Ok. I panicked when I started to back up my files, on cd’s, and saw little happy faces as the icon instead of a cd icon. My first thought was. . . I have a virus!!! :O
So, off I went to the computer store. I talked to a salesman, who told me to buy an anti-virus program; it would solve all my problems! (I didn’t ask if it would help me plot my next novel :hehe:) Then, before actually purchasing the program, I went to the tech department, and explained what was happening to the tech guy. He said, “I don’t think it’s a virus.” *shakes head sagely*
He checked my jump drive for me, (he couldn’t get the files open either) and then checked my newly burned cd’s (they worked fine). While befuddled and not exactly sure what was wrong with my file/computer, he proceeded to show me how to run some built in repair programs.
So, I paid for the anti-virus program, (just in case I actually NEEDED it), went to work, and came home after work to run the repair programs. Now, I’m still unable to open my four “lost files” of last week, but I am able to open all the others and the funky smiley face is gone, and the disks work fine.
I’m not celebrating yet, but I think all is well. *fingers crossed*
Just the word virus makes me shudder now. I think that my poor laptop just couldn’t handle the last one I downloaded – even though I got it ‘fixed’ it was too old to handle everything. *snif* I’m still in mourning. Oh – and thanks for the great tip of emailing the mss to yourself – another great backup! :hehe:
Sounds like you have a macro virus, which anti-virus software doesn’t usually help. How do I know? I’ve got one. Drives me insane. Changes all my icons in my Word files to random icons. Grr.
These are supposedly not harmful–just annoying. There are ways to fix them, but I’ve tried and can’t. So far I’ve had it for a year or so and there have been no problems, but it’s still annoying!!!!!