Well, I'm on a fresh (and normal) copy of Windows now (rescued once again by , w00t!). No trojans, viruses and no weird scripting installations, double w00t!

Of course, that also means no drivers. And here comes a story that would explain why I hate tech support (and why if Linux wasn't so seriously weak on programs I would favor it as my first choice). Of course, you should know the story by now, new system, no Internet. Have to call the tech support team. Yay.

Like that Indian guy telling Foamy to uninstall all video drivers because of a stuck pixel, so is the fate of Man to call tech support (no names, no lawsuits) and not get a good answer. Of course, you won't get a stupid answer unless the guy over there picks up the damn phone. So, you call once. No one answers. Then you call again. It is busy. Then, it is busy again. Then, no one answers. And finally, after 42 attempts, they pick up the damn phone. (They need electrocuting monkeys, dammit!)

So, OK, you explain to the guy. Fresh formatted XP, no Internet. Check your connections. Ok, I check. Go to LAN Connections. Hold on, dude, I have no LAN connections. There is some weird 1394 connection or something. OK, right click, go to Properties. Why, thank you for informing me, I had no idea right-clicking brought up a bar at which, at the bottom is an option named Properties. I thought the sound of my voice, being that of a young man, already somewhat adept at PC's and technology who recently enrolled at the Institute of Computer Technology (although he has already spent a year there) and not being one of an old aunt, grandmother or dimwitted teenage girl with no recollections of nerd life (no offense) would state otherwise. Please continue with your wonderful support.

Now, sir, bla bla bla, set everything to automatic. Yeah, it kinda already is. Is it working now? (WTF? I just said it already is as it should be!) No. Pause. We might have to come there, when could we come? Yeah, OK, whatever, come tomorrow if it is complicated and you have no knowledge of technology yourself, how about tomorrow, let's say 1-2 PM?

We will send a team tomorrow. Goodbye. OK, whatever.

The next day, the guys come over, armed with probably gazillion times more knowledge than the phone guy (did they graduate at PMF? Is that my fate as well?). So, they go to my PC, open up Hardware Properties.

"You have no drivers installed. You need to download some drivers. You have that CD from the modem? There is a CD there, you might install Internet via USB."

Four goddamn sentences. ONES THAT COULD'VE BEEN TOLD OVER THE PHONE! The people came in and immediately jumped on the drivers. I am thinking it would be the first guess if no LAN Connection for an automatically setting modem could be found on a freshly formatted XP. And how come they didn't tell me about the USB installation CD?

The guys weren't here three minutes. What a waste of their time. However, I somehow feel that I should've been able to figure out this internet bullshit by myself. I guess time must pass before I am able to take care of my own technology shit, let alone fuck up other people's technology shit. FREE KEVIN!

So, made USB connection Internet (slow internet is sloooooooow), downloaded drivers, switched to normal Internet and got myself some coffee.

Well, good XP now. Good Internet, downloading good Sci-Fi shows, good life. The torments are over. Well, not really, computers tend to screw themselves up every once in a while.

It's the Circle of Life.