[sdiy] Back after a wee bout with a nasty virus...

[James Patchell]

I am back after have a bad bout with a virus....

Oh...not me...my computer.  It was my own dang fault for not keeping my 
computer virus protection up to date.

Some how it contracted Win32:Vitro, which so far, has proved terminal to 
the computer.  I installed Ubuntu on it so I could at least recover the 
data.  Every single exe on the computer was infected.  I was fortunate that 
it did not spread to any of the other computers in the house, but it was 
that computer that I was doing all my synth-DIY and email on.  All of my 
old email was lost.  I did recover all my projects...thank goodness.  But I 
am also afraid now of using the various removable media (thumb drives, SD 
cards, CF cards and my Movie Camera)...because I have no idea of when the 
virus was contracted, and which cards may or may not have the virus...

All I can say, if you are running windows...make sure that you have good 
anti virus software...I am using this as an opportunity to start the change 
to Linux...since so far, I have been unsuccessful at re-installing XP on 
the infected computer.  It is still lurking somewhere in the machine...I 
would have thought installing linux would have completely eliminated from 
the system....(Linux is unaffected...but somehow...keeps re-appearing in 
windows...).

I am now using my first windows XP box....spent a lot of time getting it 
updated to service pack 3, updating the software.  I just got Xilinx ISE 
10.1 reinstalled.  So, it looks like I will be back up an running in DIY 
land real soon again.

And speaking of DIY....I just signed up for a woodworking class in the 
local Adult Education system.  I am hoping to refine some of my skills in 
that department.  I also signed up for a sewing class...this might be more 
of a challenge since it involves a lot of close up work which is hindered 
by the loss of half of my vision...but I am hoping this will force me to 
learn ways of getting around these problems...

And right now...I am cleaning up my work room so I can start building those 
projects again...

         -Jim
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http://www.oldcrows.net/~patchell
http://www.noniandjim.com/
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