Who is in charged of the Hosts file in XP ??

[Penang]

AAAARRRRGGGHHHH !!

My PC gave me lots of sh*ts lately. It didn't even allow me to log on
to Gmail !

After scanning the PC for virus / trojans and whatnots and not finding
anything, I searched the hosts file !

Long and behold, inside the hosts file, GOOGLE.COM IS ALL OVER THE
PLACE !!

But this is strange ! Very strange !!

I am the only user for this PC. I am the only one who have physical
access to this PC.

I could access Gmail without any problem at all, until last Friday,
when my PC started to act up.

Which means, someone, or something, must have put in GOOGLE.COM to the
Hosts file !

Can anyone please tell me who or what is in charged of the Hosts
file ?

And please tell me how to STOP that "something" or "someone" from
messing up the Hosts file of my PC again.

Thank you all !!

 

[James Egan]

And please tell me how to STOP that "something" or "someone" from
messing up the Hosts file of my PC again.

One way of reducing the chance of it happening again is to move it
away from its default location. Location is settable here
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\DataBasePath


Jim.

 

[Pennywise]

I am the only user for this PC. I am the only one who have physical
access to this PC.

If you run I.E. (activeX) the host file or any file can be edited on
command.

 

[Unruh]

AAAARRRRGGGHHHH !!

I agree. You posted all over the world including in linux groups and never
told us you were using Windows.

My PC gave me lots of sh*ts lately. It didn't even allow me to log on
to Gmail !

This may come as a surprize to you, but Windows machines are notoriously
prone to being cracked and malicious people taking it over and doing nasty
things.

After scanning the PC for virus / trojans and whatnots and not finding
anything, I searched the hosts file !

Long and behold, inside the hosts file, GOOGLE.COM IS ALL OVER THE
PLACE !!

But this is strange ! Very strange !!

I am the only user for this PC. I am the only one who have physical
access to this PC.

Uh, but anyone in the world has network access to it.

I could access Gmail without any problem at all, until last Friday,
when my PC started to act up.

Which means, someone, or something, must have put in GOOGLE.COM to the
Hosts file !

Can anyone please tell me who or what is in charged of the Hosts
file ?

Anyone in th eworld who can get onto your computer.

And please tell me how to STOP that "something" or "someone" from
messing up the Hosts file of my PC again.

Run a decent operating system?

 

[Leo Kowalski]

I agree. You posted all over the world including in linux groups and
never told us you were using Windows.

Newsgroups:
microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web,24hoursupport.helpdesk,microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin,
alt.computer.security,microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support



Which is the "linux" group?

Uh, but anyone in the world has network access to it.

You do Bill? What's your secret?