Barely Online...For Now

Having some major computer problems so unsure how long I'll be online. Might have to take this machine into the shop again.

Had a major tangle with the rootkit.tdss virus. For those that don't know, rootkit is a pretty nasty one that can hide itself from anti- virus software. To make a long story short, despite my days long effort to battle it, I finally threw up my hands in surrender. The final straw was when it shut down the use of all my browsers and I couldn't access the internet.

So, I took it in to the shop to get the hard drive reformatted. I tried to reformat myself but the boot disc wouldn't work. The tech guy told me later something was wrong with it.

Got the computer back on Saturday and was excited I had just about a new computer, albeit with all the restoration hassles. It seemed like it was running great, though. First thing I had to do was hook up my DSL connection again. All seemed to go well, until I finished that process and neither Firefox or Explorer would connect to the internet despite all signs being my connection was good.

About the same time, just after I set up the DSL connection, I turned on the laptop and it couldn't connect with the browsers, either. Now I'm totally screwed except I managed to get a very slow dial- up connection going that seems like it's running about 8k.

Going back into the shop this morning as soon as they open and ask for advice. I'm figuring it's likely the reformat didn't clear the virus off this computer completely. Either that or it's a problem with Sbcglobal DSL- my first suspicion- but that would be odd as all diagnostic indications are my DSL is connected.

Tried AT&T phone support yesterday. They had one of those automated voice menu things that guide you through the diagnostic process. Its conclusion was I had a bad connection and that one or more of my data cables isn't connected right. I don't think so!

We'll see what the tech guys say. Suggestions are welcome although I don't know how much longer I'll have this computer available to view them.