Life Jumped Up Again........This Time My Computer Got It!
After I finished my post on Friday, I worked on getting videos uploaded to YouTube so that they'd be ready for the next day's posting. I haven't been uploading video all that long and consider myself to be a neophyte on the finer points of the process.
Even though I have a cable connection uploading videos takes quite a bit of time for me. Sometimes I begin to upload and go off to bed so that it'll be done by morning. That's worked ok for me.............well, that's until now.
I awoke Saturday morning to a red glaring window across my computer screen warning me that I was infected by some 1500+ viruses and that I needed to cleanse my system of them immediately. The message was definitely threatening and made it sound like not doing as instructed would be my undoing.
The window wasn't anything I recognized. AntiVirus XP 2008 just didn't look right. I immediately suspected that this window and its source was my real problem.
I tried to close out the window only to find it putting up replacement windows with more threatening messages. Even though I tried not to "click" on anything that was "co-operating" with the windows or their function, I still found myself at a website instructing me to buy a program for $99.95 to fix my problem.
Internet extortion like this I have heard of before. Actually more than one of my friends has been infected by this virus and it has caused some major problems on their hard drives. Since I also consider myself to be pretty "dumb" when it comes to doing much with the computer, I began looking for a way to get my computer shut down so I could call for help.
There was one thing that I knew to try first. I have Norton's GoBack on my computer. But when I tried to operate that program it was disabled by the virus. I knew right then and there I was in over my head and set about shutting my computer down.
That pesky virus didn't want me to shut down, it kept throwing more windows up at me as fast as I could close them. I finally gave up and did a hard shut down using my power strip. However, when I turned the power strip back on my computer booted up on it's own. Something about that hard shut down caused a hesitation in the virus though so I actually was able to accomplish a proper shutdown.
From there I called Colleen for help. She or her husband, Ray, are my computer gurus. They keep me operating when the bad *sses of the world do their crude! Unfortunately both of them were working so I knew it was going to be a long day stewing about my computer. The last time a virus got me..................it destroyed my hard drive.
I'd left a message on Colleen's cell phone letting her know I'd been attacked. She called when she got my message and told me she'd be here after she got off work. She was familiar with this virus because they'd had it at her house too so she'd stop by home and pick up some notes to bring with her.
This virus is one of those pesky regenerating ones so if you leave even one little part eventually you're fully infected again. Even with her notes, it took Colleen most of the evening to get all remnants of this virus off of my computer.
It messed with some of my files and I suspect it will take me a while to determine all the damage. Even with what I went through yesterday I'd really like to see all those folks who think this is great sport lined up against a fence somewhere and shot!
I hope to be back to regular posting tomorrow but I have to admit I'm suddenly weary of loading anymore video. I even have an external firewall that protects me from most attacks but it can't stop anything I've approved..................and that would be YouTube.
Oooh! That sucks! Why people feel it neccessary to spread that around is beyond me!
ReplyDeleteEvery time I hear about one of these new viruses I think to myself...I wonder what these jerks could have done for the good of mankind rather than expending brain power on making up this virus? Ya know, cancer is sort of a huge problem. These smart people could be curing that instead of spending all this time on viruses.
ReplyDeleteWell that stinks, I've had it happen too. Who would want to do that and think it was funny. Must be a bunch of jackasses with no lives of their own, so they get off ruining other peoples.
ReplyDeleteHi MiKael
ReplyDeleteI have had to adopt a no leaving computer online policy as well as opening NO spam forwarded spam or messages with attachments even if I recognise the sender unless they have told me to expect it.
I can't afford to jeopardise all of my photo files even if I do have them backed up.
Every few nights I will leave my computer running but disconnect the internet so it can do a virus scan. If I am going to be away from the computer for any length of time I will often take it off line but leave it running so when I get back I can just re-enable to internet. These sites like U-Tube and all the other photo sites are a ripe hunting ground for people who get their jollies from causing people problems. The robots gather up all the e-mail addresses in one foul swoop.
Hope you get everything sorted and back to normal soon, I missed your posts.
Lori
Ouch!
ReplyDeleteI've been very lucky so far *touch wood* but I don't doubt one will get me sooner or later!
That sucks Mikael...jerks!
ReplyDeleteWe got this virus on our computer last night. My husband was up until 1am, then at it again this morning trying to clean up after it. Our virus protection didn't detect it. He found a free software program online, along with instructions, and was able to get everything working by 11am this morning (went to work late). Luckily, there doesn't seem to be anything lost or harmed, but who knows. We have no idea how it got infected. The only thing I did out of the ordinary before this happened, was to click on an ad from someone's blog about earning money through blogging. I try not to open any unknown emails or attachments. What a pain!
ReplyDelete