I'm Back!

My goodness, has this been an experience I hope is the last in dealing with computers.  My son was able to come over this weekend and set everything up again. I still have to reinstall some programs like Microsoft Office, begin bookmarking again, etc.

The virus destroyed everything so we are starting from scratch.  It even wiped out the backup hard drive but fortunately I gave birth to someone with hacking skills.  I doubt most employees of the Geek Squad could get past the deleted files to find our essential financial documents and such.  He wasn't sure he could do it but I watched him, thinking I'm glad he knows Jesus and is on our side!

It would have taken an impossible amount of time to find each individual file (which is what he had to do) and bring it back but he knew which files contained the family's important information and that I would want My Photos.  When looking for the photos, he located the file that had my recipes stored on the computer and brought them up, too.  Just in case there was something he wanted me to bake you know.

I watched him working to locate files and kept telling him how smart he is.  When he says he can "think in code", he means it.  My friend, Sally Clarkson, is working on a new book about raising an "out of the box" child.  Mine grew up to be quite remarkable when it comes to computers.

Some have asked again how this happened with a brand new computer.  I was at the grocery store when my husband received a phone call telling him we have a virus on our computer.  They had our ISP number (which anyone could pretty easily get with basic skills) and he thought they were from the Geek Squad since he had been on the phone to them a few times recently.  They weren't. 

I knew there was a scam going around where they do this and then charge $200 to $300 to unlock your computer.  I arrived home just after they had inserted the virus and were demanding money, got on the phone and told them I was calling the police, and tried to turn off the computer but I couldn't.  I now know (from the actual Geek Squad) that we should have unplugged everything immediately.  Although they doubted it would make much of a difference.

It is unsettling as to where they found our phone number and computer information.  There has been a lot of speculation but no one knows for sure.  

Yes, we had to pay a lot of money to get the virus wiped out and Windows restored but at least it went to honest people and not hackers from Mumbai (or wherever).

So I'll be back to regular blogging soon.  I have a few way past due book reviews that must be published this week first.  It is good to be back!