The Overuse of HijackThis

[Chris]

"HijackThis is a general homepage hijackers detector and remover. Initially based on the article Hijacked!, but expanded with almost a dozen other checks against hijacker tricks. It is continually updated to detect and remove new hijacks. It does not target specific programs/URLs, just the methods used by hijackers to force you onto their sites. As a result, false positives are imminent and unless you are sure what you're doing, you should always consult with knowledgeable folks before deleting anything."

I would consider HijackThis a specialized Spyware detection tool for specific last resort type circumstances. However it is being widely used and recommended online as the only correct way to remove Spyware and irresponsibly Viruses. As usual the Elitists will try to make everything more complicated then it is or needs to be.

Elitism (Defined) - The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect or social status.

I personally don't recommend using HijackThis as I have found it to be generally unnecessary. However, the online community, especially in numerous technical support forums, has gone too far with the recommendation of a tool that is designed to merely list certain Registry entries and running processes. You'll see main header topics in these forums listing instructions that only include Run HijackThis, post your log and wait for an "expert" to assist you. Failing to recommend running basic Antivirus and Spyware scans first results in multiple page long logs and unnecessarily wasted time by the HijackThis Elitists inflicted upon the novice user, while they point out each line one at a time to be removed. All the time failing to inform or recommend that HijackThis is not an Antivirus program nor can it clean most Viruses or complex Spyware. This results in this never ending posting - counter posting of HijackThis logs until someone tells them to run a virus scan or use one or more of the Spyware scanners. Talk about ridiculous!

Is Spyware removal difficult for the novice user? Sure, anything is difficult when you do not know what to do and seeking out online help is a good idea. The problem is that so much online help is bad information, including recommending absurd solutions like using Firefox. This is not only bad advice it is potentially dangerous since the infected machine is never properly cleaned, usually of viruses as well as Spyware. A responsible solution is simply recommending running a set of relatively simple scans. - Well this is something that I certainly agree upon.

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[LineOFire]

First of all, I read through his other blogs too and he certainly seems to hate on a lot of things that have recently gained popularity.

Second of all, no one in their right mind recommends running HijackThis fixes as the first step in the malware removal process. Why do you think every single well-respected malware removal forum has a "Read This Before You Post!" which recommends running all the basic scans? It is not our fault if users do not follow the pinned topics and announcements before posting.

Thirdly, the man does not seem to understand HijackThis at all. When did anyone claim that HijackThis was a malware "remover" or an antivirus? HijackThis is a malware diagnoser. It was not made to completely eliminate all malware. It was created to group together useful information so that helpers could be ahead of the game. It was created so that helpers could find out the problem and use other methods to fix it. How often have you seen something fixed just by fixing it in HijackThis?

He also foolishly assumes that his much lauded antivirus and antispyware programs will fix everything when this is far from the case. These applications are based off of computers and thus are like robots. Antivirus programs rely on pre-stated definitions files and heuristics that often yield false positives. I think he would agree that humans can do a job much better than a computer. He claims that HijackThis is a last resort tool when often times it is an only resort tool.

Only the people who don't know what they are talking about recommend switching to Firefox when an active infection is still present. None of the helpers on any tech support board (including this one) would ever promote this blatant act of avoidance.

The only point in his whole article that I agree on is the point about elitism. All of these secret classrooms and "expert" forums can get very out of hand sometimes. It would be much better if all information was out in the open. Sometimes though such institutions are necessary to stop the distribution of potentially harmful information. It's not like only special people can join these classrooms either. Anyone with a desire to learn can join.

EDIT: I hope you don't take this as an attack towards you powerless. :)

[Chris]

Anyone with a desire to learn can join.

EDIT: I hope you don't take this as an attack towards you powerless. :)

Umm no :flowers:

I just supplying the link ;)

[Chris]

What does the morning shift have to say?

[nellie2]

I think LineOFire has said it all... I can't really add anymore.

I don't consider myself 'elite' or 'expert'. I spend hours and hours poring over other peoples malware problems and trying my best to help them using the tools that are freely available on the net.

Those of us who come through the classrooms are taught that the first and most important thing is TO DO NO HARM. It would be good if the info in the classrooms was freely available, but malware is changing and updating all the time. What was once relevant and useful can be potentially dangerous in this ever changing environment.

We do get some people joining the classrooms who say... I want to be an expert, but they don't last long, because it is bloody hard work.