I fix a corrupt hard drive?

CHKDSK or "Check Disk" is a utility that goes back to the days of DOS.  This is referred to as a "Console" application; being that it runs in command line vs. the graphical interface.  Even if you have Windows 8 installed, you can harness the power of command line.

How do I access the command line in Windows?

It's actually pretty easy.  The easiest way to do it is to click the Start menu and type "cmd" in the search bar:

Once you see cmd.exe appear, you can just click it.  Next, type chkdsk into the terminal:

Currently, we will run chkdsk without any arguments.  This is a great way to see if there are actually issues with the hard drive.  NOTE: If you wanted to apply fixes, you would need to add the argument /f.  This would look like chkdsk /f in your terminal window.

Depending on the size of your hard drive, it can take some time to run, so go grab a cup of coffee or something.

Fortunately for me, my hard drive is as clean as a whistle.  If there was a problem, the command line would give me the option to apply fixes.  However, if I were running my chkdsk on my primary hard drive (the one that Windows is installed on; typically the C drive), I would have to select the option to apply fixes during my next reboot.

If you have bad sectors and receive this option, don't be alarmed.  This is pretty common.  Especially if you have a Windows XP machine.  Simply agree to apply fixes and reboot.  The CHKDSK utility will run during boot instead of Windows.  Once again, this is normal.

What do I do if CHKDSK can't resolve my issues?

At times, chkdsk can't fix everything.  If this happens to you, be sure to backup your data as soon as possible to a new drive.  Along with sector issues, you may need to de-fragment your hard drive using a disk utility.  The Windows defrag utility is quite useful, but I prefer a free resource called "Defraggler".  More on that later.

How to rollback Internet Explorer to a previous version

Internet Explorer is one of those things that you just can't seem to get away from.  Over the years, they just keep trying to "improve" IE, but the outcome is always sub-par.  If you are reading this, you probably have encountered the phenomenon of unwanted Microsoft updates.

One of the oddest things, is that so many business related sites rely on Active X controls. I've found that many internet and intranet applications don't yet support IE 10 or IE 11.  I'm not yet certain why there isn't enough backwards compatibility.  Compatibility mode is helpful, but it does not always solve every issue.

How do I roll back or uninstall Internet Explorer?

Fortunately, our friends at Microsoft have learned quite a bit about this sort of thing.  If you have tried to uninstall IE as an application, you will have a hard time.  This because it is built into the operating system.  However, you can uninstall the updates themselves.  Depending on your OS and service pack, your Windows may have shipped with one of several default browsers.  Most copies of Windows 7 came with IE version 8, which seems to be the most supported.

Step 1:
Go to the start menu, and select Control Panel.

Step 2:
Select programs and features:

Step 3:
Select "View Installed Updates" at the top left of the screen:

Step 4:
Wait for all installed updates to load; this may take a few minutes.  Afterwards, scroll down to the Microsoft Windows section.

Step 5:
Please be extra careful not to uninstall anything but the update "Internet Explorer 10", or 11 if you have it installed.  The IE updates are usually at the top.  In my case, I have not upgraded so you do not see it present.  This is somewhat what your updates should look like after uninstalling.  Just uninstall and you're all set.

Caveat:

If you have installed multiple updates, you will only see the most recent.  That being said, you won't know until you uninstall and reboot.  A full reboot is required to update, so be sure that you are ready to do so.  As always, I recommend taking your time while making selections.

Hopefully you won't have to repeat the process more than once.  The only other thing to watch out for is not upgrading the next time you open IE.

Blackberry Z10 - OS 10.2 Release Date?

Come on Blackberry!  We have been waiting for months now!

Do you share these sentiments?  If you own a Blackberry Z10 or Z30, then do not fear!  Blackberry OS 10.2 is supposedly coming out this month.  It seems that the company is fully aware that OS 10.2 has already leaked.  Personally, I want the real deal.

What do I look forward to most?

I am so sick of sideloading I can't take it.  I have tried all sorts of tricks to get Jelly Bean 4.2 applications to work with no dice.  In fact, I can't currently use my side-loaded Instagram app because the 4.2 runtime broke Android completely on this thing.

According to Blackberry VP Alec Saunders, Android support will get a whole lot sweeter.  Personally, I think the Z10 is a great phone.  Native apps run best, but even Android apps are pretty smooth.

When exactly will Blackberry OS 10.2 come out?

I'm starting to think that bloggers are just making stuff up.  I originally read that it would come out in October 2013.  Apparently, that was only for Europe and Asia.  You would think that America would be first on the list.

I'm hoping it will be any day now.  I'll be sure to write a review when it does.

Java - How To Fix "javaws.exe missing" error after update

Oh Java, what am I going to do with you...

If you haven't noticed, the Java Runtime Environment loves to update itself frequently.  If you are using Windows, you may have come across this issue before.  javaws.exe is the executable for the Java Web Start application.  This is used with various products on the market to facilitate web enabled forms.

Unfortunately, Java updates can effect all sorts of other applications as well.

Why don't Java updates install fully?

Over the past year, this seems to be an ongoing issue for Windows users.  I haven't found an exact reason yet.

How to fix a bad Java update?

First of all, you can assess the damage by seeing if the "Java Control Panel" is still installed.  Go to Start->Control Panel:

You will either see just "Java" like mine if you have 64 bit Windows.  You may instead see "Java (32-bit)".  Either way, confirm that the Java Control Panel is still present.  If so, continue with Resolution #1, if not goto Resolution #2.

Resolution #1:
Open the panel and click the view button:

You should see a new Window.  At this point, you can select "Applications" from the dropdown box:

If you use an application that relies on the javaws.exe application, from here you can typically restore desktop links that utilize Java Web Start.  I have found this to resolve most inconsistencies between updates.

Resolution #2:

If in fact, you do not still have the Java Control Panel installed, you will need to fully uninstall Java.  This can be accessed in both Windows 7 and XP by going to Start->Control Panel.  For XP, you can go to Add / Remove Programs.  If you have Windows 7, go to Programs And Features.

After uninstalling, make a short visit to www.java.com to grab the latest release.  The site will look like this:

After installation, you may or may not need to re cache the shortcuts to your Web Start applications.  See Resolution #2 for more details.

News - New Blog IT Anomalies

Most of my readers at www.thestarrlab.com have been able to follow my nerdy adventures through the study of computer science.  I've enjoyed going into details about what I've learned, but I realized that there is also much to say about practical things.

Over the years, I've come across all sorts of crazy IT issues that have taken a lot of work to resolve. The goal of this blog is to share fixes and workarounds to countless problems to all sorts applications and systems.

Specifically, I will be focusing on operating systems like Windows 7, OSX, and various Unix distributions.  I will expose some of the bugs inherent in applications such as Microsoft Office and other solutions, and demonstrate workarounds and fixes.

We will also be reviewing mobile platforms such as iOS, Android and Blackberry OS.