Peeps and a BSOD

Did you know they make sugar free peeps?

I was so excited. I LOVE love love peeps. I just had to get some. I bought two packs of three. They only came in yellow but I didn't care.

I was barely in the door when I tore into them. There are so many sugar free items out there where - honest - they taste as good to me as the high sugar version.

I wish I could tell you all that this is the case here but .....

but....

blech.

Don't waste your hard earned money. They are pretty nasty.

And how about this stupid Confucker Conficker worm?

I was driving home from work yesterday listening to the radio. I always listen to the radio in the car. It's too long of a drive to be alone in my own thoughts... the radio is on unless I'm talking to Adam or PK or someone on the phone.

Anyhow, I'm driving along listening to a VERY reputable talk show. The computer expert on there said we should all go to http://update.microsoft.com (no www in that address) and let the microsoft site scan our computers just to make sure we have all the updates. IF we have the updates then we're fine and well protected against this stupid confucker conficker thing.

I wasn't real concerned though because I never turn down a microsoft update, ever the trusting one that I am. BUT this dude said something that made me think it might not be a bad idea to do as he was suggesting.

He said that there's different versions of confucker conficker. There's A, B, and C. None are believed to be computer crashers however they can be annoying like little gnats. He said that IF a machine had been contaminated by confucker conficker A or B that it could disable the computers antivirus software AND the ability to automatically install these microsoft updates. If this was the case then the computer also would not even be able to get to the microsoft update site.

Anywho...... since I am a textbook case of walking, talking, living, breathing A.D.D. at its finest, I couldn't remember the last time I noticed one of these updates happening. I just know that they have. But what if? Maybe I had A .. or B.. and just didn't know it.

Just to be on the safe side I came home and went straight to the site Mr. Computer Dude recommended. I ran the scan. Everything on my desktop PC checked out fine. My laptop however received some recommendations. I - being the ever trusting soul, remember - clicked "install."

Damn, damn, damn.

Next thing I know my precious laptop would NOT boot. It wasn't quite the BSOD (blue screen of death) but it was equally obnoxious. It was the screen that said "installing 3 of 3 - do NOT power down your computer."

Then it would power down and restart.. only to go back to the same freakin' screen ...

over

and over

and over.

Now this wouldn't have been so bad but on Friday we're taking one of our infamous road trips. If it hadn't been for that, I would just take it to a guru and leave it for the duration... for as long as it took to fix but....

Eva does NOT travel without the laptop!!!!

Long story short, I fixed it.

This morning... before work... I found an article on line telling me to do a system restore to a point prior to the mishap. Then once control of the machine was gained, I was to do a quick patch install. I emailed all links and stuff that I'd need to myself from the desktop.

There I sat tapping F8 until it finally gave me the screen that allows a restore and to my horror my only option was to restore to yesterday to the service pack where the trouble started.

Why, oh why would I want to restore it to that?

Fortunately it worked. Obviously it restores to the point PRIOR to that. I got the patch installed and all's well.

Windows version? Vista of course. I never minded it till this. Apparently it and service packs aren't always BFF.

So anyhow, Adam and I are taking a road trip. So are PK and Nick. Coincidence? Yeah, right! LOL

And guess what? Mthc and David are the first stop of the tour!! The cherry blossoms of our country's capital are the next. There's a few business stops for Adam along the way but for sure, those are NOT the highlight of the trip. Meeting Mthc and David and being with PK and Nick again is number one in my book. Well... after some time alone with Adam, that is. And we'll get plenty. I hope.

We leave Friday. We'll be home next Wednesday. Fortunately the laptop is A-OK for the trip.

I just love Spring Break.

Hope you all are doing GREAT!!!