My computer caught a virus. I tried to fix it. I spent hours into this morning’s wee hours. I thought I was super-smart. I was dumber than a bag of hammers. My rescue mission made things worse.
The only good news is that you, my indulgent readers, get three valuable lessons (albeit at my expense).
First, any Windows machine can catch a virus at any time. Mine was running anti-virus software. I didn’t visit a dubious web site. I didn’t open a dubious email attachment. I think I caught the virus when I opened an email from HP. the email affirmed I’d just bought some software — namely Delorme’s Street Atlas 2011. Never in my wildest dreams would I expect Hewlett-Packard, a reputable computer company, to give me a deadly virus.
Second, no matter how sophisticated your software (and your brain) you may never be able to to repair your computer. When infected, that hard disk is gone, finished, kaput. Mine is gone, bye bye. I’ll clone it clean. See below.
Third, you’d better have a backup strategy that works. Otherwise you’ll spend thousands on hard drive recovery services, which charge more than audiologists.
Here goes with a Backup Strategy. It’s three -pronged:
+ Prong A. Keep your anti-virus software up to date with the latest definitions. That means checking in every couple of days. Any of the leading anti-virus softwares will work — so long as you keep them up-to-date.
+ Prong B — Daily backups of working files. Everything I work on is stored in a folder called c:\AllHarry. I use software called FileSync. Once or twice a day I copy new or changed files from my hard drive to an external Apricorn hard drive — see on the right. I did not lose any working files. Just lots of sleep.
+ Prong C — regular clones of your working drive. Buy two drives identical to the one that’s in your laptop and clone your working drive. When you catch a virus, you simply pop the cloned drive into your machine, clone your drive, then copy your working files over. Bingo, you’re back in business. Never try to repair an infected drive. Never keep working on an infected drive. When you’ve cloned, you get all your software — installed the way you like. This saves huge times. Apricorn’s drives come with free cloning software. I also like Acronis True Image Home Edition. I use it to make a linux CD which contains the cloning software. Put the new drive inside your PC and the old drive outside your PC, most likely using USB.
Easiest solution: Buy a Mac. Apple’s computers don’t get viruses.
Thinking about the economy. Companies are doing fine. People are not. Many don’t have a job. Regular unemployment government stats make fodder for reporters and fear for some investors. Hence, gold and silver rise. But so do many stocks. The trend is your friend, for now.
Wall Street — The Movie reviewed. Michael Douglas is superb. The movie is not gripping, but it tells the story.
Some of the dialog is hard to hear. Sit up front.
The worst salesmen/scammers: Not in any order.
1. Used Car Salesmen.
2. Funeral Home Directors.
3. Mattress Salesmen (buy online from Walmart)
4. Audiologists.
World’s lightest bike. From reporter Kraig Becker:
Last weekend the 2010 Interbike Expo was held in Las Vegas. Each year the show highlights all the latest innovations and updates in the biking industry, with major players, such as Trek and Specialized, showing off their latest models. But this year, it was a little known company called Fair Wheel Bikes, based out of Tuscon, Arizona, that made the headlines by introducing an incredibly lightweight, but incredibly expensive, bike.
The new prototype features ten speeds, both front and rear brakes, a carbon fiber frame, and titanium spokes. When fully assembled, the unit weighs in at a mere six pounds, which makes it the lightest bike ever built, but it just might come with the heftiest price tag. Fair Wheel has spent $45,000 building this particular model, and while it isn’t available to purchase yet, they hope to move it into production in the future.
As a point of reference, the bikes that are ridden at the Tour de France weigh in at roughly 15 pounds, which is the minimum accepted weight by the Union Cycliste Internationale, the governing body of professional cycling. This new design from Fair Wheel weighs in at less than half of that, and yet the company says that it remains durable and tough. The company has logged more than 20,000 miles on the prototype, testing its strength, and its still going strong.
My incredibly light Dahon Mu-SL — the lightest they make — weighs in at around 22 lbs. That includes pedals, lights and a mirror. I love my folding Dahon.
Suggested retail — $1,499.
Should A Child Witness Childbirth? Here’s your answer.
Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call. The house was very dark so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-yr old girl to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby.
Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked. Heidi pushed and pushed and after a little while, Connor was born. The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry. The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide- eyed 3-yr old what she thought about what she had just witnessed.
Kathleen quickly responded, ‘He shouldn’t have crawled in there in the first place……..spank his ass again!’
Harry Newton who’s proud he didn’t lose any material. But he wonders at the wrath of God. Last week was my best this year. Two unexpected private equity fund payouts coupled with gold’s rise meant last week’s net worth statement was up big. God has his little ways to keep the size of my head manageable and my sleep to a limit.
Ever tried System Restore? (Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore)
Of course, you need to have it Enabled. Then you can restore the System Registry to a selected prior date. I have used this to eliminate viruses that spread across our home network, having done something stupid, and to resolve various problems on work PCs that would not be resolved otherwise.
Harry, you're turning into an Apple fanboi. Microsoft operating systems are targeted more often because of a much larger installed base. Aside from the Vista-like model of running as an unprivileged user (and prompting to elevate privileges), OS X is not fundamentally any more or less vulnerable. If anything, with Apple today, issues tend to go unpatched longer than with Microsoft.
Soap box diatribes aside, you can try relocating your infected drive to an external enclosure and attaching it for “de-lousing” to a separate machine. In many cases, a virus that up-to-date AV software isn't able to clean up live can be removed when scanned offline. It is a good idea to run several scans, using different AV packages (MS Security Essentials, AVG, Malwarebytes, others, many commercial options as well). Replace the drive and make certain the browser proxy settings are accurate; these are usually changed by the virus and aren't repaired by the AV software.
Pragmatically, the only approach to reducing your exposure to virus attacks today is to use the Internet (email, browsing) in a virtual machine. This is beyond most users due to costs and complexity.
For about four years my teen used an Ubuntu Linux desktop and never once had a virus or other problem. She would whine that she couldn't install limewire or any of the super toolbars or other accessories her friends asked her to install — (but couldn't under Linux, fortunately), but never once was her computer out of commission (except for when Time Warner cablemodem had outages, but that's another story …).
Sorry about your virus problems. Beyond the normal procedures, I do two things that may be of use.
1) I run Firefox without “load images” and I've specified the specific websites that I will allow to load an image.
2) I run an add-on called noscript, which you can control so that it selectively blocks javascript. I also run a flashblocker. The only exception to my use of firefox like that is your website, actually, and only when I'm drafting a comment as I am now.
Also, my IT friends tell me that there's an app called rkill.exe that you may need to run just so that your antivirus program has a shot of clearing up the malware.
Sorrry to burst your bubble, Harry, but Macs do get infections. I had an attorney friend of mine who called me about his computer going nuts wioth popups and blocked web sites. Turns out it was a Mac. He had to go to the Genius Bar to fix it.
From what I have read, the MSE that Microsoft makes available to users for free is one of the best out there for protecting Windows PCs. I agree with you that Symantec products and Macafee products do little to block the stuff that is proliferating out there. Users should try and decide for themselves. I also use Acronis products to protect my PCs. Cheap insurance.
Most anti virus/anti spyware are signature based. In the past every few days
were adequate updating intervals.
With the spyware/malware proliferation, your defense should be updated no
less than every few hours. If you have decent broadband, it should take no
more than 20-30 seconds. Mine is set for every hour.
Since they do it automatically, it requires little effort on your part.
Additionally, you can not have more than one anti virus. But, you can and
should have more than one anti spyware. I use Malwarebytes as my backup anti
malware/spyware.
Only once has it detected/removed a Trojan, but it was one that my main
program missed.
Worst Scammers….
Add to that list :
Stockbrokers and Insurance Salesmen.
>>The new prototype features ten speeds, both front and rear brakes,<<
What's the big deal? I had bikes 40-50 years ago with front and rear brakes. I still have my 1963 Raleigh Gran Sport, with F&R brakes.
Harry, at the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I have had a Mac since they were first made. In fact, I bought one of the first 128K Macs which still sits in my attic. I have never had a problem like you describe. I would find it incredibly frustrating and wonder why anyone would go through the maintenance of updating virus software only to be infected and lose everything. Perhaps the best thing about a Mac is that it is still too small for hackers to notice. Today, with VMWare, I have both a Mac and Windows XP on the same machine, so I don't lose any functionality. I'm not saying it won't happen, but it has been well worth the extra cost not to suffer through what you just experienced.
Harry-
Sorry to hear that virus gave you so much trouble. Good thing you had a back-up. But if you constantly back up everything to an external hard drive, isn't there a possibility that you could inadvertently back up the virus and screw up the external hard drive as well?
I'm seriously thinking of following your suggestion and for my next computer, going Mac.
All best wishes,
-Barry