I Screwed Up

Morning All!

Sorry for the lack of posts this weekend. I normally take either Saturday or Sunday off each week but try to post at least once on the weekends.

However, it seems that yesterday I "screwed up". Within the first 15 minutes of being online I somehow picked up a pretty serious computer virus from some miscellaneous website while I was surfing.

Now picking up the virus wasn't the screw up. That "just was." It was simply something that "just happened".

The screw up was the way I handled it. I forgot to follow my own advice.

Instead of pre-paving and visualizing an easy solution and easy fix to the problem, I got really angry instead.

You see this is the fourth time this has happened to me in the last year and a half.

The first two times the damage was so bad to the computers that I actually had to bring them somewhere to have the entire hard drive wiped clean so I could start all over again. (I can't tell you how much information that I lost on those computers.)

The third time it happened (about six months ago) I remembered to think positively that I was going to be able to find an easy way to fix it without losing any information and sure enough during a phone call with my mother she told me about a free service that Microsoft has called the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (more info on this later).

Sure enough I tried it and it worked and I lost nothing.

This time however, instead of keeping my cool I totally panicked.

You see on Friday I got a little nudge from Universe to back up some files I had on the computer that are filled with notes for a new book I am writing. I meant to do it, but got distracted and never got around to it.

So when this virus happened my first thoughts were filled with terror of losing all of that work.. My mind went immediately to my first two experiences when I lost everything and I frantically tried to do damage control by gaining access to those documents and emailing them to myself in hopes of saving them if the computer got wiped out.

As I was doing this I was getting angrier and angrier. I was swearing that "whoever" was responsible for putting these malicious viruses on people's systems were lucky they weren't in the room with me at that point, because all I could envision doing was hitting them across the back of their heads with a 2" x 4" (I know…real spiritual huh?)

But I was just so angry! How could people do this!? I wondered. Why would people do this!? How miserable are their little lives that they consider stuff like this entertainment?! (Anyway you get the picture --. I was on a really good roll!)

Sure enough I spent a good four hours between anger and fear trying everything I could think of to fix it (trying to correct the problem in safety mode - etc.)

It wasn't until I had to go out and run some errands that distracted me from my anger that I remembered about the free Microsoft Service.

Sure enough as soon as I got home I contacted them and they walked me through the solution effortlessly.

It was fixed within a half hour!

I couldn't help laughing at myself. What the heck had happened to me?! I had so totally lost it!

So anyway…that's how I screwed up.

I guess no matter how long we study or how much we learn - every once in awhile we are bound to have a very "human" moment.

Mine just happened to last for over 4 hours yesterday.

By the way…if you have Microsoft on your system, the Malicious Software Removal Tool really can be helpful.

Just type in Microsoft Malicious Removal Tool in Google and you will get access to a free downloadable program that is usually pretty good at cleaning your system of viruses.

If your problem is more serious and you can't even gain access to your internet - here is the number to call and they will walk you step by step through the process 1-866-727-2338 (also a free service).

There are also 2 programs they recommend that you use. The first is http://safety.live.com - this will download an automatic virus removal program or if that fails, try www.pcsafety.us go to the very bottom of the page and click on Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

It might not be a bad idea to go to these sites right now and just add these pages in your favorites so you have a place you can go immediately if you pick up one of these viruses. The quicker you address it - the better.

Happy Creating!