(AF) MY COMPUTER IS FIXED.... Yay!!!!

  YES!! After roughly a year, my desktop is finally fixed!!!! I had muddled along when I could on my rickety old laptop, but it had its share of problems, too, and now even the keyboard on it is fritzed. I'm still not ready to part with it. Hoping I can plug a new keyboard into it and still use it now and then. Each computer does a thing or two the other doesn't and it is nice to have the other one to use when I need it, too.

At this moment, I am fighting with one of my cats. I have had to erase and start over so many times just trying to type this far. She is insisting on sitting on my mouse pad and playing with my mouse (I know, that does sound kind of funny). Didn't have to worry about that with the old laptop.

So, what was wrong with my desktop computer?
Well, a year ago I went in to Staples and asked them about it. They said that they were certain that it was a virus and would cost at least $150 to $200 to fix. I just could not come up with that kind of money to get  it fixed, so .... it just sat here collecting dust for the past year. I did at least have a back up to use on occasion.

But then, Dave's computer finally met its end and he HAD to get a new one (and then he had to wait for ever to get his new Internet installed, but that is another story). With the new computer came a service card for the Geek squad. So, for no extra cost, I got to take my computer in to have it checked out and repaired. Turned out, it didn't have a virus in it at all!!! Well, in a way it did.

About 2 years ago, I had let the guy at Staples talk me into getting Norton virus protection (I know, I know. I just didn't know any better then). As it neared renewal time, I started getting reminders on my computer. About 2 weeks before it was to expire, I got a notice and it asked me if I wanted to renew. I clicked on 'no', or 'don't ask me again', or something along that line. Guess that was the wrong thing to do because as it turns out, THAT is what was wrong with my computer!!!

I had tried everything under the sun, that I could do, to fix it myself, including following the advice of a computer savvy friend... took it back in time, and tried to uninstall stuff. My clue should have been that there was no longer any way to uninstall Norton! It would no longer let me click on the uninstall button. Why? Norton was mad that I wouldn't renew! And to 'punish' me, it was blocking me from the Internet!!!

Yep, because I had refused to renew Norton Virus protection, Norton itself BLOCKED me from using my Internet! At the same time, it also blocked me from being able to uninstall Norton itself. Sheesh!!! The Geek squad had to use some special disk that they have to get it out of my computer. Once Norton was out, my computer worked like a dream!!! Yep, I was just a little bit more than mad at Norton and Staples. I am sure Staples knew what would happen and just figured they would make even more money when I brought it back in and tell me it was a virus or something.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL I EVER HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH NORTON!!!