(no subject)

[hwango]

This is a nightmare. My "upgrade" has apparently caused my PC to become afflicted with the MSblaster worm, and possibly other horrible things. As we speak, Javascript has stopped working in my browser, which means the Symantec site won't work to let me download new virus definition files. The patch for XP that would save me from the worm won't install properly, and the program that supposedly removes the worm...doesn't, as far as I can tell. It's back as soon as I reboot. Someone just shoot me.

I tried to reinstall IE to get Javascript back (the settings for it under Internet Options-Advanced seem to be gone) but that won't download right either. I'm actually downloading Netscape in the hopes that it will work well enough to get me IE, which will then let me get patches for other things and virus definition files.

lconover was nice enough to stop by tonight to give me the program to kill the worm and new drivers for my modem, and that at least got the modem up and running. Heck, she identified that it was the worm in the first place. Even though things still aren't working, she was still a big help in restoring some functionality, and a lot of my sanity.

Still, though, I'm furious with Symantec, for making it hard to download the virus definition files. I'm furious with Microsoft for everything that's gone wrong with Explorer and the OS itself. And, of course, I'd like to murder the person who wrote the worm. If I can't get my PC working soon, I'll just go back to working on my doomsday weapons.

Comments

[lconover.livejournal.com]

As much as I hate to admit it, I suspect we'll have to reinstall a portion of WindowsXP to get your JS functionality back up to full speed. I have a sneaking suspicion that part of how the worm was disabled involved temporarily shutting down JS (to stop it from infecting other systems).

Another option would be to reinstall IE - I'm going to spend some time trying to research if I can download that and put it on a disk.

[octophobic.livejournal.com]

If the Symantec program disables java then they are AMAZINGLY stupid for hosting their precious files on a site that requires Java. I can't believe that to be the case.

It's a shame that this upgrade has been so hellish though. The core of it is a great computer. I'm not surprised that older components are being cranky but at least they're all sort of working.

hwango's computer says, "WOW! You have ANOTHER NEW GRAPHICS TABLET!!"

[hwango.livejournal.com]

I couldn't get it to reinstall IE from the file that I downloaded, since it told me I already had a more recent version. I didn't try uninstalling IE...I figured that would only cripple me more.

Re-installing pieces of the OS sounds like a plan to me. I'd be happy to enough to destroy everything on the drive and start over if that will be easiest in the long run.