Sunspot number down to 23? Solar Flux back down to around 80? Seems like we're headed back towards 2010 instead of towards solar maximum. I'm sure that this is just a valley in the peaks and valleys of the cycle, but c'mon!
I averted a near disaster with the laptop. I don't know how it happened; but the other day, while I was reading my e-mail on the Verizon site, AVG popped up with a box telling me that it had quarantined some kind of virus. I don't think it was a virus as much as it might have been malware. The computer started acting funny and this fake "Windows XP recovery" box came up telling me that my hard drive was corrupted and it directed me to some site, where for a fee, I could download some software that would restore it.
I recognized it for what it was - a scam and immediately rescanned the laptop. Fortunately, there was nothing else infecting the computer; but the malware had caused some problems. It wouldn't allow me to access Windows Explorer and some other features. Nothing fatal - just very, very annoying.
Thank you for the System Restore feature of XP. I reset the computer to the way it was a week ago and now everything is back to normal and is working perfectly fine. I know what you're going to tell me - if I used Linux this wouldn't happen to me. You know, I'm sure you're right; but I am nowhere savvy enough to pretend to know computers well enough to be a Linux user.
By the way, we're up to Bee # 112 - anyone want lucky # 113?
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
You said "I know what you're going to tell me - if I used Linux this wouldn't happen to me."
ReplyDeleteWouldn't happen if you were using a Mac properly, either. Mac OS X, like Linux, is really Unix. Macs are like a good rig -- they just work.
David, ex-W8EZE
Hi Larry, we are down in the pit again. 73 Paul
ReplyDeleteHello Larry,.. greetings West Wales
ReplyDeleteComputers are so frustrating, AVG has driven me nuts in the past....I now use AVAST and all seems to be better...I've also just discovered Google Chrome...much better as well.
Great Blog you have Larry definitely in my favourites...73 fer now
Mark MW0MJB
Larry - my mom called me from Florida Mon night with the same thing thinking her hard drive was failing. I was lucky her network connectivity was still working so I connected in remotely using LogMeIn and saw the app that was running and realized it wasn't a real Windows app. Did a quick search and went through the removal steps - kill the processes, remove the app, scan, etc.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what she did to get it, but it was nasty looking but not too hard to remove. I usually find removal info at BleepingComputer.com and Malwarebytes is a good identifier/removal tool.
K2DSL - David