A slightly warmer pleasant day of clouds and sun. I woke up feeling that I still hadn't got to the bottom of what had caught the problem June had with her computer. We went for a walk for an hour around the park after breakfast and then cooked lunch. I rang to check if all was well, and learned that when June switched on her laptop, another Yahoo notification popped up. I thought I'd eliminated this possibility but had not been successful as I'd omitted to clear the browser cache containing a contaminated cookie. I googled to find out if others had experienced the same issue, and discovered the Yahoo search engine is used to transmit an actual virus via Chrome hiding in a Yahoo search tab, not necessarily detected by the Windows Defender anti-virus system. Heaven knows why. I told her to switch off until I found a work-around solution.
The web provided instructions for removing this virus from Chrome, involving a reset of the browser removing all cookies and the full browsing record, then it re-starts as if from new after a few first use steps. If only I'd found this yesterday! I phoned June and told her this, realising it was too much to expect her to reset her Chrome browser, but maybe Tim from the Boys Club could oblige when he got in contact with her, but I had another idea.
As guardian of her Gmail account I created a user with her details on my Chromebook. The browser will synchronise its settings across all devices with the same Gmail account. I could then perform a Chrome browser reset that would reproduce itself on her computer and leave her free of this pernicious vulnerability. In preparing, I discovered that switching between search engines in the top search window is effected by pressing the space bar before typing. Thursday morning she did ten searches and in just one had touched the space bar accidentally causing Yahoo to be used, with distressing consequences. Changing the internal setting from space bar to Tab key reduces the risk of this accident. So I did this as part of re-setting Chrome. All this I did after lunch and then told June she could switch on again.
The synchronisation process worked but required completion as if from new on her laptop. Meanwhile, the virus laden cookie was still throwing up a notification. This was so disconcerting, she couldn't face completing the Chrome set up process, so I emailed Tim the director of the Boys' Club and explained all that I'd done in detail, and asked him to visit of finish the job in person. It was clear he didn't need to run any diagnostic tests if my instructions were correct. A few hours later, he made a brief visit, and in a few minutes the job I started was completed. And the nightmare was over.
Meanwhile, Clare and I went into town for a free drink and a piece of cake in John Lewis', as Clare has occasional free treats with her JLP loyalty card scheme. Then I bought a Samsung Fitbit Versa 3 smart watch. Since the demise of my classic ancient Casio watch last week, and the strap breaking on my Huwaei step counter device whose display is hard to read without spec's I felt it was time to get something new to combine both functions with a decent readable display. It was eight times more expensive offering more features than I'd ever need, but could be configured to serve the purpose, so it doesn't attempt to run my life for me, and the fees from doing two funerals paid for it. It was fiddly to set up but I got what I wanted from it and nothing more, eventually. The package even includes a spare strap!
Before the Eurovision song contest we spent an enjoyable hour watching a 1980's Simon and Garfunkel life concert. It was so pleasant to the ear in contrast to the two hours that followed. The performances were brilliantly executed from a technical standpoint, but the use of such bright flashing coloured lights and strobe effects I found so distressing I couldn't watch for long, and listened to two thirds of it from the middle room while I finished my sermon for tomorrow. So many songs which sounded similar and derivative, little that was ear catching and original. I liked Spain's entry because it was original and so Andaluz in character. I doubt it will win, as it wasn't catchy run of the mill pop ear candy. I wish we'd stayed listening to the second hour of Simon and Garfunkel;s concert. But then I may not have finished tomorrow's sermon. An early start in the morning.
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