Killin' the Virus

Once every couple of years, our home computer get riddled with viruses that claw and squirrel their way into the inner sanctum of our mega-city of files. How they got in nobody knows. Whether it was a wrong choice of website link or a dreaded fake email or Facebook message, the damage is done and no matter how many times I run the virus scan or Spybot Search & Destroy program, several resilient files refuse to die and within minutes begin replicating and creating havoc.

The last time this happened was during the interPLAY Festival weekend in 2007 or 2008. I spent hours on the phone with technicians in India who ran the machine through every virus scan and malware clean-up program known to man, with no success. In the end, everything had to be wiped and we had to reinstall Windows. I was a mess.

Imagine our forefathers trying to understand the concept of computer viruses. Back in those days, the mention of a Trojan inspired thoughts wild nights filled with passion. Mention that you've got a Trojan today and it inspires very different thoughts.

So, as I struggled running the virus scan over and over again, I suddenly realized that there might be some help out there on the interweb. Into the Google search bar I typed "virtual computer repair". Sure enough, there are companies in India that will take over my computer and solve the problem. Or perhaps this is just another scam wrapped in the bright packaging of hope and resurrection. Time will tell, after I've paid my forty buck of course.

June 6, 2010 - 194.6 pounds, 33% body fat

Photo Credit:

http://www.rstack.net/show-image/736966/Artwork-by-Robert-Stack/Computer-Virus-Contamination.jpg