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javasaurusYes, I know MS is evil, its software is buggy and overpriced, and its business principles are predatory. And that's not even comparing its virus/OS relationship to that of, say, tornados/trailer homes.
I got my desktop computer three years ago, a MicronPC Millenium system (PCMagazine's choice at the time), with AMD's Athlon running at 1MHz (1.2 was top end), and it's been a decent computer. It still matches the "recommended" specs for most games and other programs on the market, so why replace the machine (other than the whole "guys always want a bigger TV" thing). I figure I can get another year, maybe more out of it.
So, I got my computer three years ago with Windows ME, and I finally decided that I couldn't take the bugs anymore. XP is supposed to be extremely stable compared to ME, and my laptop's XP has been trouble free for the last two years. So I decided to upgrade. $99 and a quick install to make the crashes and glitches go away. Should be simple: put disk in drive and hit the install key. (I swear I hear Gates going, "Bwah, hah, hah!")
The first thing the installer does is check your computer for possible hardware and software compatibility issues. It tells me I'll need to get updated drivers for my video card and sound card, no problem. It also tells me that my virus program (Norton Anitvirus 2001) is incompatible with XP. Well, first thing to do is check the internet to see what my options are. I find that there is a patch that will make NAV work with XP. Woo-hoo! I download the patch. Directions say to first uninstall NAV, install XP, then re-install NAV and apply the patch. Hmmm...NAV was on my computer when I got it. Didn't get a disk for it, but maybe it's on the original installation disks somewhere. I rooted through several boxes of computer games, guides, software, and parts (still packed from our move a year ago), and found the disks. Checked them out and found the NAV software. Okay, ready to go!
I uninstall NAV (feeling very naked), install XP, then re-install NAV. Not. Won't let me. Incompatible. Patch or no patch, can't install. Wahhhh!!! Well, I can download new NAV for the price of a year's virus definitions (which it includes anyway), so I bite my lip and purchase the download. It'll take two hours. Not bad over my 56k modem, so I start it up and watch TV.
I hear the computer re-boot. WTH? After a couple more download attempts, I learn that I've got a virus. Now that's irony. I should call Alanis, she could put it in her song. Over the next several hours, I end up downloading the new NAV 5 minutes at a time, then re-boot. I learned what virus files needed to be deleted to keep it going for up to 15 mintues, but then it would re-boot again anyway. For those who are curious, I ended up with both Welchia and Blaster worms before the evening was done. But the NAV was finally downloaded and used to clear four of the five virus occurrences. Couldn't remove the Welchia, but there's a FixWelch tool, that I've used before elsewhere with good results. So I download and use that. A full computer scan and a repeat of the FixWelch tool confirms that I'm virus free. Despite this, NAV keeps telling me that Wechia is shutting down my computer! Grrr... Could be the system restore, so I kill that, and try again. After trying things like deleting potentially bad files that keep reappearing, the problem simply stops. Hmmmm... Not sure what finally did the trick. Unless the worm is in hiding...
Next evening I got to go through the pleasure of downloading several hours worth of updates, security patches, and drivers. Got all of the security updates with no more viral bugginess, and most of the drivers (still have nada coming through my speakers), but everything seems OK otherwise.
So after $99, plus $30 for the NAV, three sleepless nights of indigestion associated with worms, this software better be stable. Otherwise I'm driving to Seattle.
On the lighter side, I added memory too. That took all of three minutes, two of which was opening and closing the case.
I got my desktop computer three years ago, a MicronPC Millenium system (PCMagazine's choice at the time), with AMD's Athlon running at 1MHz (1.2 was top end), and it's been a decent computer. It still matches the "recommended" specs for most games and other programs on the market, so why replace the machine (other than the whole "guys always want a bigger TV" thing). I figure I can get another year, maybe more out of it.
So, I got my computer three years ago with Windows ME, and I finally decided that I couldn't take the bugs anymore. XP is supposed to be extremely stable compared to ME, and my laptop's XP has been trouble free for the last two years. So I decided to upgrade. $99 and a quick install to make the crashes and glitches go away. Should be simple: put disk in drive and hit the install key. (I swear I hear Gates going, "Bwah, hah, hah!")
The first thing the installer does is check your computer for possible hardware and software compatibility issues. It tells me I'll need to get updated drivers for my video card and sound card, no problem. It also tells me that my virus program (Norton Anitvirus 2001) is incompatible with XP. Well, first thing to do is check the internet to see what my options are. I find that there is a patch that will make NAV work with XP. Woo-hoo! I download the patch. Directions say to first uninstall NAV, install XP, then re-install NAV and apply the patch. Hmmm...NAV was on my computer when I got it. Didn't get a disk for it, but maybe it's on the original installation disks somewhere. I rooted through several boxes of computer games, guides, software, and parts (still packed from our move a year ago), and found the disks. Checked them out and found the NAV software. Okay, ready to go!
I uninstall NAV (feeling very naked), install XP, then re-install NAV. Not. Won't let me. Incompatible. Patch or no patch, can't install. Wahhhh!!! Well, I can download new NAV for the price of a year's virus definitions (which it includes anyway), so I bite my lip and purchase the download. It'll take two hours. Not bad over my 56k modem, so I start it up and watch TV.
I hear the computer re-boot. WTH? After a couple more download attempts, I learn that I've got a virus. Now that's irony. I should call Alanis, she could put it in her song. Over the next several hours, I end up downloading the new NAV 5 minutes at a time, then re-boot. I learned what virus files needed to be deleted to keep it going for up to 15 mintues, but then it would re-boot again anyway. For those who are curious, I ended up with both Welchia and Blaster worms before the evening was done. But the NAV was finally downloaded and used to clear four of the five virus occurrences. Couldn't remove the Welchia, but there's a FixWelch tool, that I've used before elsewhere with good results. So I download and use that. A full computer scan and a repeat of the FixWelch tool confirms that I'm virus free. Despite this, NAV keeps telling me that Wechia is shutting down my computer! Grrr... Could be the system restore, so I kill that, and try again. After trying things like deleting potentially bad files that keep reappearing, the problem simply stops. Hmmmm... Not sure what finally did the trick. Unless the worm is in hiding...
Next evening I got to go through the pleasure of downloading several hours worth of updates, security patches, and drivers. Got all of the security updates with no more viral bugginess, and most of the drivers (still have nada coming through my speakers), but everything seems OK otherwise.
So after $99, plus $30 for the NAV, three sleepless nights of indigestion associated with worms, this software better be stable. Otherwise I'm driving to Seattle.
On the lighter side, I added memory too. That took all of three minutes, two of which was opening and closing the case.
