Somehow, I have managed never to have an ugly virus or spyware enter my computer over the last 7 years of owning my own. Yet, somehow, this weekend was the end of my lucky run. (Notice I am not blaming this on Matt. I seriously think it's my fault) Sometime on Sunday, I was noodling around and came across a warning and then noticed not one, but two programs were downloaded to my computer. I looked at the User Agreement for the first and stopped reading after the first sentence, which basically said, "By downloading this software, you agree to let us track the websites you visit and provide pop-up windows in related areas." I'm sorry, but who in the hell wants pop-ups on their computer? Isn't that why there is a specific tool in every internet search engine that blocks pop-ups? So, I immediately uninstalled that piece of garbage (when I probably should have deleted it outright) and ran SpyBot (which I love), which was fairly sucessful but couldn't get rid of 3 programs that it found. With a bit of grumbling here and there, I went to work and asked Brian to recommend some software that would knock it out. He gave me a disk he said he trusted, which I installed and ran between the chiropractor and massage. It also found lots of crap, but still I got those stupid, freakin' pop-ups.
Today my computer got to go on a field trip....to work. Again, Brian tried his magic, downloading lots of spyware killers, but to no avail. So it looks like next week, while working around July 4 vacation (um, yippee), I will be completely rebuilding my poor little laptop to try to rid it of the nasty infiltrating spyware. Not to mention, I will owe Brian big time, maybe a few good steaks will do.
If only there were a way to make spyware harrass the crap only out of those people who create it. I just keep remembering karma will get them...one day.
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