If you want my straight recommendation, I'd leave the hosts file at the
installed default, which contains exactly one active line--
127.0.0.1 localhost
Microsoft Antispyware will show this as an empty hosts file, so I'm not sure
what the choices are that you are seeing. According to the help, you can
choose to "deactivate" or "remove."
Deactivate should be reversable--I'm not sure how this is done, but the
logical way would be to turn the lines into comments--this is easily done.
If you want to work with the hosts file, the Microsoft Antispyware system
explorer hosts file explorer is a miserable way to do it. You'd be much
happier with a tool made for the purpose, such as:
http://www.funkytoad.com/hoster.htm
This has a one button solution to take you back to the original hosts file.
If you want to fill it up again with sites that it will prevent you from
accessing, I believe it is Spybot Search and Destroy that provides that
list, or, you can use the Microsoft MVP's hosts file, found here:
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
and updated just 3 days ago.
--
"Ron Cross" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:25AF3AB3-09BE-4D00-AE20-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Bill,
> One more question...
> I tried to uninstall the antispyware and reinstall it to correct the
> mistakes I make on the windows host files by making them deactivate. The
> computer remembers the setup the incorrect way. How can I uninstall it and
> reinstall so I do not have to go back through each individual record and
> correct them.. Doing it individually is a very slow process which I really
> wish not to do again.
> Thanks Ron
>
> "Bill Sanderson" wrote:
>
>> The entries on that list are individual lines in a text file. If the
>> general form of each entry is 127.0.0.1 "some bad site"
>>
>> then you can leave them alone.
>>
>> However, to be certain, you need to look at all of them. Some
>> third-party
>> anti-spyware programs place these entries as a mechanism to keep you from
>> visiting bad sites. However, viruses also use this mechanism to keep
>> your
>> machine from updating its antivirus signatures--so it cuts both ways, and
>> every line needs to be examined.
>>
>> The effect of "deactivate" is to remove that line from the file. The
>> wording in this section is confusing at best, I believe.
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> "Ron Cross" <Ron (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:AE1F25AA-3871-4A63-AB78-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >I just have a quick question....Under the Advance tools is windows host
>> > files. Should deactivate these files or leave them alone?
>> >
>> > Thanks Ron
>>
>>
>>
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