Hijack This
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Hijack This is also known as HJT. It was a freeware spyware removal tool created by Merijn Bellekom. The freeware tool worked well and was bought by Trend Micro. Trend Micro is one of the better known Anti-virus/Anti-spyware software companies. Trend Micro has continued to offer HJT for free.
This program is very powerful and can damage your operating system. Great care should be taken when using this program to remove spyware. The program uses a heuristic approach to detect and remove spyware and malware. The program is constantly updated to keep up with new spyware attacks.
Hijack This works by listing the contents of key areas of your hard drive and registry that are different from a known good system. It knows what a spyware free system looks like and lists these changes. The changes are listed for the user. The user then has the option to remove suspected spyware or malware.
This method is very successful. It will also produce many false positives. A false positive is when a legitimate software program is listed as possible spyware/malware. The user must take great care when using HJT. It is very easy to remove software that is not spyware. This can render a software program useless and can halt your system.
HJT will compile all differences into a text logfile. It details everything it finds and lists it in the logfile. The logfile is displayed for the user. The user can remove or disable the entries in the logfile. Users are advised to consult more experienced users before they remove anything.
HJT users are encouraged to post their results on forums to allow experienced users advise them about what should be removed. The user based forum helps a great deal because people are constantly sharing their experiences. Users of any anti-spyware should seek out user forums for advice.
HJT is a very powerful program. It works very well to eliminate spyware. It can also render your system inoperable. This program is free but you should take care when using.
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