Problems with hosts and services files!!!

[Albert]

Hi,

I need help!! I have windows 2000 professional and I have
a weird problem, Windows is not reading the hosts file
neither the services file, so, when I try to make ping to
the IP's directions in the hosts file, Windows told
me "unknown host". I'm working in a Corporate LAN and I
access to databases with TCP/IP conections that use alias,
and I need the hosts file and the services file
information to get connected to this databases. But,
Windows does not recognize the information in the hosts
file and the services file.

What can I do or check?? any ideas?? I really need my
Windows 2000 works properly!!

 

[Louise Bowman [MSFT]]

As a test have you tried creating a new host file?
Make sure it doesn't have a .txt extension.

Louise Bowman
MSFT

 

[Guest]

Sure, I check the hosts file extension and I'm sure that
the hosts file doesn't have any extension, and even I've
created this file with only 1 IP direction to make a test,
and nothing... the same happens with the services file.

 

[Louise Bowman [MSFT]]

Curious. Other things to check/do.
Flush the dns cache - ipconfig /flushdns
Check the Name resolution search order --- i.e make sure the host file is
being used first.

I don't understand the connection with the services file though. That's
very puzzling.

 

[Guest]

Well, I already flushed the DNS cache, with ipconfig, but,
again, nothing, I stopped and restarted the TCP/IP
service, and DNS service and the DHCP service, but nothing
happend... How can I check the Name Resolution Search
Order??

Thanks!!

 

[Rob Elder MVP-Networking]

The "services" file has absolutely nothing to do with name resolution. It
is informational only.

Make the hosts file has no extension by resaving it as "hosts" with the
quotes. You may have show file extensions turned off. It must be in the
systemroot\system32\drivers\etc folder.

The search order is defined in the registry.
HCLM\System\ControlSetx\Services\TCPIP\Service Provider. (replace x with
the number of the set you boot to.)
The default values are: DNSPriority 2000, HostsPriority 500, LocalPriority
499, NerBTPriority 2001
The lower the number the higher the priority.

 

[Guest]

Thanks!! But, nothing, I'm sure about that the hosts file
has no extension. Even I've created the hosts file with
only one IP alias for testing, and I haven't get good
results...

I check the registry and I have the default values for the
key HCLM\System\ControlSetx\Services\TCPIP\Service Provider

Any other ideas???

 

[BT]

Hello

Have you try to remove the DNS IP address, to see your windows is using the
hosts file?

BT

 

[Guest]

Thanks!! I did it, it seems that Windows is not reading
the hosts file.

I tried to erase the TCP/IP configuration of the Network
Card, but windows does not allow, because it needs this
configuration for "Simple TCP/IP Service".

Any other idea???