is there a possibility to change the name from processhacker e.g. to process checker?

[ImSpecial]

Why? In an attempt to try and fool AV/false positives...?

Might as well call it "BirthdayCakeHappyFunTime" then.

[cubakcabak]

i think ProcessManager is more suitable name, if developer decide to rename it.

for obvious reasons, because this app manage (all) process in the systems.

i know it's "too generic" name, but it's purposely so, and do well at it.

[spytheman]

I like the name processhacker.

[benrg]

I favor changing it, not because I dislike the name, but because I suspect that it would significantly reduce the frequency of issues like #904 and #997, which are real usability problems. Maybe I'm just being cynical, and the vendors always thoroughly investigate Process Hacker before they unaccountably decide that it's malware.

[DerekZiemba]

I've been using ProcessHacker for over 5-6 years now and hate working on computers without it. That includes work computers.

Over the years across different jobs, it's always been a battle to install it, and once it's installed, people make comments about its trustworthiness - all stemming from having Hacker in the name.

At the 1st company in 2016 it took me >6 months to get approval and that was only because a unique problem that I knew ProcessHacker could help with (paths of loaded dlls & open handles). I was finally able to convince my boss after remoting into my home PC and giving a demo.

My current employer is much more lax and programs don't require approval, however the security software (I think Norton, I haven't been on the office PC since COVID and can't recall) put up a fight and denied access to even the ProcessHacker homepage. Attempts to download the installer from sourceforge were also blocked (would immediately get deleted), and USB storage devices are disabled on company PCs. Eventually I circumvented these obstacles by remoting to my home PC via TeamViewer, 7-Ziping and encrypting the installer, dragging the archive to the desktop, then extracting the archived installer to a folder with permissions set so only I could read and write to it. Apparently the security software doesn't scan in memory processes because that worked.
Thanks to ProcessHackers auto-updater I haven't needed to jump through hoops since, and good thing because I can't do it a second time. Not long after getting the office PC setup, my private free-for-personal-use-only TeamViewer account got banned for suspected corporate use (after using it to configure my work PC like my home PC and print documents at work stored on my home PC) due to connecting from a known corporate IP address...

Some of my fellow co-workers have commented on it, especially in regards to the name. A few of them have also realized the utility and installed it on their own PC's (via encrypted 7z archive sent over Slack).

Something needs to be done to make ProcessHacker appear more trustworthy in the eyes of the average person.
IMO, a name change to something more friendly without a negative connotation in regards to security would be hugely beneficial.

---

It's been a while since an official release. Perhaps when ProcessHacker V3 is ready to hit production, instead of calling it ProcessHacker V3, it could be the all new ProcessManager/ProcessBoss/ProcessCop/ProcessPatrol/ProcessInspector/ProcessInvestigator/ProcessInterrogator v1.0

[EntityReborn]

I have a program I use that checks for debuggers, etc, and in one case it checks for processhacker.exe. If I rename the exe file, it loads but plugins dont. If I leave it as-is, plugins load, but the program force closes it. This is a valid usecase for renaming.

[microdee]

I like the name processhacker.

we all do. Evil MegaCorp™ Inc. doesn't. It has Hacker in the name. That's not stonks!

[valinet]

Where’s the “free speech defending army” in this case? Oh yeah, excuse me, this is a legit case, not some politically motivated bullshit, so they don’t bother “educating” the public opinion in this case.

Thumbs up for the developer, besides appreciating the usefulness and the amount of work required for such an app, it’s also a tremendous fight with Microsoft and AV vendors just for the privilege (nowadays) to be able to run a legitimate application freely, as requested by the computer’s user.

Thank you🙏

[Masamune3210]

The stigma around the word hacker is reallllllly dumb, the fact that most people and companies see it and immediately assume the worst is possibly the stupidest thing ever

[microdee]

or go on the gnu/unix style naming like proch (in the spirit of htop)

[SanderBouwhuis]

I too have to say I'm having a hard time recommending this to be installed on other people's computers. I have some customers I help on a regular basis who could really use process hacker because it has more features than the windows task manager. But, because of the name it is a real hurdle.

Please, please, change the name. Remove the word hacker. Some of the suggestions already mentioned above are really good : ProcessManager and ProccesHandler and ProcessInspector.

Words matter!

[Masamune3210]

They really dont, not when the only reason to change the name is a decades outdated stigma against the word in question. Changing a name just because people don't like the name is missing the point

[valinet]

Yeah, and it’s not that they don’t like it even, it’s because some people think something named “hacker” is a clear indication something’s malicious, and similarly some sell “highly praised” antivirus solutions whose top detection methods revolve around checking whether the executable name contains words like these. I wouldn’t change the name for anything in the world; not only is this software a very good program for its purpose, but it can also be used as a very efficient stupidity detector - a quick way to asses how smart a person is without asking too much from them.

[microdee]

decades outdated stigma against the word in question

everyone loves the name Process Hacker, I also do, and it would be a better word if this name wouldn't matter. But unfortunately the source of this problem (as usually with other problems in the world) corporate culture. Notice how none of the corporate targeted software tools contain "Hack" or "Crack" or any 1337 scene stuff in their name, because it raises suspicion for all the wrong reasons. Corporate shit needs to be non-threatening, sterile, radio-friendly, unimaginative and should not invoke any emotion other than optionally awe and/or optimism. It's horrible, I despise that, but unfortunately they will ban anything which goes against those.

Because of these shenanigans ProcessHacker with its name is only useful on personal PC's which the user has full control over, but painfully it can't be used in many professional or academic environments, and again because our prejudicial society is broken, this amazing tool cannot reach its full potential and reputation it can possibly have. Unfortunately for a rightfully paranoiac IT security person or sysadmin who don't know this tool and doesn't have time to look into this tool, the name might unjustly automatically suggest malicious intent. :(

[InternetPseudonym]

Corporate shit needs to be non-threatening, sterile, radio-friendly, unimaginative and should not invoke any emotion other than optionally awe and/or optimism. It's horrible, I despise that, but unfortunately they will ban anything which goes against those.

THIS!

I also love the name - but i also want to use it everywhere with absolutely no problem. This tool deserves a permanent place on every developers' shelf ... but that won't be possible with "hacker" in its name. We are always forced to either go against corporate policy or convince a lot of difficult-to-deal-with people. This is 2022, people - people still are dumb. Not much progress has happened.

My vote shall be: "Process Manager", i guess

[SeriousM]

What if you just build it yourself under another name? I guess it's trivial to mass-find-and-replace Hacker with Manager.

Corporate shit needs to be non-threatening, sterile, radio-friendly, unimaginative and should not invoke any emotion other than optionally awe and/or optimism. It's horrible, I despise that, but unfortunately they will ban anything which goes against those.

Corporations are lead by people and they have emotions. You can't change that.

[InternetPseudonym]

search&replace rarely works in projects which grew beyond a certain scale. Process Hacker pretty much grew into a behemoth so failure of that action should be guaranteed ... but it's worth a try i guess

[PleasantMachine9]

What if you just build it yourself under another name? I guess it's trivial to mass-find-and-replace Hacker with Manager.

FYI: even if this were trivial (which it isn't really, let's be honest), it would be requiring you to buy your own digital code signing certificate and signing all the binaries (kernel driver as well maybe?) yourself. Those certificates are hundreds of dollars and a huge hassle all around.

The alternative, which is getting unsigned executables past IT and AV is not much easier, if not harder than getting something through with "hacker" in its name. AV software and Windows in general is extremely allergic to unsigned code, to the point that it complains about running programs you compiled yourself in Visual Studio...

[SeriousM]

That would mean that someone would have to donate a few hundred dollars if the "hacker" part should be changed... I guess that will never happen, ppl expect open source to be free but in reality it isn't.

[DerekZiemba]

That would mean that someone would have to donate a few hundred dollars if the "hacker" part should be changed...

No it wouldn't. Not if @dmex supports a name change, he already has a certificate.

[MonsterSe7en]

I love the title Process Hacker

[dmex]

The project name has changed 🥳

[lynrayy]

How to change name in processhacker? I need it because virus closing my task manager and processhacker by window name!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SanderBouwhuis]

@lynrayy You can download SystemInformer.

1. It is the new name of the ProcessHacker.
2. It is where all new developments take place.
3. (auto) updates only work on SystemInformer (ProcessHacker is no longer updated).

[lynrayy]

Do you think the virus developers are standing still and won't add a new name to the list of keywords for closing windows? The idea is that the program would have something in the window title that you specify yourself, and not the original name that the virus detects

[SanderBouwhuis]

Actually, I think virus developers are stupid and only added ProcessHacker because of the name. SystemInformer IS NOT A VIRUS. Any virus developer would know that. The alternative option is that the virus scanner simply looks at what SystemInformer can do, and on the basis of that block it because of heuristically determining that either the behaviour is suspicious, or simply that SystemInformer is a 'potentially unwanted program'.

But, again... there is NO virus in SystemInformer.