One False Move

...that's all it takes to turn your computer from a loving, safe, environment to a hostile, living hell.

(Why, why, why did I let it use that strange program to play a CD this morning??)

Note: I started writing this post on Friday before the gugandu set in (see Sunday's post).

It all started so harmlessly. I'd googled an old friend and noticed she had a site for downloading some songs she recorded. Up popped a message asking if I'd like Musicmatch to play the download for me. How nice of you to ask, I thought. Thank you, and sure.

The download played and I went about my business for the day.

This morning, I inserted a disk into my CD-Rom drive and that Musicmatch bastard automatically began playing it. So far, so good.

But not for long.

Although the music played (geez, it wasn't even a GOOD CD--it was a mediocre Alanis Morrisette), everything else froze. Naturally, I hit 'control alt delete.'

Nada.

I hit it again.

Nada again.

So, I hit the reset button. The computer restarted but, uh-oh, what's this??? Something about the registry being askew? But, wait. Windows assures me it's on the job fixing whatever needs to be fixed. I relax.

Only...when all was said and done, nothing about my computer was the same. New wallpaper, new icon size, new color scheme--it wasn't home. Worse, my email accounts were gone, my printer stuff was gone, and...oh, no...my Instant Messenger--GONE!!

My on-site guru quickly figured out that my computer had reverted to using some ancient version of Microsoft Internet Explorer (who knew it was so interconnected to stuff you'd never dream of?--oh, yeah--that's what the brouhaha was about several years ago). Anyway, luckily for me, with some tweaking, guru got it back and set everything right.

I think.

Lesson here: go with your instincts. Until yesterday, I'd always said "NO" to that Musicmatch thingy, always opting to go with the CD player in my accessories. I don't know whether it's a legit program or not, but MY computer didn't like it.

Maybe yours won't either.