Anyway, the system wouldn't boot to Windows ... so I shut it down and rebooted, this time into Linux. I then mounted my Windows partition in Linux, or should I say I tried to ... hmmm ... "/mnt/Windows doesn't exist". Uh oh. Well, damn that means the Windows boot sector has been wiped out, right? Probably a virus. Grrr ... I haven't had a virus on my computer since 1995 when I was using Windows 3.1 without anti-virus protection and frequently downloading files from forums on CompuServe. Stop laughing. I was a newbie, dammit! Hehe. Let's just say I learned my lesson. So now I am a paranoid freak who uninstalled Windows networking, disabled all ports that are frequently used for hacks/exploits, uses text-only mode in email, and I use a firewall set at paranoia level and I update my anti-virus software at least weekly then scan my entire system. I also don't allow javascript, Java, activex, cookies, etc in my web browser unless the site is worthy enough to be placed on my "trusted" list. So, if I got a virus, it probably came through a trusted site or there is some new exploit out there I'm not aware of.

So ... I shut down Linux, then try one more time to boot to Windows ... and this time it works ... sorta ... it boots into Safe Mode. I love Safe Mode, it's so perty. Hehe. Yeah. <cough> So I figure, cool, my Windows boot sector isn't trashed after all. So I click the "shut down" button ... or should I say I try to ... huh ... mouse is frozen ... hmmm ... well, I did install a USB mouse a few months ago, maybe there's no driver for it in Safe Mode. Ok, fine ... hit the Windows key on my keyboard ... hmmmm ... nothing happens ... ok. Hehe, well I know that's worked before, and the little green light is lit so it detected the keyboard on boot. Oh well, whatever ... and I turn the computer off.

Rather than try yet again to get stupid Windows to boot from the hard drive, I whip out my trusty Norton Emergency Boot Disk, which I have never actually had to use by the way. In fact, as much as I despise Windows, I have to say that in the 12 years I've used Windows, I have never had to use a boot disk to boot, although I do it for fun occasionally. So, I pop it into my zip drive and go make lunch while it painfully and slowly loads Windows. Then I run through the little step by step thingie where it checks all your stuff ... I wait and wait while it checks my boot sector and my partition table and my files ... then it ends up saying "huh, we don't see anything wrong it must be a hardware problem" hehe. Sheesh. Ok ... whatever. So, either there is a virus that's hiding even from Norton, or my boot disk is infected despite my paranoid efforts to keep that from happening or it's right, it's a (sporadic) hardware problem and my hard drive is probably on the verge of failure or something. Whee! Actually, that wouldn't be so bad, because then I could just go buy a new hard drive and re-install Windows 98 because the Windows ME that came with my computer is a piece of uhm ... well, so is Windows 98 ... but at least I have a CD of it. If I reformat or get a new HD then I can't reinstall ME cuz the computer vendor didn't actually give me a CD of ME, they put some stupid little "hidden" thing on the HD that contains all the Windows files in a s00p3r s33kRiT portion of the HD where only they know where to find it and which will get destroyed if I reformat. Smart, huh? And this is a major, well-known computer vendor too ... they're lucky I'm not mentioning their name. And there is no way in the Kingdom of Microsoft™ that I will upgrade to Windows XP and allow Microsoft and any other software vendor that is authorized by Microsoft access to my computer and its files per their new updated EULA (read it if you haven't, it's quite interesting!)

Anyway, I couldn't find anything wrong other than apparently my computer either has an unknown virus, a hardware problem or a mood disorder. I shut down the computer after Norton was done, and rebooted it ... it popped up a thing saying Windows hadn't been shut down properly (well, duh! That's cuz I shut it off after the mousey and keyboard didn't work) but I ignored it and told it to boot normally anyway, which it did. Go figure. Hehe. If I wasn't so addicted to Ultima Online and trying to get my little beggar to GM status, I'd punish Windows by installing Lindows or something on the drive.

[ 12:54:00 PM ]   Posted at the speed of blight by NONOBADKITTY!