Do you have to recreate your avatar if you haven't been in SL for a long time?

[Indigo Mistwalker]

I now have the new viewer, but my avatar is a misty cloud. I've read and read and tried all the suggestions, but nothing has helped. I even had my ISP come to my house this morning and all is well with my connection. That was my last thing to try...

I hadn't logged in to SL for 4 years, but my account was still there. Do I need to create a new avatar? This didn't seem right, when all my inventory was saved for all this time, so my avatar should have also been saved - right?

I don't want to create a new avatar until I hear back from someone, because I don't to take a chance and lose my original avatar if she's still there.

I've been trying to participate in an annual event that's now almost over.... Please help!

[Rolig Loon]

Nope.  You can still use the same avatar.  If you have a bake fail problem, you should be able to solve it with one of the techniques discussed here >>> http://wiki.phoenixviewer.com/fs_bake_fail

If you are having a chronic problem with bake fail -- that is, it keeps happening over and over again or it's really hard to cure -- then you do have a connection problem.  Bandwidth is rarely the issue, but reliability is.

(1) Try shutting off your computer, unplugging the router and modem for a couple of minutes, and then plugging them back in and restarting. That simple step may clear up everything by clearing your router's RAM and letting it get a fresh grasp on an IP address.

(2) Add Google's free public DNS servers to whatever your ISP assigns you as a default. Here's how >>> https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using  If using Google as a DNS does not work for you then see here for alternate servers, or grab DNS Bench to help you locate one.

(3) Finally, if you have been using a wireless connection, don't.  See http://community.secondlife.com/t5/English-Knowledge-Base/Wifi-and-satellite-connections/ta-p/1296823

[Lindal Kidd]

Besides Rolig's suggestion, I have a couple of thoughts...

...Have you updated your computer in the last four years?  Second Life requires a computer with not only a good high speed internet connection, but a late model graphics card.  See here for minimum and recommended system requirements.  https://secondlife.com/my/support/system-requirements/?lang=en-US

...Have you updated your viewer?  A four year old viewer won't cut it.  Here is the download link to the current default viewer:  https://secondlife.com/support/downloads/

And here's a link to the popular third party viewer, Firestorm:  http://www.firestormviewer.org/downloads/

With any viewer, you should do a CLEAN INSTALL.  There's a link to instructions on how to do that at the page where you can download Firestorm.