A to Z Challenge, Unicorn Bell, Backing up Data...

...Updates, Conspiracies, Healthcare.gov, and the descent into Madness.

A to Z Challenge blogfest is huge, a monster. I participated in 2011 and a two more years after that. Don’t think the word challenge is there for looks because it is most definitely hard. Not only posting every day except Sundays, but commenting on other posts every day as well. But when it’s done, you’ve made new friends and experienced new outlooks on life. Plus instilled a discipline in your writing. Good stuff all around.

Over at Unicorn Bell—our writer’s blog—we are participating in this year’s Challenge. The eight moderators are taking turns posting each day, commenting on blogs, and bringing new perspectives to the game. Check in and see how we do.

Backing up info. My OCD comes out when backing up my documents, files, financial records, photos, and emails. I am

nothing if not redundant. Since I have Amazon Prime, I let it back up photos and docs. Google catches docs also. Norton makes my system image and backs up all of the above as well.

I have a Seagate 2 terabyte external drive for most stuff and use Google Cloud, Amazon Cloud drive, ICloud as backups for the backups of the backups.

Can’t be too safe with your important records.

HealthcareDotGov. The cost of our individual health insurance became unsustainable when it went from $500 a month to $1200 in four years, forcing us into the Obamacare marketplace.

If you’ve heard about the horrors of working through the bureaucratic morass of signing up, believe me it’s all true. I’m still fighting the paperwork.

Win 10. I became a conspiracy theorist—looking over my shoulder—right after I upgraded to Windows 10 and the

subsequent battle to clean it out again.

Rather than allow automatic updates to my computer, I check once a week for anything labeled “Security”. An Important or Optional update always rates another look and research.

One of the updates, KB3035583 is labeled important. Lookee here what it actually is, a way for Microsoft to worm its way back into my ‘puter.

Since I cleaned out the folder containing the mutant Win 10, I discovered it is still knocking on the door wanting in.

Are you an A to Z Challenge Crazy Person? Overindulge in backing up? Have skyrocketing insurance costs? Wonder who is peeking in your computer?Descending into Madness like me? 

Win 10. Do you really want it?

I’m a geek freak. I love new programs and technologies. So I was interested when Microsoft offered the Windows 10 upgrade. Since my computer was six months old with Win 7 OS I was sure it would work.

I hesitated for a while since reports of the horrors of Win 8 are legion. But there was the “free” button, upgrade now and if you don’t like it, well boy howdy, you can go back.

I listened. I upgraded and all was good...for a while. Then stuff began happening. See my progress, from Hey this is cool to What did I do and Baseball Bat 

I said no thanks and went back to good old Win 7. ‘Cuz that’s what they say you can do, right? If you don’t want it, just go back to your old OS. Easy as pie.

Not so fast. The registry of some programs didn’t go back to the restore point. Win 10 stuff stayed. The automatic backup went looney tunes requiring a fix to clean it up.

And there's that darned Window thingy insisting I needed to upgrade to 10, over and over and over again.

It seems Microsoft has tentacles that reach down the throat

of your computer like the thing in Alien and lays its eggs in the body of your ‘puter without you knowing.

Do you see the little box that keeps popping up saying your upgrade is waiting on you? Uh oh, someone’s watching you. Check the updates. If the optional update has a checked box by the Windows 10 upgrade, be careful. You might accidentally download the horror again.

And there is an interesting folder on your computer: $Windows.~BT with a 5 gb stored there. That is your alien growing in your chest. It is waiting for a signal.

“Oh no, not again." - Spaceballs

If you don’t want Microsoft and its minions to be a backseat driver, here are a few sites for more information.

Information on Win 10
How to clean it up

Check out both of these sites before attempting to sort stuff out or delete. I took their advice and turned off the Automatic Updates. If I need to download a security patch, I will do it myself. But no more optional downloads if I don't see the need. 

And ask yourself how much you want that spiny alien watching over your shoulder.

Win 10: Good or bad.