It's possible the problem is solved....

I had competing antiviruses on the PC.  I wasn't fully aware of that.  You see, the thing was sabotaged with a McAfee notice--a notice telling me my trial was over and that it was time to pay $40.  No, I'm sorry--$39.95.  That's a long way from $40.  A whole 1/20 of a buck.  I knew it was a scam, since the notice happened two days after I bought this thing, and I would have remembered signing up for a two-day trial.  Ha.  Nice try, McAfee people.

That's just the way Windows 10 is set up, the Geek Squad guy said--those kinds of pop-ups, all trying to sell you something.  He agreed it was annoying.  After Windows 10, I'm done with Windows.  (So I say now.)  When 11 comes, I'll just run out in front of a bus, screaming, "11!  No!  No!  Not 11!!!"  The bus driver, talking to the cops, will say, "Third guy today.  They all yell the same thing.  I think they mean Windows 11."  The cop will say, "I have an Apple.  For this very reason.  That could be me lying there."

Eternal damnation.  Whatever.  Giant radioactive worms coming to eat everyone in the township.  Yawn.  ETs coming to enslave mankind.  Whatever.  Windows 11.  NOOOO!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!

I personally regard customer harassment as a bad sales tactic, and of course I mean Windows, not Best Buy.  They've been highly polite and helpful.  And honest.  I can sort of tell when people are being honest, I think.  I'm 62.  We old folks have that sense.  Or we imagine we do.  Hard to tell the difference when you're 62.  Anyway, the Geek Squad guys are the messengers, not the culprits.  I found it refreshing to have a tech agree with me on the more annoying aspects of W. 10.  I really believe he has no more idea why 10 is the way it is than I do.

With Avast gone, things may go smoothly.  Avast likes to take control of the PC in Outer Limits fashion.  "We will control the vertical; we will control the horizontal...."  It does all kinds of crap with programs, putting some to sleep to maximize your use of another--something like that.  Total pain in the ass.  10 has its own antivirus, so I'm happy to say goodbye to Avast.  "Avast" means stop or cease, and that's what I want it to do.  So, perfect name.  I want it to stop, cease, and leave.

I'd like 10 to leave, too, but that would leave me without an OS.  Not good.  The lesser of two evils (OS/no OS) is Windows 10.  I wish I could think of a vicious pun on Windows 10, but I can't.  "Windows 10" will have to do.  It's vile, evil, sneaky, soul-draining, trouble-making, and it kicks cats and dogs.  It belongs in a detention home.

I must have left my power cord at Best Buy.  I could swear I didn't bring it, but I must have.  And somehow (I could turn this into a miracle narrative), in the downstairs bedroom there was a power cord all folded up.  Must have been from my last PC.  Right there, waiting for me.  Fit this one, so I don't have to drive back.  That's one break today.  Hope more breaks are on the way (as long as they aren't the 78 rpm kind).  And my latest Discogs order was just cancelled.  That happens all the time.  I'm going to stop ordering things from Discogs.  This is the third of fourth occurrence.  Don't put up stuff unless it's available, sellers.  Good grief.  If it's not for sale, don't put it up.  Is that hard to grasp?

I wrote Discogs and told them they've lost a customer, that I don't like such games.  Expressed my annoyance to the "seller," too.  If he or she is offended, too bad.  Don't put something up for sale unless it's for sale.  Reminds me of the bad old days when you had to turn to small-operation hardcopy catalogs for anything that wasn't mainstream--blues, early rock, etc.  They'd put you on back-order for six weeks, then announce they couldn't get the record.  I had one genius pair who lost my special order for something.  I had jumped on something the moment it became available, and they promised a quick response.  Weeks later, I asked what was up.  Oh, they misplaced my order.  Along with their brains, I guess.  45cat won't let me join, and Discogs thinks "marketplace" is another word for "Sorry, we sold that at our store."  I'm not going back to the days when record buyers were expected to endure mountains of bull-hockey to maybe, possibly get a record.  It's not worth it. 

Lee