Hitman Pro Support and Discussion Thread

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

Last summer I cleaned about a half-dozen Trojans off of a friend's computer. I had never heard of Hitman Pro until I started to clean-up after the Trojans. He had installed and used Hitman Pro, but obviously it failed to help my friend. While Hitman Pro utilizes numerous free anti-spyware engines, their installation all at once may, and most likely does, create many conflicting registry entries. It would be like installing multiple anti-virus and firewall programs on the same machine. Not a good idea!

If you research the top anti-malware forums, none are using any of the free tools that are included in Hitman Pro to clean-up infections. They are primarily using programs like Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, SuperAntiSpyware, and ComboFix. My advice would be to stick with these tried and proven programs under the forum's supervision.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitman_Pro

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

tokatee, that's the old version 2 you are referring to.

It would install several free scanners on your system, some were trial only, and some took a long time to install and update.

The one we are referring to is their new version 3 - hitman pro 3.

Uses online scanning, or what's referred to 'in the cloud' scanning. Nothing is installed on your system. No processes running after the scan is complete. The online engines used in this version (Hitman Pro 3) are:

• avira

• emsisoft

• Eset

• G-Data (avast and bitdefender)

• prevx.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

I tested this today on a PC infected with a new form of the TDSS rootkit and this thing just completely owned it in matter of minutes. A+ performance. I think it has something to do with the fact that Hitman Pro isn't very widely known and TDSS blocks common antiviruses, antispyware and other antimalware apps from running/installing but not Hitman Pro. Sometimes I wish if apps like this would stay unnoticed for this reason.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

Cool, nice work.

Just noticed it's a 30 day trial. So far so good.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

And the best part is that its available for free, if you buy it with other suites. So you get real-time protection and cloud based protection too
http://www.surfright.nl/en/shop/hitmanpro-bundles

I think this year instead of renewing my subscription, I'll buy it with HitManPro

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

Vista SP1; slow and the online scanner part got stuck on some of my files. Tried to uninstall but without success.

IME, I would not recommend this unless you have a backup snapshot/image.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

Blackcat, I'm also using Vista SP1 (with avira - sandboxie).

I've uninstalled the program a few times when testing it out, and re-installed after seeing this thread pop-up. No problems.

In the past I've used hijackfree to uninstall services quite easily.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

@Saraceno et al

To be fair I tried Hitman Pro v3 last night, and it took four minutes to complete its' scanning of my computer. However, it did not find anything wrong, even after I dropped two Trojans smack-dab on my desktop. The lack of user control and settings is troubling, as well as its inability to target specific drives and directories. It took me three times as long to clean up the files and registry entries it left behind after an un-install of the program. It took another ten minutes to restore a previously saved (and clean) image with Acronis.

It is questionable at best as to the effectiveness of Hitman Pro v3, and it really was not worth the time and effort I put into using it.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

tokatee, I'm no expert, but I'm assuming it focusses on active programs running. So you'd have to execute the files and then run a scan.

Whereas your traditional AV scan focuses on scanning every file and folder, but has a much longer scan time.

Also, I think they are not advertising as a replacement for an AV. As vijayind noted, they're promoting their product for free if you buy ESET or Avira, so it might be just an additional tool. Just like the malware/spyware scanners available, or even the AVZ tool I use, it doesn't find what my AV does, but on the odd occasion, it might be a good back-up just to find that one bad file.

I think to see if a program is effective or ineffective, a larger sample is needed. For example, too often I hear people mention a particular AV is terrible (and I'd agree) as it missed a few samples, but then I read an AV-Comparatives report, and see how well that program does with dealing with 1.3 million samples.

I guess what I'm saying, the effectiveness of these security programs is all relative to the user, and what we're downloading. What might be ineffective for one person (missing samples) ends up impressing another (detecting previously missed samples).

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

Thanks, Saraceno.

If I try again in the future, I will try via Services next time

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

I visited a particular site to download a few 'trojans'. (Thank you shadow defender for allowing me to install malware).

I installed three known 'trojan files' (pc security labs - verified by member using NAV09) - mostly coming from the brothersoft site.

1. Flashmute.exe
2. AlienShooter.exe
3. MyEmoticon.exe

I left my AV running, which you can see in the taskbar. I was going to hit 'deny' if it gave an alert.

Ran Hitman Pro, and it picked-up FlashMute and MyEmoticon

2/3 files aint bad when the AV misses all of three. Might need another program to remove all these

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

did avira missed those 3 viruses?thanks for the test

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

does hitmanpro removes malware too?thanks

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

It removed most of the files, but one was still able to run.

Installed the programs again, and prevx CSI came up all ok.

I guess there's some much 'junk' being released each day, no one program will detect all of them.

I'll give it a scan with a-squared.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

At virustotal:

MyEmoticons= 17/38 (Avira premium picks this up along with McAfee/Symantec/Nod etc)

FlashMute = 15/39 (Avira premium/McAfee/Symantec/Nod etc)

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

with a-squared runing it is like garbage day pic up

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

Thought I'd try one more.

AV flagged this one straight away - so I had to disable it and install this one.

File Anti_Virus.exe received on 03.04.2009 11:22:20 (CET)
Current status: finished
Result: 6/39 (15.38%)
(Avast, Nod, A-Squared, G-Data, Ikarus and VBA) - the rest undetected.

Hitman Pro, didn't pick this up.

Avira, although not mentioned above did. So did prevx CSI.

You win some, you lose some. If you download a lot of unknown programs, best to install AV+others.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

jmonge, didn't see your question. Hitman Pro trial (and paid) does remove as well.

See screenshots below.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

avira and prevx are doing just fine

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

cool

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

Scanners aside, if malware can't be found or shutdown and is giving you grief, although not the most thorough method, delete the process/malware manually. Then work through startup list, services, IE add ons etc.






And as shown in the image below, program won't be able to launch anymore.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

@Saraceno

You are a very knowledgeable individual in regard to Spyware/Malware detection and removal. However, I will always have my doubts as to the effectiveness of a four minute scan utilizing Hitman Pro v3. In my opinion I would feel that my computer were more secure using a DOS based command-line scanner in Safe Mode, that takes four hours to run, rather than that of a four minute scan by Hitman Pro v3.

I have to reiterate what I had previously stated:

"If you research the top anti-malware forums, none are using any of the free tools that are included in Hitman Pro to clean-up infections. They are primarily using programs like Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, SuperAntiSpyware, and ComboFix. My advice would be to stick with these tried and proven programs under the forum's supervision."

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

tokatee, thank you for the compliment, but I have to say, I'm not knowledgeable at all. I've just been burned/toasted by some malware in the old days, and hopefully, I don't get done again.

Everything you've said, I agree with you. Malwarebytes, SAS, ComboFix are all well regarded and do an awesome job.

I recommend those above Hitman Pro. For sure. I guess I just enjoy testing out new programs, just like when the Twister program was mentioned on here awhile back, and it was unknown by almost everyone. Now us users know for a program with no popular reviews, it sure does do its job.

Anyway, although hitman pro is simplistic, if it continues to improve and is more widely tested, I could see myself recommending such a simple program to a friend. eg. 'Hey, click on this icon at least twice a week'. 'But I got avast?' 'Yeah you do, but click on this on top of using Avast, cool?' They wouldn't need to change any settings, just run the program.

I've really struggled to get people to use a-squared free, SAS and malwarebytes, and other on-demand scans when I've loaded these programs on their computer to save them money and possible computer problems. I even bookmark dr web's cureit, and tell friends to click on the link and download it once a month. Friends say they load up the program, will update, then run a scan, but nine times out of 10, they will never perform those steps or use the program again.

An icon on the desktop however, to just perform 'one step', to click on an icon on the desktop and a scan is performed, like Hitman Pro, or better yet, prevx CSI, I can really see the value in those 'simple' programs for your average user.

Anyway, without me rambling too much, the place to test out these programs is right here at wilders. Rather then wait for programs to be tested and reviewed by some magazine, guys here seem to take the initiative and detail the pros and cons of using security programs. And from their advice, not only have I learned a lot, I've helped a lot of people I know.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

Exactly why I mentioned TDSS in my above example. If your PC is infected with the newest form of TDSS I doubt you can run any of those. I used to use OTMoveIt and TheAvenger to remove such items manually before as they aren't that well known and now I know that Hitman Pro also fits into the non-well-known category. It's just easier using an automated scanner.

 

Re: Anyone tried out Hitman Pro?

yashau, some interesting posts on the web about the TDSS rootkit.
http://bias9.blogspot.com/2008/11/tdss-rootkit-removal.html

So once you ran Hitman Pro, was it safe to delete all the files it found regarding the TDSS rootkit? Anything else you did to remove the rootkit?