A PC RANT
The Cranky Old Man is back. I've been lurking, I've been blogging, but it has not been the same. Some pimply faced little prick who lives in momma's basement blew up my computer using his skill and knowledge to do something negative for no other reason then to piss me off and cost me money.
Congratulations ass-hole, you've done the high tech equivalent to throwing a brick through a window and running away laughing.
I've learned from this experience. Never open any site unless you are positive of the source. Please don't send me any funny you-tube clips, I will not open them. I even received something from Mrs. Cranky which before I opened it she confirmed she never sent. Trust...maybe, but first verify.
I also learned that my security system sucks and the Geek Squad is not really all that smart.
My system did alert me when I opened a malware site, "Hey, hey Ralphie boy. Someone tried to F-up your computer but we blocked it...I think...maybe...good luck!" Never trust a security provider named Norton.
I took the computer to the Geek Squad, and somehow it seems that an unknown ass-hole can plant stuff on my computer to F-it-up, but there is no way to find that batch of shitty instructions and delete them. The Geek Squad can do two things; get you an new password when you forget yours, and install a new hard drive for the cost of a new computer. (I know cousin Nils, you could fix it, should I send it to you?)
Anyway.
For the last several weeks I have been operating with my already infected extra-old PC and or my phone. I have not kept up with other bloggers and many comments went unsendable ( I think it is a word. If conversate is a word, then unsendable is a word.) Fortunately I had backed up the files on my newer now worthless computer, so fuck you, you high tech brick thrower!
I just bought a new PC. It has windows 8, so it has taken me a few days to get used to change #%&@! I also still do not have M-soft Office installed, but basically I am back in action. The new PC has a crappy mouse pad thingy, so Mrs. C turned me on to an actual computer mouse which magically operates the PC without being attached to it. LOVE IT!
So I am back. I am behind in new posts, so I may throw in a few more re-runs or stuff from one of the books I paid to publish. They will be like new to most readers anyway.
I am off to catch up on some blog reading and to create some incredibly creative new posts.
To all you pimply faced little shits busy trying to throw technological bricks through peoples windows, enjoy your miserable life in the basement and please, as remote as the chance may be, please do not procreate!
I dunno, Cranky. If the little shits DID try procreating....or at least tried an UN-dress rehearsal, they might find they like it and stop f__king with our computers.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're back in business. :)
S
Right there with you Cranky. Old PC got sick. Now running on a snazzy laptop with Windows 8. Not impressed with the mouse pad. Working on that one but I still fall back on my wireless mouse. Norton still couldn't keep ahead of the virus game. Hadda haul my new baby to Geek Squad. In my case they found and killed the malware. It's always something. If it isn't one thing, it's another.
ReplyDeleteoh, good rant!
ReplyDeleteWhat a nightmare! I wish those that were smart to figure out how to hack would use their skills in a more productive way than to wreck havoc on innocent people like us who just enjoy blogging and spending time on our computers, trying to do it safely. Something similar happened to be a year ago; thankfully hubby figured it out with just the cost of new virus protection program (mine was outdated). I'm with you, never open anything that even remotely looks suspicious. Glad you are back up and running.
ReplyDeletebetty
We used AVG antivirus (it's free) and the other thing that's essential is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. That's more valuable than the antivirus program most of the time. It's free too and it sure cleans up all the junk those idiots try to infect your computer with.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
My computer geek moved on to more lucrative fields than little old lady computers, so I'm back on my own, and just keep the door closed.
ReplyDeleteI bought a Sony Vaio laptop with Windows 8--it hates me! There's something wrong with the network adapter that causes it to lock up a couple of times a day. No big deal, but the only way to get out of it is to hold down the power button, which computers don't like, of course! So every month or two I have to completely reload the entire operating system. They've built in an easy way to do that but then you have to run all the updates, including Win 8.1, and that takes several hours. Loads of fun! My next computer will be a Mac. There are just too many variables with Windows that cause problems like this...I'm done!
ReplyDeleteDepending on where you are in NJ (you are in NJ, right..?), the Micro Center in Paterson has some really good prices for new computers (pretty sure the computers all fell off the back of a truck but hey it's a good deal). Also, I would recommend getting a Mac...
ReplyDeleteDon't hold back, Cranky--if you've got something to say, just SAY it!!
ReplyDeleteOh, fuck 'em.
ReplyDeleteWell. What a pain. You know, after years on a PC, four years ago I finally made the switch to a Mac. I'm telling you, they might cost more…but I've found that with the money I've spent on the PC's malware and spyware and trips to the Geek Squad and having to buy a new PC every other year because a virus destroyed the hard drive….I think in the long run I save money by owning a Mac. It never gets viruses!!! It took me a while to learn the new program, but now I can honestly say I won't ever go back to a PC. All of my kids have Mac laptops (well, seven of the ten have them - the younger three are too young. But they DO have iPads, those younger three. Well, except the baby. He's still too young. So okay, 9 out of my 10 kids use Mac computers of some sort) and never have we had an issue with hard drive crashes or viruses with any of them. I know a lot of people are reluctant to switch to a Mac -- I was one of them! -- but I'm telling you, they ARE better. They just are. Well, my opinion, of course. But they ARE!
ReplyDeleteI suspect because 70% of the computers out there are Microsoft, the asshole hackers leave MAC's alone. When MAC's are as prominent as m-softs, the little d*cks will work on them too. I don't think they are really better, it is just more efficient to hack against m-soft for now.
DeleteI look forward to your incredible creativity. A Lightning strike fried our router last week and we've been off the grid for six days. I can only blame nature for that.
ReplyDeleteThieves are EVERYWHERE! Some steal our peace of mind and others our money.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back and hope you survive learning a new system. If only one of those hackers could create a program that would recognize a virus attack and reverse the bug so it disabled the sender--that I would buy. Hope someone is working on that.
ReplyDeleteAt least you didn't call the number in a pop-up that said your computer had security issues, and talk to a lady for 30 minutes, and push whatever buttons she told you to push. I'm surprised my mom isn't still on the phone with her, and that nothing untoward happened from her interaction.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a virus, but I've had frustrations. My computer is over seven years old and so far, no problems. I'm getting ready to replace it sometime next year and I'm starting to think "Mac" as well. I already have an iPad. We'll have to see.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck! Just ran through a similar situation with the hub's PC. 4 days of virus scans, a trip to Staples for an antivirus program that comes on disc and will start to run on boot up, to learn they no longer sell such a thing - but if I bring it in to them... the will gladly repair it for who knows how much. It's been my mission to repair this thing on my own and flip them the finger to the nose... (can you get a visual on that?) In the meantime, I got my new lap top with Windows 8 on it & I don't know how to use it or set it up - so I'm using my old one. Now that I've gone on a tangent...
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. I've protected my blog by using a web service that monitors my blog and if anything goes wrong they fix or debug it for me. My private stuff is another matter. I'm currently receiving urgent e-mails with names of people I know, like our son. But I don't open them and he didn't send them. We have to be so vigilant these days. Take care.
ReplyDeleteMy virus are very polite....if they are busy when I try to send an email, they give me a message "Sorry Mike, we're just now sending our 12 million spams from your computer, could you try again in a minute? We appreciate it."
ReplyDeleteSorry to laugh at your misfortune, but I did. Let's see... "Conversate" is always good for a laugh when I hear it...but wait... just found it on Dictionary.com... hmmm... And the image of you learning Windows 8. My daughter has it on her laptop. Don't like it! I need a new computer, but will wait until the next version - hoping that it's better. The "rip off" Geek Squad...
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'm sorry for your pain. Been there, done that.
One thing I hate about computers is having to learn a whole new operating system. I loved Windows 98, then I got used to WindowsXP, now I have Windows 7 and I'm used to it after 4 years. I really don't want to have to learn something new and sure as heck can't afford another computer, so if the pimply faced little shits find me, that's it, I'm out of the game.
ReplyDeleteUgh.. I'm sorry you've endured this invasion. I've always lived in the world of Mac and though there are a few known virus concerns, they are few and far between.. and easier to clean up for the most part. It's disgusting that people can vandalize in so many ways. Long may you be virus-free.
ReplyDeleteAlways keep a back-up. data back-up and a back-up PC. Learned that many years ago ...... when the kids and Queenie first learned to surf
ReplyDelete