Well yesterday, while I was on the computer, my email all of the sudden just quit working.

When I tried to send/receive, I would get an error that the server was down.

After a couple of hours, I called tech support to see if I could get some help.

After about an hour, we decided that Windows was refusing to allow SSL to transmit or receive from the system. I could get it to work with port 25, but my ISP would only allow me to use that port for 24 hours.

I finally discovered, after doing some troubleshooting, research on line, and such that my virus protection did an update at about the time email quit.

Unfortunately, this is a free virus checker that I got from my ISP and has no support whatsoever. And it is a dumbed down version of the commercial product so the software vendor won't support it either, as they expect the ISP to support it, and the ISP hasn't a clue.

They told me to call Microsoft. Yea, right.

So I figure, maybe there is some port blocking going on, as I know that McAfee at work does this, and you can go in and set it to block or not block certain ports.

Well, no such luck - there is no configuration to manipulate port settings. There was a function to turn off email checking but it didn't make a difference.

So I figure, I'll remove the virus checker and see if that fixes the problem.

I started to remove the virus checker when the uninstall program sez "shut down email". OK - dummy me, I left email running.

When I shut down email, the uninstall program locked up.

Now I have an uninstalled/installed program. Uninstall sez its not installed, but I know that there is still part of the checker running as the email still won't work.

So I think - heck, I'll reinstall the virus checker, then uninstall it again.

Nope, that didn't work. When trying to install the virus checker, it sez its already installed.

So I go look for a unregistration program to force the de-registration of the virus checker, but could not find one.

In the mean time - and I am not sure what I did - the whole system went kaput - and I lost the operating system.

After a few hours trying to recover it, I gave up and reinstalled windows Vistapuke.

OK, 6 hours later, after the over 100 updates have loaded, Vista is running again.

So I try email - yep it works using SSL.

So I try to load the virus checker again. It sez, cannot load because McAfee is already running. Oh yea, the recovery disks install a trial version of McAfee. OK, I'll just delete the application.

So I delete it, but nope, the virus checker I am using (the dumbed down commercial freebee from my ISP) thinks McAfee is still running.

So I bite the bullet and go on line, and pay $35 for a 1 yr subscription to McAfee, as I know that I can manipulate port blocking if I have to. Man, I already have a personal firewall that can port block, why does the virus checker need to do this too?

So I install McAfee, and email still works, so far, OK.

So now to recover the files. I run Vista backup. Whoops, backup will only work to backup deleted files, not rebuilt systems. At least the standard home version of Vistapuke.

But I am able to force a restore from one system to another.

Nope, Vistapuke sez the files are not there.

So I go into the backup set, and fortunately, all Vista does is compress the files into a larger file - 180 of them to be precise.

So, I am able to decompress the backup files, and see what is in there.

I recover all of my old email, browser links, documents, itunes and mp3 files, so hey, things are looking up.

But, the manual decompression process of the 180 files - each one takes from 2 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on how much they are compressed.

Fortunately, all of the photo and mp3 files are already compressed, so they transfer in quick order. But it took something like 6 to 8 hours to just uncompress the files.

Final check - email still works. So it was definately a problem with the download of the virus checker update yesterday. While I can't in itself blame Vista for a 3rd party problem, its the environment that is condusive to this kind of thin.

So all, in all, I only lost a few days data, so I am happy about that - but the whole rebuilding process took over 24 hours.

Dang, I remember when you could reinstall Windows in about 30 minutes. Well, this is the second time in a year I had to do this. This time, I partitioned the 240GB drive into a 100GB and 140GB partition. The operating system goes on the 100GB partition, and all of my data is going on the 140GB partition - I am tired of doing this same thing over and over.

I am beat!

I feel I wasted 24 hours of my life that I could have otherwise been more productive, like maybe jabbing toothpicks under my thumbnails.

On Monday, I go shopping for a Mac. I've had it with Windows.

Aww Al. It's just bonding moments between you and your computer.

I would prefer the toothpicks...

On the other hand, its not like I was paying much attention to the Michigan game today.

Well Al: if you purchase an Apple tomorrow, this wont be a problem you worry about in the future.

Haven't had any problems with XP or virus's for 5 years, no reboots, no issues.

Using Firefox and gmail though, I don't do IE or Outlook

Funny, my email stopped working last monday. Was a little simpler problem than yours, Mike, my web server guy, was just upgrading his mail program. Was a bit scary for awhile as all the email I read on the boat over the weekend (quite a few business related) just vanished! Got 'em all back by the afternoon tho...

Windows notwithstanding, good luck with McAfee. My sister has McAfee on her "one" computer at work, and between it and her stupid beta AOHell, that computer takes--not kidding-- 18 minutes to boot up. Nothing like making a customer wait 20 minutes on a saturday just to print up an invoice. Ran a hijack-this scan one day, there was almost 50 McAfee processes running. According to the scan analysis, all were valid. Since she refuses to let me kill off her AOHell and McAfee, I had to buy a whole 'nuther computer just to run Quickbooks on. She puts any Mc or Aol on that one, she dies.

Al - If your PC had rack handles that never would have happened. Sorry, couldn't help myself.

That right-there' was funny!

Yes, Al . . that guy on the Apple commercials is right. I switched to a Mac about 1 year ago, and the problems are much fewer.

Vista is a HUGE disappointment, and I'm not sure what Microsoft is going to do about it.

Bruce..... it does.

Windows 7.

I've heard rumors stating it will be available 3rd Quarter 2009.

Al, the toughest thing about using a Mac is getting used to the "close window" button being in the upper left, instead of the upper right corner. Oh, and the simpler user interface. Things that are 3 or 4 step processes in a Win environment become frighteningly simple 1-step procedures. You won't be used to that, and it will slow you down.

Welcome to the Mac family!

Be careful in joining the family...your negative Microsoft thoughts will only increase. Yikes!

BTW. Don't buy yet! New MacBooks coming out on Tuesday. Suppose to be on in the $800 range!