The computer insisted

I had to load Windows 8.1 yesterday.
I do not like things happening to my computer. If it is working then I would prefer to leave things just as they are. It took me a long time to get even vaguely used to Windows 8.  I much prefer Windows XP. I am not a confident cat when it comes to computers.
Doing anything unusual alarms me.
My working life depends on a computer. I download the work first thing in the morning and then work on it through the day, sending each bit off as I finish it. I can stop work and go to a meeting or the library, do essential shopping, get meals and pots of tea for the Senior Cat  and so on.
Yesterday I had a meeting. It took longer than I hoped it would and, had I known, the computer could have been playing while I was out. It didn't tell me until I got home that it was going to have a little "upgrade". Right.
It has been telling me this for some time. I have ignored it. The computer was working. Why make trouble?
Yesterday it sulked. It was not going to do anything unless I let it upgrade. In the end I told it the process could occur while I was getting the evening meal and doing some other things. It had, I told it, to be back on duty for me to send some material off later.
I left it to play. It danced around. It switched itself on and off. It whirled. Lights flashed. The screen went dark and light and then dark. I held my breath and waited. The screen was light again.
Eventually a new screen appeared (and who on earth designed that - it is truly appalling) and the task bar appeared at the bottom of the page. Nothing more happened apart from a tiny whirling icon continuing to dance.
Still doing something? I waited for a bit. Then I noticed that the little clock in the right hand bottom corner was not working. I waited a bit more. After all the computer had told me it was not going to hurry over this process.
Eventually I phoned my brother. He knows about these things. He thought for a bit, told me to leave if for a bit longer. "If it still like that in about an hour then do the inelegant thing - pull the plug out, give it a minute and then try rebooting it."
I ended up doing the inelegant thing. The computer danced cheekily back into life. It made me re-enter passwords for some sites I use frequently.
I made it do some work. It was late. I was not impressed.
I would have made it work all night - but I needed some sleep too.