Your opinion counts --spyware tools

[pooh sun tzu]

I don't understand the big deal with Hijackthis. The only difference is that you can read the list and choose manually what may look suspicious to you.

Why choose something that requires manual intervention and researching(in which sometimes you -simply- cant find and understand everything), when adware/spybot have the ability to preform the -exact- same tasks without 2-3 page long lists, as well as describing what each process, violation, spyware, adware, and infection does, as well as where to read up more on it.

To me it's quite similar to pulling a cart yourself, rather than using an automobile.

So it can't be about choice, because spybot/adaware both give you the detailed information as well as the choice to remove or not remove. It can't be about features, because I've compared the programs and so far hijackthis seems to be nothing new or inventive to further -prevention- and -detection-, both being primary things users need to get rid of spyware. Who wants to read up about what process might be real, what process might be fake, but has the same name, what hijack is real or blah blah blah when they are still sitting on an infected computer?

Get the jod -done- while learning about what has infected you. Spyware/adaware detects, prevents, explains, and teaches users. Bah to hijack this.

edit:

I'm not done. One of the largest things that gets me about people recommending hijack this as if it was the all empowering fix-it tool, is that this is what you get when people use hijack this:

"Can you review my log file?"
"see anything odd in my log file?"
".. blahlog file?"
"...blah log file?"
"...blah the log file?"

So in essence, people go out and google all the listings on the log to find out about the processes. This is something that has already been done, people. Adaware/spybot has already gathered up the information, and that combined amount of information per process and program has surpassed 30,000. Do you know 30,000 off the top of your head? In fact, could you google all 30,000 in the time it would take spybot and adaware to discover them, show you the information, and then remove them?



Recommending hijack this to everyone on the face of the earth not only drives IT's mad (we don't have time to research each and every process, sorry), but is a step back in program usability. Surely you have better time (and bandwidth for those LARGE log files) you could use scanning and letting the research of companies that not only receive massive donations for their hardwork, but get paid on a regular basis to make sure their products are updated near daily to keep up with 1-day (what I call it when one day has passed after discovery) adwares and spywares.

[Tedob1]

hijack this is a useful tool. nothing new or great and not very user freindly but if its your job to keep machines running adware makers like virus writers are comming out with new things faster than the anti-adware writers can include them and it is helpful to get a fairly complete list of whats happening on the machine if you want to fix it. if its free and it helps, i use it. i dont always use it if spybot/ad-aware work that would be pointless but in the case of the last CWS piece of crap nothing worked, it had to be done manually and thats where hjt helped. im familiar with what processses are supposed to be running on my machines and i check them constantly (almost gave me a heart attack when all remote locations were sent hp all-in-ones and tom cat started showing up in the process tree) and the only time looking up the process is needed is when its something different to see how it should be delt with.

[pooh sun tzu]

nothing new or great and not very user freindly but if its your job to keep machines running adware makers like virus writers are comming out with new things faster than the anti-adware writers can include them

That's my point exactally. Let's say you notice a process that makes no sense to you, or a registry key that doesn't make sense to you. You don't know if it belongs or doesn't belond because it isn't on google yet, but you wouldn't want to remove something you don't understand because that's just bad admin practices.

What do you do? Guess?! I would hope not. Adware almost always has daily updates (usually a day behind 0 days) and spybot is a few days behind. If I want to trust my choices when google and blind-guessing won't help, I won't rely on a program that just lists 'possibilities' when a tool already exists that understands the problem and the most secure/stable way to fix it.

and it is helpful to get a fairly complete list of whats happening on the machine if you want to fix it.

Wait, so it gives you a list. Nothing more? So there are still going to be (by chance) a ton of processes and rouge registry entries that you don't understand? Just scan with spybot or adaware, and bingo. Now you know what's odd according to -researched and tested material- as well as very in depth explainations of each instance. Why on earth are you going to rely on a list that requires google, when the work is already done for you and put into a singular place?

if its free and it helps, i use it.

Both adaware and spybot are free. Both have features that have been proven to speed up system recovery and repair times. Both inform you to processes and threats that not even google is very good at explaining. Am I missing something?

It would be like sticking to the 1.4 linux kernel when a proven 2.x family tree exists that has the ability of 1.4, but with things fixed, explained, better documented, and quicker responce times.

im familiar with what processses are supposed to be running on my machines and i check them constantly

And that is all I feel HJT should be used for, even if that. Since Spybot/adaware has the exact same ability but also have the capability to preset lists of allowed processes (meaning to deny rogue, unconfirmed processes), why even bother? Sure, HJT makes a great process checker, but not a spyware/adware removal tool. Even then, if I wanted to keep an eye on processes I would use a real processes viewer, so I could gain more information about each running process in terms of access, time, RAM/CPU usage, what called it, when it was called, what it forks and what forked it.

[Tedob1]

sorry pooh sun tzu i edited my post while you were writing yours i guess...

well actually i use pslist to keep an eye on the processes. i can do it remotly that way. BTW im not disagreeing with you i see far to many hjt logs posted everywhere. it just helpful sometimes thats all

[pooh sun tzu]

No worries! Don't get me wrong, and please understand this is not a personal attack on you or your ability to have your own opinion.

As you may tell though, I've quite a bit of pent up rage against HJT because of the damage I've seen it to do users, both guru and end alike. It was good for it's time, and I remember it being an amazing tool to slap on a mini-cdrom. But tools have come to further and help protect people from the dangers of the net, with more capability. So my rage is moreso concern and worry for those who depend upon older tools when sometimes the speed and dangers of the net are more advanced and need to be dealth with more quickly than in the years past.

[Tedob1]

i dont know any except those here that use it but like i say its not user friendly and your right, those that would let their system become so infected could destroy a system in no time with it

[Highlander]

I use Spy Sweeper, SpyBot Remover and Ad-Aware 6 just to cross check each other

[Spyder32]

That's my point exactally. Let's say you notice a process that makes no sense to you, or a registry key that doesn't make sense to you. You don't know if it belongs or doesn't belond because it isn't on google yet, but you wouldn't want to remove something you don't understand because that's just bad admin practices.

Excellent point, however I'd like to tend to think I know what's running on my system and what's running in the background. I'll scan for viruses/trojans and spyware/adware and if something come's up I don't understand, I'll investigate the file and look more into it (i.e google, etc). IT wise, you're correct pooh, it's not the best thing. It defeat's many purpose's that some application's created in the first place.

However, I still like the ability to see my log file's and to see what processes were/is running and what application's were/is running. Good to look back and compare to see if any change's were/is being made without you knowing.

Just scan with spybot or adaware, and bingo.

My primary suggestion, make's life ALOT easier and less strenuous (sp.?).

i dont know any except those here that use it

I don't either, all of the people I worked with typically use Ad-Aware or S&D.

[jr05linux]

I am just using 2 programs and they clean me up really great...
They are S&D and Ad-Ware 6
But yah it would be cool to have a really good spyware adware tool that is 100% free that is all in one.

[wildred]

My major concern, and the reason I am asking this, is that for an IT manager that has to deal with 1000+ computers under his belt, can obviously never be able to run HJ this on even 10% of his machines. Specifically if his machines are thousands of miles away. Some sort of remote connection program or enterprise version of a spyware removal tool must be created. I am getting my MCSE and will soon be an IT manager (hopefully) and I know spyware is becoming more and more of an issue. It used to be you could use SB and AD to remove pests, and the stubborn ones would be removed in safe mode, but as noted before, those pests now start in safemode as well. What features, for the IT manager in mind, would you want to see in a spyware program? Good suggestions about home based users, but what about 1000+ machines? Support using MS networking? AD?