HOSTs file. Why the conflict?

After having this happen to me twice in the last month, I start to question why do some products lock up when I have a nice HOST file from Bluetack? MSAS refuses to scan my computer. Prevx1R refuses to install and/or load. Why is my HOST file causing so many problems?

 

Sosaiso,
Read this :
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

I don't think it will solve your problem with MSAS and keep in mind that MSAS is still a BETA version.
But it could fix your other problems. Worth to try it, because it's free.

 

How do you know it's your hosts file causing problems? do they work if you turn off your hosts file?

 

True. I hope sosaiso tested this first. I'm sure about MSAS, but Prevx1R could be another problem.

Personally, I think that the hosts file has the wrong file type.
The hosts file is in fact nothing but a txt-file and if another program has to search in a txt-file, the search will be VERY SLOW, much slower than a search in an indexed database. Any programmer knows that.
So each other program, that needs to search in the hosts file will work slower.
The larger the hosts file is, the longer the search time will be.
The hosts file is NOT the right file type for searching data and I would never use a txt-file for that purpose.

After all the hosts file wasn't originally designed to store infected websites.

 

Yep, turned off DNS Client when I downloaded my host file. Never had a problem before. And I know for sure the conflict with Prevx was with my HOST file because I disabled everything but that and tried installation. Complete failure. Restored system, turned off host, installed, SUCCESS! So those are the only two programs I know as of now that have conflicts. But as to why, I am still unsure.

I'm glad you pointed out the MSAS problem Erik, that saved me from uninstalling MSAS in frustration. ;P

 

Sosaiso

Prevx1 did have an issue in an early development release where hidden characters at the end of the host file caused Prevx1 to lockup. Can you check there is no white space after the last visable character in your host file.

Prevx Support

 

stubbs100

As much as I wish this was the problem it was not. I tried to load up my Bluetack HOST, deleted white spaces. Rebooted into a lock up. I had to reboot into safe mode several times to restore the original Windows HOSTS in order for me to be able to boot normally. Are there any plans to fix this conflict between Prevx1 and a large HOSTS file?

Although your reply was much more helpful than the one Customer Support gave:

But not the fix. :T

 

Sosaiso,
Did you try the MVPS Hosts File with Prevx, just for testing purposes ?
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
This Hosts file is smaller than the Bluetack one.

 

I will try this out later tonight after backing up my home computer. I believe the MVPS is only 240k? Hopefully this would work, so I can get the best of both worlds.

 

Still a lockup. Prevx Support told me they were going to work out this bug.

 

I thought if you remove/disable the "agent" that checks for host changes from MSAS the problem was gone? maybe I'm wrong.

But if I'm not wrong, you could try to do the same thing for Prevx.

with such an artillerie as prevx, there is no need for checking the host with a kernel level program, you can use other tools for checking your host changes ..

cheers

 

Well with the new Prevx1 product I can't seem to be able to turn any of its built in feature off.

As for MSAS the problem only happened during scans. I found the realtime protection to be helpful actually.

 

Hi,

Fix for Prev1 coming out soon. See http://www.castlecops.com/p693010-HOSTs_file.html#693010 for further details.

ghiser1

 

Good. Hopefully, M$ fixes MSAS Beta1 also.

 

What problem is that exactly? MSAS works fine with my hosts file.

 

It locks up during a scan. Especially with the Bluetack HOSTS. But with MVPS the lockup wasn't too bad. [Just a few hours for me.]

 

You must have a slow computer and a very large host file. I think you will have problems with most program tries that tries to scan the host files for bad entries.

 

The only thing M$ has to do is providing a switch to enable/disable the hosts scan, so that users with a slow computer can disable the hosts scan and run MSAS without freezing.

 

Hi All,

Regarding BlueTack hosts file please see the following thread, post#7

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=101201 and it link!


Thanks
rico

 

Cute, but that's a matter of personal opinion, and does nothing to help with the topics subject problem. I choose to support them. But right now the point is to resolve the clashes between HOSTS files and other programs.

 

Hi Sosaiso,

When I supported BlueTack I had the same problems, you have. The easy solution is to support/use MVP's hosts file. Some of the problems I no longer experience since abandoning BlueTack are:

1.MSAS (microsoft antispyware) completes a scan, using MVP's
2.Multiple favorite web sites are now not blocked. Geez! I've been renting movies from Netflix for years. With BlueTack in place I could not rent movies.
Also at one point BlueTack had cnn.com, as a a bad place.
3.I choose not to support anyone who knowingly steals, or uses copyrighted material as there own.

rico

 

Prevx has fixed this conflict issue. Keep up the good work guys.

 

Rico,
I fully agree with you concerning the contents of the Bluetack Hosts File and my readings confirm it too, that's why I use the MVPS Hosts file also.
Nevertheless, MSAS needs to be adjusted, because the quantity of infected websites grows every day until the MVPS Hosts file will become also too large for MSAS.
Using a simple txt-file for searching is also questionable.
All hosts files are based on blacklists with a very slow updating compared with scanners and that's a rather poor protection.
The only advantage of a hosts file is its PREVENTING nature

 

DNSkong has all the advanatages of a host file, without the disavantages.

Whether an average user can figure out how to install it is a question though.