HijackThis
free and open-source tool to detect malware and adware on Microsoft Windows
HijackThis (also HiJackThis or HJT) is a free and open-source tool to detect malware and adware on Microsoft Windows. It was originally created by Merijn Bellekom, and later sold to Trend Micro. The program is notable for quickly scanning a user's computer to display the most common locations of malware, rather than relying on a database of known spyware. HijackThis is used primarily for diagnosis of malware, not to remove or detect spyware—as uninformed use of its removal facilities can cause significant software damage to a computer. Browser hijacking can cause malware to be installed on a computer.
On February 16, 2012, Trend Micro released the HijackThis source code as open source and it is now available on the SourceForge site.
Use
HijackThis can generate a plain-text logfile detailing all entries it finds, and some entries can be fixed by HijackThis. Inexperienced users are advised to exercise caution or seek help when using the latter option. Except for a small whitelist of known safe entries, HijackThis does not discriminate between legitimate and unwanted items. HijackThis attempts to create backups of the files and registry entries that it fixes, which can be used to restore the system in the event of a mistake.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “HijackThis” as free and open-source tool to detect malware and adware on Microsoft Windows. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as free and open-source tool to detect malware and adware on Microsoft Windows. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 5, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q997638. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2012.
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This entry incorporates text from “HijackThis” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.