Before I break into why it has been a disaster, I want to have a mini tangent. Firstly - I have been sent the link to a fun little game. Basically you just run around a top down level and try and destroy other people - what more do you need? Secondly, why is it that on so much software these days (*cough*... quicktime...), when you approach the languages option and go to select 'English', that it says 'English (United States)'? I mean what is going on there? I noticed it creep in a few years back, when it changed from just 'English' to 'English (United Kingdom)' and 'English (United States)'. Only now they have removed the 'English (United Kingdom)' option. So surely they could just call it 'English' again? It seems a small and petty point and that's because it is - but I don't care; I'm making it. Surely they don't think they're fooling anyone - there is a country called England and a language called English. It's not just some hilarious coincidence. Perhaps it's for residents of the USA who refer to the language they speak as 'American' and are blissfully unaware that it is a dumbed down dialect of English and so it has to be labelled for them to save on confusion. Alternatively, there's always the possibility ofcourse that they (the wizards) are planning on renaming this country in the near future to 'England (United States)'? Bastards. Still, on the plus side - VLC now plays Quicktime files, so I don't have to download their lame, iTunes infected, software again.
Hmmm that second one really went on a bit. Anyway, that's got the customary rant out of the way. Now to break it up with a bit of a moan. As I was saying, the disaster in question was that last night (at about 4am - had just finished a lengthy CS session with some friends from Hull. Geektastic.) my virus checker informed me that my computer had contracted a virus (some spyware to be precise). Displeased by this revelation, but grateful that the anti-virus software had deteced it; I then asked it to kindly remove the offending items. The reply I received was roughly along the lines of "Computer says no." - I wasn't overly impressed. Then everything went wrong. The computer slowed to almost unusable speeds, pop ups started appearing everywhere, a new program was installed mascarading as a spyware remover called 'Spy Sherriff', lots of new EXEs started running and trying to connect to outside destinations - basically, it was a load of things you really don't want to have to try and deal with at 4am. In the end I just unplugged my network cable so it couldn't suck loads of information off my computer, then I tried running my virus checker and some anti-spyware programs. Unfortunately this thing, or collection of things, had dug itself/themselves deep and weren't going anywhere. This left me with one remaining option, which I really couldn't be bothered with - Format my 'C' drive; which is pretty much what I have been doing today. Spent ages backing up all my files, and then formatted the beast. I have then spent the vast majority of the day setting my pc back up again. I haven't really put much of it back the way it was, but I will just do it as and when I need certain things.
Still, I guess it wasn't too traumatic as my pc needed a good formatting anyway. On reflection, I seemed more annoyed about the stupid language selection thing than my entire pc falling in on itself and needing severe medical attention. Oh well, Whatever (big 'W' - or VV to be more acurate.).
Other than that, nothing really happened today. Got a phone call from Pareto saying that I'm allowed to go to one of their assessment days, despite being a hopeless case and failing to attend the last two that I was signed up for. I am going to go to the one on the 9th of January. I'm feeling more positive about it now as it will be nice to have a job and be busy and loads of cash and, more importanly, be out of the house - I can sense that I am starting to go funny living at home; and not in a 'haha' sense. The ability to be that sort of funny has long since departed my repertoire of skills - or so I have been informed. I'm still otherwise amazing though - it was proven in my last post.
Hmmm that second one really went on a bit. Anyway, that's got the customary rant out of the way. Now to break it up with a bit of a moan. As I was saying, the disaster in question was that last night (at about 4am - had just finished a lengthy CS session with some friends from Hull. Geektastic.) my virus checker informed me that my computer had contracted a virus (some spyware to be precise). Displeased by this revelation, but grateful that the anti-virus software had deteced it; I then asked it to kindly remove the offending items. The reply I received was roughly along the lines of "Computer says no." - I wasn't overly impressed. Then everything went wrong. The computer slowed to almost unusable speeds, pop ups started appearing everywhere, a new program was installed mascarading as a spyware remover called 'Spy Sherriff', lots of new EXEs started running and trying to connect to outside destinations - basically, it was a load of things you really don't want to have to try and deal with at 4am. In the end I just unplugged my network cable so it couldn't suck loads of information off my computer, then I tried running my virus checker and some anti-spyware programs. Unfortunately this thing, or collection of things, had dug itself/themselves deep and weren't going anywhere. This left me with one remaining option, which I really couldn't be bothered with - Format my 'C' drive; which is pretty much what I have been doing today. Spent ages backing up all my files, and then formatted the beast. I have then spent the vast majority of the day setting my pc back up again. I haven't really put much of it back the way it was, but I will just do it as and when I need certain things.
Still, I guess it wasn't too traumatic as my pc needed a good formatting anyway. On reflection, I seemed more annoyed about the stupid language selection thing than my entire pc falling in on itself and needing severe medical attention. Oh well, Whatever (big 'W' - or VV to be more acurate.).
Other than that, nothing really happened today. Got a phone call from Pareto saying that I'm allowed to go to one of their assessment days, despite being a hopeless case and failing to attend the last two that I was signed up for. I am going to go to the one on the 9th of January. I'm feeling more positive about it now as it will be nice to have a job and be busy and loads of cash and, more importanly, be out of the house - I can sense that I am starting to go funny living at home; and not in a 'haha' sense. The ability to be that sort of funny has long since departed my repertoire of skills - or so I have been informed. I'm still otherwise amazing though - it was proven in my last post.
You're absolutely right about the language thing. They should have 'English' and 'American' with all the stupid no 'u' in colour and all the other rubbish.
Sounds like a skanky piece of spyware-know where it came from? At least you have the fresh 'formatted-feeling' where everything goes fast, or how it should be! It's recommended that we should format about once a year, but that's about as likely as me buying a new toothbrush each month.
Heh definitely - It seems fair that if they want a degree of seperation, that they should have English and American - that would be fine.
Fraid I have no idea how I got the spyware - which is a pain. As obviously I don't want it again, and it'd be nice to be able to steer others clear from the same fate. Format once a year? - I format when the shit hits the fan, and then alone. Speaking metaphorically ofcourse, not when something unpleasant happens to my fan. In which case, I'm sure formatting would do very little. I've got one of those tooth brushes with the blue stripe - you know the one; when the blue stripe reappears it's time to change your brush. Well it's been 14 years and the blue stripe hasn't come back yet - now that's value for money.