Google Chrome fails to launch - this is how to sort it out

My work laptop runs on Windows XP (yes, XP .. almost obsolete) and last week I had my Windows profile folder corrupted for whetever reason, and my Outlook email won't start. To add to the problem, my Google Chrome also stopped to launch.

Though the Outlook issue was resolved, Chrome continued to not launch. Restarting the machine and de-installation/reinstallation of Chrome also didn't do much.

In the end, it turned out Chrome User data folder was also corrupt.

So, if you experience non launching of Chrome, 99% is due to the use data folder being corrupt. To resolve it is pretty easy.

1) Go to this folder in Windows explorer: D:\Documents and Settings\aabdulra\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome
2) In there you will find a folder called "User Data"
3) Right click on the folder and choose "Rename" from the pop-up menu
4) Rename it to whatever you like .. such as "User Data - CORRUPT"
5) Try launching Chrome again. Should work like a charm now :)
6) After that you may want to DELETE premanently the old, renamed User Data folder

... easy peasy

Rumours and being accountable of what you say and share online ..

May be there should be a world law, country laws and company laws that prevent people from distributing and sharing (and certainly creating) unvalidated news that could create havoc, worries, concerns and unstability in the related communities. I received a news cut from an online UK news portal that says the company I'm working for is cutting 3000 jobs just to later been told by the same person sending it that it was in fact a VERY old news (he himself was also tricked into believing it initially). With cost cutting exercise that's happening in the company, some clever guy must have Googled the keywords "headcount", "cut" and the company name and "cleverly" the search engine churned out a news that's still sitting on the news portal server from the past year. With the news portal page showing today's date and the news piece itself not having a separate date/time stamp, one was easily deceived into believing the news was fresh from the oven! Be careful people! - Search engine is just a machine that at the end of the day, takes garbage in, churn garbage out, and you don't be as stupid. Check, check and check again what you see and read and confirm the validity before sharing. If not sure, keep it to yourself. Adios

A pretty healthy routine

It's becoming a routine now that just before 8 PM on Monday to Thursday, I would be spending time dismantling gymnastic equipment - mattresses, bars, beams, wooden platform (don't know what the technical name for it) etc.. . It's all due to Lana joining the local gymnastic club. A pretty big deal given that she has joined pretty late (in age) and got absorbed in pretty quickly and according to the teacher doing good.

Another part of this daily routine is 1.5-2 hours mountain biking before heading to the gymnasium hall. A pretty big deal also given that it's only been three months since I first tried it out and these days 30KM is more than doable. Ending the ride with lifting the gymnastic equipment and mattresses which by the way are pretty heavy, is just a nice exercise.

So far so good and I pretty enjoy the routine. I'm not sure how I will feel comes Winter - surely a bit of stiffness given the expected less cycling. Having said this, a colleague invited to join him winter mountain biking once in a while ;)  ... we'll see

Another Eid, another year on, another family photo

It's not often that we take family photos. Not that it isn't possible, it's just simply not taking the effort. At least for every Raya occasion, we try to do this and the quality is improving - not so much of the looks of the parents rather the composition and lighting.

The following with two takes with on camera timer, a prosumer flash gun and a cheap tripod.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri / Eid Mubarak

Maaf Zahir & Batin
from: Azhan, Anna, Lana, Aryan, Lyris

check it out!

Check out my 500px page people!! ;)
http://arylana.500px.com/

Doctor appointment

This is one of the things about Switzerland that pisses me of.

I fell pretty badly on my left chest while snowboarding a week ago, and the pain had failed to go away. Fearing fracture, I decided to have it checked. Off I went to to IFA yesterday but the appointment could only happen today morning - OK, not a big deal.In the afternoon, I felt much and better and this morning I could pretty much moved like normal again. So, I called up the clinic and the cancel the doctor appointment. Now the catch 22 situation - She said: "Yes, we can cancel, but you might still get charged for it. You should have cancelled it yesterday .." - now that's difficult. Though only MAY BE 35 CHF, it still bothers me that first, you need to make an appointment for the next available slot, even when you are in dire pain, second, if you feel better, you are still obliged to pay the doctor. How fair is that????

.... that's life ...

Welcome 2013!

It's the first day of work in 2013. I have tonnes of things to do and I don't do them. That's not a good way to start the year. In fact what makes it a really bad start was my failure to be in the office at 7.30 this morning. The spirit was in the air, I went to bed at 10, I set my alarm for 5, it went off at 5 and I only got off the bed at 7.45! And was in the office after 9! Bad bad bad. For 6 years in a row I have failed to be in office early on first day of work. What a plonker, as Dell says in Only Fools and Horses (just downloaded the first two seasons yesterday ;) )

Having said that what should I change to better myself in 2013? Let's see ...

1. First thing first, be more PRODUCTIVE AT NIGHT! It seems that my days end when I finish work at office. Basically, I waste pretty much 4 hours a day .. simply because I'm too lazy the moment I reach home. 
2. Stop procrastinating - this is a freaking bad disease and it's worsening!
3. Check my finance regularly! Don't be afraid to see the accounts! - linked to procrastination 
4. Pay bills ON TIME! - again linked to procrastination 
5. Leave for a new company - Either I do it now, or never! ... now this is a tough one!
6. Plan my return to Malaysia ... also a tough one. In next 5 years??
7. Save 3000 Swiss Francs a month
8. Be more generous towards other people
9. Now this is the best one - B2 German certificate before end of June 2013 !!!!!!!!

That's enough ;) 

Welcome 2013.