Fix Corrupt Microsoft Windows Files

Anyone who suspects they have corrupt Microsoft Windows system files (possibly from virus or malware) may try the built-in tools before re-installing the operating system. If you suspect Microsoft Windows Update is not running correctly, you may also try to repair it.

This Microsoft document describes file system checker tool with DISM and SFC. The following examples are for Microsoft Windows 10.

Open a command prompt with elevated privileges:

• Press Start button
  

• Type: cmd

• Right-click on "Command Prompt" and choose "Run as administrator"

Set up the operating system deployment image. In the command prompt window, type:

• DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

 

It will look like:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.844

Image Version: 10.0.19042.985

[==========================100.0%==========================]
The restore operation completed successfully.
The operation completed successfully.

If after running DISM, you experience glitches or quirks in MS Windows, try running this file system checker command. It may take hours to run. 

• sfc /scannow
  

 

If problems are found, it will look like:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan.  This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
For online repairs, details are included in the CBS log file located at
windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For offline
repairs, details are included in the log file provided by the /OFFLOGFILE flag.

 

Note the location of the log, which you may review.

Next, you may want to check that Microsoft Windows Update is running.

Run the troubleshooter which may be found in the old Control Panel.

• Press Start button and type: control panel

• Click on the Control Panel app to run it.
  

• In the Control Panel app, top right search box, type: update

• Click on Troubleshooting

• Press Next to run the troubleshooter and then follow the prompts.

GSM data security in GPRS 2G

Mobile carriers have been phasing out older mobile technologies and frequencies. This makes older service using GPRS 2G less prevalent. One form of attack is to purposefully force downgrade to the older 2G service, which has weaknesses. This paper of June 2021, Cryptanalysis of the GPRS Encryption Algorithms GEA-1 and GEA-2, describes how the 64 bit security is effectively only 40 bit. The authors speculate the standard was purposefully weakened.

There is no practical reason to allow modern phones to use 2G service, so users should disable this service. Android users can typically look in settings to turn off 2G service.

This leads to the obvious question of what vulnerabilities may exist in the newer 4G and 5G standards. Many people are beginning to use apps such as Signal which runs it's own security on top of whatever communications are being used (4G, 5G, or wifi).

While you are in Android settings, you may want to review the Google setting which allows for silent install of movement tracking applications. It is not clear if setting "COVID-19 Exposure Notifications" to off prevents silent install of the tracking apps, or if it allows the download but does not make the app visible to the user. Completely disabling installs will likely require stopping of Google Play Services.

MS Windows 10 Border Width

Microsoft made super-skinny border widths on Windows 10. While there has been a couple years for this design mistake to be corrected, it appears this will not be changing in the pending release of Window 11.
It is well past a reasonable amount of time for Microsoft to fix the super-skinny window borders.

The skinny window borders make it challenging to place and align windows. It also makes it challenging for older or disabled persons to grab the side of the window.

The straight-forward method to have fat window borders is to turn on the high visibility theme. This will produce drastic visual changes, make websites look different than what you may expect, and remove backgrounds such as desktop color or picture. You may want to try this change and then decide if fat window borders are worth the other visual changes in the theme.

Standard MS Windows 10 borders look like this.

 

 

Press the Start button and type: themes

Choose the app for "Themes and related settings".

In the Settings window, scroll down and click on "High contrast settings".

 

 

Turn on the high contrast slider, then choose theme "High Contrast White" in the drop down list box.

 

 

While visually jarring at first, the High Contrast White theme does increase the window border width.