George: status update

So last week, I posted about my laptop, George, eating my novel's file. I was at first so mad at the computer that I couldn't even look in its direction for fear I'd lunge at it and break it into tiny pieces. Over the course of the weekend, Mr. W worked with it, testing out various things, and figured out that the crash might have been a combo of Microsoft Word and the antivirus software.

My antivirus software does "real-time scanning". I always assumed this meant "I will check any file you download as you download it" but it turns out it means "I will check any file you change every time you change it".

Combine that with a slow hard drive and a paranoid writer who saves at least once a minute (seriously) and you're bound to hit trouble sooner or later.

Mr. W's automated testing (if you were shortsighted enough not to marry/date a software developer, I suggest you remedy that at once: they're HANDY to have around) was able to recreate my crash within an hour or so with the antivirus on, and with it off it wouldn't happen again all weekend long.

Therefore, I am back to using George. I really like him, and trying to use my old laptop feels weird and uncomfortable now that I'm used to George's smaller size.

But if he eats another file, he and I are going on a trip to the tallest skyscraper I can find, and only I will be taking the elevator back to the ground floor. :)