Questions about HOST files

[Michael_aust]

I am thinking of using one of those hosts files you guys always go on about. I have used links on the forum to research them. I think i roughly understand what they are and do, am I right in saying if i type in say nastycomputerythings.com it will stop me goin to its IP thingys address and will stop things loading from those address in the hosts file?

AOL is my ISP, and I use a mixture of FF,IE and the AOL browser. Will it cause any problems if I use a hosts file seeing as i'm on AOL?

If i decide to get a hosts file am I right in saying all I have to do is go to c:/windows/system32/drivers/etc and just put the file into there ad I'm all sorted? Or is there more that needs to be done?

Can anyone suggest a good hosts file because there seem to be so many and I dotn know which oens are the best nd more thorough etc? Would I need to download a manager because I doubt I would be altering it very often?

If i find that the hsiost file messes things up if i just delet it and put the original back in will it be ok?

thats about all I can think of asking please tell me if there are any other things I should be aware of.

Thanks

Michael :)

[Blackspear]

-{ Quote: "if i type in say nastycomputerythings.com it will stop me goin to its IP thingys address and will stop things loading from those address in the hosts file?" }-Basically IE and FF send a command to Windows, Windows looks in the Hosts file, if a bad site is listed, then that’s as far as your system goes, it does not actually connect to the internet.


-{ Quote: "AOL is my ISP, and I use a mixture of FF,IE and the AOL browser. Will it cause any problems if I use a hosts file seeing as i'm on AOL?" }-No problem at all.


-{ Quote: "If i decide to get a hosts file am I right in saying all I have to do is go to c:/windows/system32/drivers/etc and just put the file into there ad I'm all sorted? Or is there more that needs to be done?" }-Slightly more, delete or rename the existing hosts file and replace it with the one that you download, rename the file by removing the “.txt” extension.

Right click on My Computer and click on Manage.

Go to Services and Applications> Services> DNS change this to Manuel.

I would then use something like Hoster to make the Hosts file Read Only.


-{ Quote: "Can anyone suggest a good hosts file because there seem to be so many and I dotn know which oens are the best nd more thorough etc?" }-HPguru’s regularly updated Host Files: http://www.hosts-file.net/downloads.html


-{ Quote: "Would I need to download a manager because I doubt I would be altering it very often?" }-Not at all, it's just over 1MB in size.


-{ Quote: "If i find that the hsiost file messes things up if i just delet it and put the original back in will it be ok?" }-Sure, though you won’t need to.

[Bubba]

Hey Micheal,

I'm not sure which links you have read....but IMO....if you have not visited the below link....it was one of the very first sites where many of us learned the meaning\definition of a Hosts file.

This link---> What is the Hosts file? (http://accs-net.com/hosts/what_is_hosts.html)

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/images/icons/icon4.gif I also caution you to read the info in the below link concerning a Hosts file and the DNS client service.http://www.wilderssecurity.com/images/icons/icon4.gif

in most cases a large HOSTS file (over 135 kb) tends to slow down the machine. This only occurs in W2000 and XP.

This link---> Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File (http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm)

[Michael_aust]

Thanks for the help I thin k I have set it up now right. I used the link to host files that blackspear gave me. It seems to work in FF and IE but when I try it through AOL browser(I know its pretty much IE) it doesnt work it lets the sites load. Have I done something wrong? or is it to do with AOL?

On the link blackspear posted it says critical updates for their host file, do I need to use this or am I ok just using the host file as it is

Also what good host files manager are there I know there is hostess and Hoster, whihc of the two is the best and easiest to use?

Thanks for your help, appretiate it loads.

Michael :)

[Bubba]

-{ Quote: "when I try it through AOL browser(I know its pretty much IE) it doesnt work it lets the sites load." }-The link provided in post # 4 provided information concerning AOL and the use of it's proxy.

"If you are connected to the Internet using AOL, a custom dialer provided by your ISP, through a Local Area Network (LAN) connection or a remote proxy server these procedures (using a HOSTS file) may not be effective."

This link---> Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File (http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm)

[Michael_aust]

il look into it on that site then, thanks for the help.

Michael