As of two hours ago, I've been here at BCTS for Five years. It's been loads of fun and I've made a lot of good friends. I've learned a lot about myself. I finally let myself be a little more of the real me. Not as easy as it sounds as most of you know. After holding myself apart for so long, it's so very difficult to let go of those things I hidden behind. Most of my stories has gotten a good response even if not blockbusters, well, by BC standards. A few has gotten very good welcomes, and I'll be lying if I said it didn't feel good.
I did have a story I was going to post in celebrate this anniversary, but real life had other ideas. In this case a computer virus and a truck load of Trojans that has infested my poor machine. Even now I'm trying to clean it, but probably am going to shell out the bucks for a new operating system since computers don't come with their boot disc anymore. At least I've managed to salvage my stories, music and pictures. Have to go shopping for another thumb drive to try and save my game files.
Fortunately, we are a two computer family so I can stay online, it's just a pain and an incredible beach of privacy, sigh. Along with delaying my summer love story entry of course.
It was the best of times, it was the worse of .....
Hugs!
Grover
Comments
Five Years?
...well, with a truck load of trojans at least your computer is practicing safe whatever computers do... Congratulations on five years here. You've certainly enriched my life for getting to know you, if only a bit. Thanks for being here. Bona Fortuna, cari mio!
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Here I was...
Here I was thinking about "History of the World, Part I" when he referred to the trojans... *sighs*
Congrats on all your time, here. Hope things are working out for you - in real life... As you open up more.
Anne
before you junk it
try getting and running in safe mode Malwarebites and spybot. Something grabbed my machine while I was at work and the grandson was using it. Some Xp virus scan thingee that should never have been allowed in. The kid and spouse swear they did nothing to allow it. I had to run the Malwarebites four times to get it to complete and run and spybot grabbed onto it and trashed it for me. I still need a new box, but it gave me time to save more.
Congratz
Wow, this is a long time. You're one of my favourite authors here at bcts and I hope your PC will get well soon - can't wait for your next story...
Thank you very much for your free writing.
*hugs*
Beyogi
Five years... Grover... Are you that blue Muppet?
Grover, hum.. never heard of you.
Oh Miki the mongoose says "Hi."
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
happy anniversary
I've enjoyed your stories and look forward to more
Dorothycolleen
Happy Anniversary
RAMI
Happy Anniversary to you, Happy Anniversary to you, Happy 5 years at Big Closet, Happy Anniversary to you.
Rami
RAMI
Argh
I so hate trojans and other malware! In the last half a year I've been struck twice, first by some banner-hanging that nearly caused me to give up on computer, and then by... What was it? Dammit. Well it was some browser and firewall-ruining one, fake antivirus.
I suggest, for the time being, to
---clean the PC of all Malware you can find (using utilites found on internet and the like) - both viruses and spyware.
---create a new login for your system. This usually has the effect of giving the apps for new login a number of default traits, effectively making it possible to work again.
---Install some antivirus and put maximum possible level of protection on it. To the point where it asks if you are sure you want to run the commonplace programs like text editors, web browsers and whatnot.
And in perspective, I suggest considering the following
---transfer all you want from your disk to some other place.
---wipe the system and reinstall it from a clean boot disc.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Working on it!
Working on doing just that. I have some nasty hiding in my rootkit as well as a Trojan that keeps popping up, Alureon. Now if I can just sic some Greeks on him that should take care of that problem. Where is Achilles and Odysseus when you need them? Or maybe I got that all wrong since Trojans actually refer to the Trojan Horse the Greeks used to defeat the Trojans and not the city dwellers themselves. After, going on 4 days of fighting this, I don't know if I'm coming or going. :)
I did finally puzzle out how to bring back my desktop icons which is a good thing since most of my current writing projects are there. Since have to go out and get another thumb drive. Used up all the space I had saving my music and pictures.
Now would be a good time to win the Lotto! LOL!!! I hate being poor!
Thanks everyone!
Hugs!
Grover
Have you considered a USB backup drive?
I got one aprox six months ago at Best Buy for aprox 130 dollars. The backup software is in it. Took under three hours to back up all my non-operating system files -- 130+gigs. It mostly defaults to backing up files not programs as those you likely have on disk but the preferences can be changed. One terabyte for 130.
Main thing for me is all the software is in the drive so it loaded itself Ten or fifteen minutes of self installation, a few mouse clicks to chose preferences and ZOOM!
Mine is a Western Digital Passport BTW and a disk drive. There are any others as well, some solid state.
And it must be cheaper now. Some even have built in antivirus as do some flash drives, SanDisc is one I believe.
Good luck.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
actually I do-
sorta kinda. I have a pair of flash drives that I use for my backups. Being modest all of my music and art fits nicely on about 2gigs. However my other files runs over that. All my stories are mostly secure it's just the ones I had on my desktop that are in question. I have unhidden them after the virus blacked out everything. just working out how to save them. Having some issues accessing them even though I can see them now. sigh. Cotton-picking, low-down, no-good hackers!
hugs
Grover
We have a one and one half HP electric bush chopper/shreader
Admitedly the *brush* has to be preferably an inch or less in diameter but think of all the fun you could have with the spammers if... you aren't too squeemish.
And composting is ecologically sound.
Plus it's not near as noisy as a chainsaw.
-- grin --
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa