A common method used by computer viruses to protect themselves from being deleted by your  antivirus solution takes advantage of a feature of the Windows operating system. Windows doesn’t allow programs that are opened (even in the background, invisible to you) to be deleted. If you try to delete an executable that is running at the moment, you will get an error like “File in use”. The same thing happens when your antivirus detects an infected file that is already running and tries to delete it.

This method only works with files that make up the virus, not with the files that were infected by it  (it will not work with system files that were once useful and are now infected with their structure altered by the virus). BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU DELETE!

Here’s what I suggest you to do:

1. Do a scan with your antivirus software. Note down the path of the infected files that your antivirus is unable to delete. Do not delete system files! (located in C:\Windows)

2. Download the Ubuntu ISO image from here. Ubuntu is an operating system, like Windows. It is  a Linux distribution.

3. Burn the image on a blank CD using software like Nero.

4. Reboot your computer, and keep the Ubuntu CD inside. Make sure you configured your BIOS to boot from the CD before booting from the HardDisk.

5. When the Ubuntu logo appears, select “Start or Install Ubuntu”. The Ubuntu operating system will start. There’s no need to install it. It will run from the CD

6. When the Ubuntu desktop loads, open the file browser and locate your Windows partitions.

7. Navigate to the locations where your antivirus has detected the malicious files and delete them by hand.

8. Now reboot back into Windows and see if your antivirus detects anything.

I use this method to get rid of the Conficker autorun worm that keeps copying itself onto my external HardDrive at my school (where the responsable IT genius installed DeepFreeze without cleaning the computers first)

The alternative that I found is Pidgin, a free messaging client that can connect to multiple chat networks at the same time.The good news is that a portable version of Pidgin is available and can be downloaded from here. After you download it, run the executable. A setup wizard similar to that of a non-portable application will show up. “Install” the portable app to a folder on your memory stick. The entire messaging application will be copied there and nothing will be written to the registry. There you go! You have a portable chat application on your memory stick. From now on, you will be able to use it from any computer without executing the setup process over again.

Pidgin can connect simultaneously to multiple chat networks (Yahoo/MSN/ICQ). Therefore, it works with “accounts”. The first time you start it, you will be asked to configure your first account (enter your log in information). There you go! A messaging application for Yahoo, MSN and lots of other chat services available anywhere you go.

Google describes the “Chrome OS” as an extension to their already popular browser – Google Chrome, which was introduced in September, 2008. Most of the applications will run on the internet inside the integrated browser. You will use Picassa for managing your images, GTalk for instant messaging and Google Docs for your office needs. Basically, Chrome OS will be a web browser that requires no operating system. You will start your computer and it will boot directly into the Chrome web browser.

Chrome OS is said to bring consistent improvements in security and reliability. The OS will run on two partitions, one of the two being mounted as read-only, where essential system files will be stored, thus reducing the risks of a virus attack. And if that ain’t enough, the boot loader will also check the integrity of the OS before booting up to identify unusual modifications in the code. Chrome is based on a Monolithic Linux Kernel optimized for faster boot times by eliminating hardware checks for devices that are no longer present in many of today’s computers (such as floppy disk drives). The entire user experience will take place inside the browser window.

Chrome OS will be free and it will be integrated into your Google Account. Basically, along with unlimited e-mail storage and countless free services, you will also have access to your free copy of Chrome OS. Does it look like history repeating itself? It looks to me.

A few decades ago, when PC’s did not exist, there were “terminals” – dumb computers with no processing power of their own which used to send their tasks via a network to a server where the required calculations would be performed and the results returned to the terminals. The terminals used the resources of one big server, or of a group of servers to do their jobs. Is it me, or does Google plan to offer/sell something more than just software products in the following years? Will we really need to have the latest processing technology when we will be able to “rent” Google’s processing and memory resources to work in the place of our computer?

The Google Headquarters in Mountain View

According to Google sources, there were two types attacks targeting their network. One attack was internal and consisted in intellectual property being stolen from the company. Most likely, the theft consisted in source code and technology. Some of you might laugh at how sophisticated this attack really was.

Various voices on the Internet, including Wired.com, described how the attackers infiltrated the Google network by sending e-mails with a malicious PDF attachment to the GMail accounts of a few Google employees that had access to the network! The attackers took advantage of a Zero Day Vulnerability in Adobe Reader to install a trojan on the victim’s computer in the form of a DLL. The sad thing is that although this happened in December, Adobe only recently published a patch. By the way, I highly recommend that you upgrade you Adobe Reader application, or use Foxit PDF as a replacement which is more lightweight than the Adobe application.

The internal attack also targeted several GMail accounts of human rights activists. According to Google sources, only two accounts have been breached. However, the attackers only got access to information about the accounts such as date of creation and to the subject names of several e-mails. The content of the e-mails remained undisclosed.

The external attack was not performed explicitly on the Google network but was directed against it and its users. Several GMail users have been targeted and tricked into revealing their login data by means of phishing. The attackers also took advantage of yet another vulnerability in Internet Explorer. Microsoft said that it only affects IE6 but Elinor Mills says IE7 and 8 are also affected. My advice to all Internet Explorer users: switch to Chrome.

According to Google, these attacks targeted over 30 companies, the main objective being source code theft. Among these companies there are notable names such as Yahoo, Adobe or the antivirus producer – Symantec.

As a response to these attacks, the Internet Giant announced that it will stop censoring search results as required by the communist regime and will discuss the issue with the Chinese Government in the context of the recent attacks. The authorities clearly stated that anyone is welcome to trade in the country but within the restrictions of the law. Considering this fact, I am almost certain that negotiations on the matter of displaying uncensored results will be pointless.

If they won’t reach a consensus with the Chinese authorities, Google even considers the possibility of closing their offices in China and cease to operate in the country. Allow me to laugh at that. Currently holding over 360 million Internet users, China represents a highly attractive market for Internet companies and Google works with money, just like any other corporation and China, with its flourishing economy and huge population is one country than can afford to remain in the communist era.