Checking a hard drive for errors in Windows Vista and Windows 7
Typical problems that affect hard drives, such as corrupt files, bad sectors, can be detected and often resolved by using a built-in windows utility called CHKDSK (for check Disk). CHKDSK scans a hard drive for errors and attempts to repair them, or move any data in a bad sector to a safer location, and then flags the bad sectors to prevent future data from being stored there.
To run CHKDSK, do the following:
- Go to Start>> Computer
- Right click the hard disk that you would like to test.
- Select Properties
- Select the Tools tab
Score Ten Free E-Books from Microsoft Press
Microsoft Press is giving away ten free e-books on SQL Server 2008 and 2012, MS Office 365 and 2010, Deploying Windows 7, Visual Studio 2010, Programming Windows Phone 7, and Virtualization Solutions. Get ‘em while they’re hot!
Introducing Microsoft Server 2012 (Download in PDF Format – 288 pages; 10.8 MB) The final and complete version of Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012, by Ross Mistry and Stacia Misner. 10 Chapters covering Introduction, Disaster-Recovery Enhancements, SQL Server 2012 Editions and Engine Enhancements, Data Administration, Performance and Scalability, , Security Enhancements, Programmability and Beyond-Relational Enhancements, Integration Services, Data Quality Services, Master Data Services, Analysis Services and PowerPivot, and Reporting Services.
Video: The Kids at Seattle Children’s Hospital Performing Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger”
Seattle Children’s Hospital is a special place where in the face of illness and death, they radiate courage and hope, and they get great results. Some of the kids and staff in the Hem/Oncology floor put together this great video to Kelly Clarkson’s song “Stronger” I dare you to watch it and not be touched by it.
And now, take a quick peek behind the scenes at the making of this video. It’s a short video, only 54 seconds long.
Humor: Honey it’s me!
Several men are in the locker room of a golf club when a cell phone on a bench rings, a man engages the hands-free speaker function and begins to talk….
MAN: “Hello”
WOMAN: “Honey, it’s me. Are you at the club?”
MAN: “Yes.”
WOMAN: I am at the mall and found a beautiful leather coat. It’s $2,000. Can I buy it?”
MAN: “OK, go ahead if you like it that much.”
WOMAN: I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the 2011 models. I saw one I really liked.”
MAN: How much?”
Geeking out with Google Beatbox
Admittedly, this is probably the geekiest thing I have ever put on my website, although some would say my NASA videos are the geekiest things on my website. But, if you are a geek, you’ll get a kick out of this little easter egg that Google recently added invloving Google Translate.
Google Translate can now beatbox, or make percussion sounds from words. Here’s how it works:
Go to translate.google.com
Copy and paste the following in the first box:
Seaside Oregon
I lived in Seaside Oregon for a couple of years in the mid 90′s, and never have I lived anywhere that felt more like home. I lived in a small studio apartment just across the street from the Pacific ocean. Around sunset, I could usually be found walking along the surf line watching fantastic sunsets . While I am happy to be back living in the Northwest, my heart still longs for the day I move back to Seaside Oregon for good. In the meantime, I try to get down to Seaside once or twice a year just to walk the beach and smell the ocean air.
Humor: Price of gas in France
A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre.
After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van. However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas. When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, ‘Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings.’
I had no Monet
To buy Degas
Recommended Websites: Free Online Academic Classes and Lectures
One of the greatest benefits of the Internet is that it makes knowledge that at one time was restricted to academic institutions available to anyone with Internet access and a browser. This is a short list of academic websites I like to visit when ever I am in the mood to expand my knowledge and explore different academic disciplines. This list will grow and change over the next few weeks. If you would like to be notified when this page is updated, use the form below to subscribe to this post. I promise, no spam!
OBrienPC.net is back up and running!
To all who visited my website over the past month, only to discover that it would not load, or failed to load completely, or took a long time to load, you have my utmost apology. I had some problems with the company that has hosted OBrienPC.net since March of 2001, because the tried to force me into a more expensive hosting package and I refused.
In the end, I decided to move OBrienPC.net to a new web hosting company. The move went well, and it looks like OBrienPC.net is back up and running at full speed!
You Are Here: The Digital Universe (Video)
This fascinating video clip puts our place in the known universe into perspective. Take a journey from Earth, beyond our solar system, beyond the Milky Way, to the very edge of the cosmos, to the beginning of time. And then, return back through space and time, back to Earth.
If you enjoyed this video clip of the Digital Universe, you might enjoy checking out the Hayden Planetarium website, where you can Download the atlas of the Universe and the free Partiview software and begin flying around the Galaxy at home.
Humor: Points to Ponder
Just another worthless, but humorous list of nonsense to ponder:
- One tequila, Two tequila, Three tequila, Floor
- Atheism is a non-prophet organization
- If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?
- The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.
- I went to a book store and asked the saleswoman where the “Self-Help” section was. She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
- What if there were no hypothetical questions?
IKEA Galant Desk mod makes a very cool computer desk
Every now and then, I come across something that really catches my eye. One thing I like to look for is cool computer-related modifications. Today, I found a great home-made computer desk mod that I would love to build, if I had the tools and skills.
It all starts with an IKEA Galant desk:
And finishes with a great computer desk that any geek would envy!
The full article describes how this desk was built, and can be viewed on here on Overclock.net
Humor: Household tips
Just a few down-to-earth, sensible house-hold tips to help get you through the day.
- Chopping Vegetables — Avoid cutting yourself when chopping vegetables by having someone else hold the vegetables while you chop.
- Toilet Seats — Avoid arguments with females about putting the toilet seat down by using the sink instead.
- Stop over-sleeping — A a cocked mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep.
- Cure for a bad cough — If you have a persistent bad cough, take a large dose of laxative. Then you’ll be afraid to cough.
Microsoft Outlook 2010 – Accidently Deleted Distribution List
It seems that accidentally deleting a distribution list in Microsoft Outlook 2010 is a fairly common issue. The problem is that the Delete Group button is right next to the Save & Close button in the Contact Group pane. Fortunately, recovering a deleted distribution list is fairly easy.
Depending on whether you are using Outlook as a stand-alone e-mail client or using Outlook in conjunction with Microsoft Exchange Server, the process to recover accidentally deleted distribution lists is as follows:
Recovering a distribution List
- In the Navigation pane, click Deleted Items
Humor: Southern Etiquette
There were three southern belles on the front lawn of a plantation. The first belle says “See my diamond necklace? My beau gave it to me, because he’s rich and he loves me. And, for our anniversary this year, he’s takin’ us to Hawaii.” The second belle gushes over the jewel, and the third says politely “That’s nice.”
The second belle says “See my diamond ring? My beau gave it to me, because he’s rich and he loves me. And, see that fancy car in the drive? He bought that for me when we were dating.” The first belle gushes over the jewel and the third says “That’s nice.”
Configure Windows 7 to sync with time Server
This will set Windows 7 up to synchronize the system clock with a selected Time Server.
- Right-click the time/date entry in the notification area.
- Choose “Adjust date/time”
- Click the tab “Internet Time”
- Click the button “Change settings”
- The Internet Time Settings window will open.
- In the line “Server” enter the desired server or choose one from the drop-down menu.
- The server time.nist.gov is one of the choices in the drop-down menu and is a good general choice for those in the US. For other parts of the world, servers are listed in the reference below.
Should employers have access to your Social Sites?
With all the talk in the news about employers demanding access to employee and prospective employee social profiles, I thought it was kind of interesting (and ironic) that Facebook is actually taking a stand against employers who demand access to employee’s FaceBook accounts.
Myself, I have no problem with employers or prospective employers accessing my social sites. In fact, I think it is to my advantage that they do so. But I apparently am in the minority on this issue. There are a lot of people who think it’s a violation of their privacy for an employer to insist on having access to employee social sites.
Happy Birthday Mother
Most people call their mother or send her a card or present on her Birthday. That’s not an option for me, as my mother and I severed ties between us when I was 14 years old. Since then, my mother and I have communicated briefly maybe five times.
Still, I think about her from time to time, especially today, March 27, her Birthday. I hope that she is doing OK, and hope she has finally found peace in her life. Where ever she is, and whatever she is doing in life, I hope that today, she is having a happy birthday.
Recommended Website: BrowserCheck.org
Qualys BrowserCheck is a cross-platform and cross-browser SaaS service that scans the user’s browser looking for vulnerabilities in the browser itself and its plug-ins. This tool will also help you fix the security issues discovered by the scan.
To give you an idea, I scanned my Firefox portable browser. Here are my results:
Browsercheck is easy and free to use, as long as it is for personal use only. Check it out at https://browsercheck.qualys.com
Recommended Website: Send Private Info That Self-Destructs
From time to time, I find it necessary to send sensitive information such as passwords to clients via e-mail. The problem with sending sensitive information through e-mail is most of the time, the recipient is not set up to handle encrypted e-mail. Fortunately, there is an easy solution that lets you send private info that self-destructs after the recipient accesses the information.
Simple To Use – Click the blue button. Paste something private. We’ll encrypt it and give you a unique URL that you can share
Humor: Hunting Bear
John went out hunting bear. After a few hours in the woods, he spotted a huge bear, took aim, fired, and missed. The bear became quite angry, and chased John down and knocked him to the ground. the bear destroyed John’s rifle, and then violated John in a sexual way.
Furious, John vowed to get that bear, even if it was the last thing he ever did. John bought a more powerful rifle and went back to the woods to find the bear. When John found the bear, he took aim and fired his rifle, and again, he missed.
Free Online Virus Scanners
It is a painful and irrefutable fact of computer technology that no antivirus software can protect your computer from 100% of all viruses or malware. It happens from time to time, that a virus does get past your currently installed antivirus program. When this happens, your installed antivirus software might not be able to remove it.
That’s where an online antivirus solution comes in handy. They are always up to date with the latest virus databases, and they are quite affective at removing most known viruses. Using an online virus scanner is like getting a second opinion from your doctor. If your installed antivirus missed detecting an infection, an online virus scan may detect it.
Wi-Fi Analyzer App for Android
Whether you are a home user troubleshooting wireless connectivity issues in your home, or a mobile user just looking for a good public wireless signal, the Wi-Fi Analyzer for Android is a great tool to have; and it’s free!
Wi-Fi Analyzer does more than just show you what wireless access points (WAP’s) are nearby, much more.
Wi-Fi Analyzer will show you the channels of the nearby wireless networks, and show you where those channels are overlapping. This is great if you live in an area where there are many WAP’s nearby, and you are experiencing connectivity issues because of overlapping signals.
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