Software Update: Hitman Pro 2.3

The Hitman Pro website still lists version 2.2.1, but version 2.3 of this antispyware program is already being retrieved via the internal update module. This program is intended as an all-in-one solution to remove viruses, spy, ad and malware from a Windows machine. On the one hand, it uses established programs such as Ad-Aware, Spy Sweeper, Spybot, SpywareBlaster, CWShredder, Trend Micro Sysclean and NOD32 AntiThreat, but there is also a Hitman Pro AntiSpyware developed by Mark Loman himself.

The aforementioned programs are downloaded one by one from the manufacturers’ websites, installed and run automatically. Afterwards, an extensive report is generated with all found and removed junk. Although most individual programs work under all versions of Windows, Hitman Pro will only run under Windows 2000 and XP. Some programs are also installed that can only be used for a limited period of time. The changelog for this release shows the following changes:

What has been added, improved or changed in Hitman Pro 2.3:

• Detection of suspicious files in alternative data streams added (Heuristic analysis Hitman Pro AntiSpyware). Alternate data streams is part of the NTFS file system. This function is part of the heuristics function.
• Many parts of the heuristics module in Hitman Pro AntiSpyware have been improved or rewritten. For example, the necessary scan time of System Registry has become 10x faster because, among other things, a temporary search database is created in advance.
• It is no longer necessary to close Internet Explorer after starting Hitman Pro. Internet Explorer now simply closes if it is a parent process of spyware so that spyware can be removed.
• Heuristic analysis improved:
  • If spyware is found in a folder, the other files in this folder are examined more strictly.
  • If an empty folder is left in the Start menu (which contained a shortcut to spyware), this folder will now also be deleted.
  • If there are no more files in a folder where spyware was found, this folder will be deleted.
• Started to display additional information about the active task in the Hitman Pro window. This will be expanded in the near future.
• NOD32 driver module updated.
  • NOD32’s updates are now fetched by NOD32 itself (powered by Hitman Pro)
  • During the installation of NOD32 a balloon is shown stating that only the on-demand version will be installed and that the normal trial version also offers active protection.
  • If Hitman Pro has not found an antivirus on the system, the complete trial of NOD32 will be installed (incl. active protection).
  • The kernel service is no longer on manual start so that the NOD32 updater can be used and to avoid problems during an upgrade from trial to commercial version.
• Added support for Spyware Doctor 3.2.2
• Fixed problem with Spyware Doctor (Hitman Pro sometimes stopped working when spyware was found).
• Improved control of Spybot S&D. In rare situations, Spybot S&D was shut down while it could be removing spyware.
• Improved restoring files from quarantine (folder structure is now also restored).
• Added support for the retail version of Spy Sweeper 4.5 (trial version is not yet supported). Also:
  • Spy Sweeper is now updated as updates to Hitman Pro and external programs are updated (at the beginning).
  • During inspections by Spy Sweeper, active installations of spyware are always prevented (Spy Sweeper shields).
  • Hitman Pro enables Rootkit detection in Spy Sweeper (Rootkit detection is new in Spy Sweeper 4.5).
• CWShredder 2.18 added
• Updated statistics upload.
  • Whether or not the statistics were successfully uploaded is no longer mentioned in the report (don’t worry if it doesn’t work).
  • HitmanProStats.exe is no longer used for uploading the statistics. This is therefore also removed.
  • Added support for the new statistics server.

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