14 DAY TRIAL // HijackRemote?
If you haven't already heard of HijackThis Remote Client, then I am glad I'll be the first one sharing the good news. I've recently had the pleasure of testing out this latest addition to the great and definitely worth having HijackThis.
If you're like a lot of other normal users out there, you might not know what's going on with your system. You are now in a very large group of people who have that same problem. Now imagine that you do find out what the problem is (you run an antivirus scan or an adware scan), but you don't really know what to do with the files that were found infected. This is not uncommon folks, it does happen to some computer users.
HijackThis has also created a name for itself in being one of the most useful little programs you can possibly have on your computer. It's small, it's powerful and it helps you identify the many things that could be bogging your system. This piece of software is hailed by many power users as a must-have for your system because it makes it ultra easy to actually get rid of some of the malware you have, but it also picks up what other tools might miss.
What's All The Commotion?
Their latest sidenote, HijackRemote looks like a page right out of the already written chapter of hjt.iamnotageek.com. This little add-on has improved on a service that was already top of the line.
Let's begin by detailing what HijackRemote can already do for you. I'd have to say that it's true that the program does seem to target the more knowledgeable users who know their systems and know them well.
Now there's no need to be one of those power users. The program starts off with the user entering his/her name, an email and a general description of the problem that the program seems to have. It goes onto scan your system and it gives you the popular HijackThis log file that most people use as a sort of standard.
After the log file is created, you're able to go in and actually click on the applications that it has found and either fix or delete what's there. This is where the problem of user levels comes in. Some users go ahead and delete anything without reading that "Below are the results of the scan. Be careful what you delete, HijackThis cannot determine what is bad and what is merely customizable by you." This is why most people go ahead and get rid of it all since they don't read or don't know the layout of their systems.
This is where HijackThis Remote Client comes in. It's the added ability to dial directly into a database of knowledgeable people who know systems. I sent my log file and HijackThis log file to the right people and I ended up waiting about a full day for the results to actually get back to me. It's supposed to sit quietly until the report has been looked through and examined (if you try exiting the program without this being complete, you get a message letting you know that you won't be receiving the reply from a pro).
Overall, my experience with HijackRemote was a lot better than I anticipated it would be, but it still left me wanting more. I didn't have to sit quietly too long until a response was ready, only a day (this is also because I was expecting the service to take a lot longer). I was given feedback by professionals who reviewed my report, downloaded the spyware treatment, and then was told to also download a Spyware Blaster to get rid of any remaining spyware.
You have a few other options you can play around with (generating a startup list/ignore list, abilities to play with the system tools, opening a process manager or a hosts file manager or deleting an NT service). This program is especially helpful since it creates backups of everything. The ADS Spy tool scans for alternate data streams as well. That's the beauty of it.
The Good
If there's something wrong with your system, the log will pick it up and it'll tell you if you can keep or get rid of it. It's a fast, working and absolutely great program for power users. HijackRemote not only makes it accessible to novices, but it even gives help and detailed accounts to the mediocre-advanced users. It's also great to have someone else do all the work.
The Bad
Maybe the waiting time, can be a bit of a bother if you want the information ASAP. Other than that, I can't find too much wrong. Maybe spruce up the interface a bit? It looks sort of bland. There are other Web sites that do this exact same thing, but I can't tell if they do a better job or not (hjt.iamnotageek.com).
The Truth
If you've got computer problems and you want a professional to help you out, then get this piece of software. It'll be your new lifesaver. Enjoy. Oh, and thanks Stevenlamhkhk for taking a look at my system ;) you were a great technician.
Check out the screenshots below.
