HijackThis 1.99.1

Review:

If pesky spyware and ad adware remain undetected and keep on bogging your PC even with the watchful eye of your favorite anti sypware and adware applications, try HijackThis.

HijackThis keeps a close watch on the contents of key areas of your PC's Registry and hard drive which are commonly used by both legitimate programmers and hijackers. This tiny application is designed to target methods used by hijackers to force site visitors to redirect to their sites. It does not target specific programs and URLs.

This application is susceptible to false positives results if not taken with due caution. That is, legitimate files can be mistakenly subjected for deletion. Thus the necessity of caution and the need to consult with advance users then should be exercised.

HijackThis examines vulnerable or suspect parts of your system, such as browser helper objects and certain types of Registry keys. The procedure of administering the test is simple. The scan button generates a report -- a log of dozens of items, most of which are just customizations. At the outset however, be forewarned not to check off an item and hit the fix checked button unless you're sure it is malware. Clicking the info button on selected item generates reports why the entry was flagged as suspicious, but no indication whether it's actually malware or not.

To find that out whether a suspicious item is malware or not, search the Web for that item's name or go straight to a forum, such as SpywareInfo or Computer Cops. Saving the log creates a text document which you can post to these forums.

The latest version adds powerful tools to the Config window. The process manager and hosts file editor help you excise virulent infections. The unique ADS Spy tool scans for alternate data streams, which some browser hijackers use to hide from spyware removers.

The program can be installed into whatever directory in which you unzip the file, which can make it hard to locate. HijackThis is a serious tool for any user who needs to root out a serious infestation, but should be taken with caution to avoid deletion of important files.

Value: (8.4/10) A useful tool that can address serious infestation of spyware and adware. This FREE tiny application (218KB) is a powerful tool but should be exercised with high caution.

Use: (7.1/10) HijackThis is a general homepage hijacker's detector and remover. It checks against hijackers' tricks that will force you to their sites. It takes some advance knowledge though in its actual use. You should be familiar with running processes on your computer and other installations tied up with your web browser. Otherwise, this powerful tool will not be much of help to you in addressing serious infiltration of spyware and adware into your PC.

Overall: (7.75/10) A powerful tool designed to combat serious spyware and ad ware infestation. This is a Freeware. But it takes an advance user to operate and maximize its capability. With the proliferation of spyware and ad ware undetected by commercial tools, HijackThis is an alternative tool as this is regularly updated to detect and remove hijacks.