Saturday, August 27, 2005

Bummed...

Been a busy week.

Monday @ Work--wiped my 2000-Pro OS off my laptop and did fresh-install of XP-Pro. Took appx. 6 hours to complete. Not technically hard, but very time-consuming with file-backups, format, reinstall, patch, driver updates, fix wrong driver updates, reinstall applications, and re-tweak settings and desktop.
Monday @ home--grocery shop after work. Sleep.

Tuesday @ work--part of section team responding to Esbot virus outbreak in our company. Have to go out with 2 others to each field-site and scan, clean, update virus application, and fully patch W2K pc's. (no--we can't do it remotely in an effective way...)
Tuesday @ home--meet Dad for dinner (Bar-B-Q)

Wedensday @ work--same as Tuesday.
Wedensday @ home--Lavie mentions something about the "service engine soon" appearing on her dash.

Thursday @ work--same as Wedensday.
Thursday @ home--Lavie adds detail about engine stalling when backing out at work at end of day.

Friday @ work--same as Thursday. At 4:30pm the network analyst on my team finds a pc at work loaded with malware, Windows Updates site fails, cpu cycles getting eaten alive. Asks me to stay late. He runs a W2K repair--no help. Runs CCleaner. Cleans a load of stuff off. Still wacked out. Lets me take a crack. Boot in safe-mode and run HiJack This. Find loads of stuff. Clean and rescan...it's back. Tried to kill it with ProcessExplorer--respawns process with a new name. Not a good sign. Two hours later I get the system cleaned up and running like a top again. Ended up having to swap out malware exe files with text files using same name, locking files down in 2K security settings to keep from executing, fixing LSP sockets, reinstalling IE6 several times, re-registering cryptographic services. The bad boys were Nail.exe/Aurora. See they tracked down the Zobot virus writers. Good! Now if they can find and beat senseless the Esbot guys that are ruining this week and probably the next month for me. Yuck--got home at 8pm.
Friday@home--Ate a Hungerbuster combo from the local DairyQueen. Got a couple of Oreo-Blizzards for Lavie and Alivis as a makeup treat for coming home late. Watched Kim Possible on tv with Lavie and Alvis, then read chapter 13 of the HBP to the girls. On tv--flipped between Astros@Dodgers and the History Channel.

Saturday @ home--
This morning found a tool that might help save some time in the future with the Nail.exe/Aurora just. Decided to take Lavie's car into the dealership. It's a 2001 with only 33,000 miles. Diagnostics say it is a failing air-flow meter (hardware). Think they can fix it before 2pm today. Hope so. Need to take out 2nd mortgage to afford part. Don't ask how much it is.... Going to fold some laundry, play some KingdomHearts on Alvis's PS2. Sulk.

see you in the skies.
--Claus

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