Blocking Hosts

[Bill Chase]

Advanced Toos>System Explorers>Networking>Windows Hosts
File
Okay, we are shown dozens of names we want to block, but
no way to select more than one at a time. Plus, blocking
each is a multi-step process. Why isn't there a "select
all" box or drop down choice? This is taking hours!

 

[plun]

Bill Chase presented the following explanation :

Advanced Toos>System Explorers>Networking>Windows Hosts
File
Okay, we are shown dozens of names we want to block, but
no way to select more than one at a time. Plus, blocking
each is a multi-step process. Why isn't there a "select
all" box or drop down choice? This is taking hours!

Hi

Try this tool for resetting your hosts file

Download Hoster:
http://members.aol.com/toadbee/hoster.zip
Unzip, install the program and run it.
Press Restore Original Hosts and press OK*
Exit the program, and you should now be able to access the sites you
need.

MSAS then protect your hosts file after this reset.

Reference:
http://www.broadbandreports.com/faq/10131

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Bill - If you are seeing dozens of nasty looking names in your hosts file,
it is because some other antispyware program has put them there, prefixed by
127.0.0.1, in order to keep you from accidentally or intentionally going to
those domains.

So--what you are seeing, is in all likelyhood entirely innocent--perhaps
even Good.

OTOH, we've had other messages in the last week from users whose hosts file
has been similarly filled with Good entities--www.symantec.com, perhaps--as
an example.

The hosts file is a two-edged sword.

I'd go with plun's advice--get the editor he suggests and remove all but the
essential entry(s) from the file. For the average home user, all that are
needed are the comment lines at the beginning and a single:

127.0.0.1 localhost

 

[Guest]

Use your host file to block sites google up host file and
how to make the internet suck less