This has been really an odd set of circumstances. I posted this on a car forum I am the head moderator on as well have some great computer guru's there.
1) I recieved two returned emails saying I had a virus on them. I run Avast Pro with auto updates enabled and it was highly recommended to me by a large corp system admin so I was a bit suprised to get the notices.
2) I downloaded the latest update to make sure I had it, when I ran it the program said it was already up to date. I ran the scanner and no virus was found.
3) I called my web host about it and also to ask why every attachment coming to my computer in the last couple of days was labled a virus even though I knew they were most likely not.
4) He had me send a copy of each to him and said yes, I had a virus. Hmmm, I checked the version number more specifically on my machine and it said my last update was last July! Now I am really getting unhappy as you can imagine. The Avast website lists the virus I supposedly had/have on thier front page, they had it covered right away when it came out.
5) I posted this situation on the forum for the software company, they had me download and manually install the latest virus program and latest patch. I did so and ran it, found no virus.
6) Then my access speed online became so slow I could not even log onto most sites. I tried removing the virus program, even the registry keys, no joy, still real slow. I removed and reloaded, after checking all settings and retesting, my Netzero software, which by the way works great normally.
Still really slow.
7) I gave up for the night, in the AM when I fired the computer back up it ran normally, I reloaded the virus program, it ran fine, still no virus found. The only problem is I could not access my website, which I had not done for a few days anyway but my email is not accessable either, which really sucks as I make my living on the internet.
8, I had business to take care of out of town, then went riding ATV's up in the mountains, great night riding fun:) Came back and my compter was all slow again. Hmmm, tested the phone lines by hooking up a laptop, it ran fine, computer was on all day, possibly a thermal problem. I went ahead and removed the virus program again, removed and reinstalled my web browser and still the same so shut it down.
9) First thing this morning it is up and running fine, going to reinstall the virus program and I imagine it will run fine. My website is still down so no emails, nobody around to call there until tomorrow, only twice in nearly four years that my site has been down, first time was due to a big storm.
10) It seems several things are going on and the best I can surmise is:
a) I probably had a virus but may not now.
b) It probably trashed my website but not supposed to be able to with the way they have it set up, nobody there until tomorrow so have to wait until then to get it back up and running.
c) I seem to have a thermal problem so will take my computer apart, clean it out really well, due for it anyway, reseat all the cards and cables and see what happens on this end.
Sometimes I really hate computers, got to have them, hate to deal with them. By the way, I hardly ever use the term hate because I do not normally hate anything except the way bad people treat others.
Have a great day, I will figure out these issues, this is nothing compared to what many people in the world have to deal with every single day of thier lives, we are just spoiled;)
End of post on the car website.
So, I stripped down my computer, Soyo Dragon MB, 3x40 GB Western Digital HDD's raid array to keep all data reduntant, programs and OS seperated. I used my air compressor to blow out the dust, cleaned (with Pro Gold, fabulous product) all contacts, reseated all cables and finally wired up my Nexus fan speed controller, put it back together, reloaded Netzero High speed dialup(after years of cable then DSL dialup sucks but this really does help alot). The system is working fine so I try reloading Avast Pro and the latest update. Still working fine and been on for hours.
Now, how does it happen, maybe or maybe not a virus, updates not being done but reported as being so, hardware issues, worst of all my website is totally crashed, can't even FTP to it, on and on and not one single virus reported on my computer?
Unrelated issues but somehow some are, what in the world is going on, this is nutz!
But, I am still smiling, you know why? I live in an incredibly beautiful valley with views of Mt Shasta, have children that love me even though far away, have good friends and am in fairly good health and do not work for anyone but me, life is good, I was fortunate to live where I could make it that way and I did;) Not wealthy by many standards but doing quite well by what many in the world live by.
Thanks,
Rick
Tomorrow I will find out what happened to my web site.
