How-To: Edit your HOSTS file in XP

[rVidia]

Originally Posted by PeteF

Wow! The MVPS HOSTS list has over 12,000 entries
compared to Spybot's 2,000+ entries.

I wonder if having such a large Hosts file slows down the web browser
since each URL you visit has to be looked up in the Hosts file first.

A HOSTS file over 135 KB may, in fact, slow down the machine (only W2000/XP are affected). To resolve this, you can set the DNS Client service to manual, although I personally have never experienced any "decrease" in performance.

Originally Posted by FM

runcommand: inetcpl.cpl @0,2
settings
this block's a sites cookies
is there a case where this is ever needed as an option

The above seems to be an unecessary step. "You can use a HOSTS file to block ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and even most hijackers. This is accomplished by blocking the connection(s) that supplies these little gems" (through your HOSTS file).

[Terry Hanushek]

Pete

Wow! The MVPS HOSTS list has over 12,000 entries
compared to Spybot's 2,000+ entries.

I wonder if having such a large Hosts file slows down the web browser
since each URL you visit has to be looked up in the Hosts file first.

Interesting observation. After re-reading this thread last night, I copied the MVPS Hosts file to my home machine (WinXP Home using dial-up access). I visited a couple of sites after that and there did seem to be a longer delay than usual in opening them. I'll do some experimenting tonight and report back.

Terry

[rVidia]

"Does the host file do the same job as spywareblaster."...

Here is what SpywareBlaster does:

# Prevents the installation of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, browser hijackers, dialers, and other potentially unwanted software.
# Blocks spyware/tracking cookies in Internet Explorer and Mozilla/Firefox.
# Restricts the actions of potentially unwanted sites in Internet Explorer.

I'll hit on a few main points that may help answer your question:

1) If a website is blocked in your HOSTS file (127.0.0.1 domain), you will not be able to access that website; the connection is blocked.

2) SpywareBlaster adds websites to the IE Restricted Zone (applies to Internet Explorer only).

The difference between the two is that,

a) SpywareBlaster "secures" websites in the IE Restricted Zone, based on the settings of your Restricted Zone. For example, it might block ActiveX, etc., but the site is still accessible.

b) Blocked websites in your HOSTS file cannot be accessed at all.

Also,

- SpywareBlaster blocks certain ActiveX controls, regardless of what website you're on. It does so by setting a killbit (the method of disabling a certain CLSID) for the CLSIDs (class IDs, or the number that identifies a certain ActiveX control) of known bad ActiveX controls.

- Your HOSTS file blocks/prevents access to whole websites.

I hope I was able to answer your question

Ray

[Terry Hanushek]

Originally Posted by PeteF

Wow! The MVPS HOSTS list has over 12,000 entries
compared to Spybot's 2,000+ entries.

I wonder if having such a large Hosts file slows down the web browser
since each URL you visit has to be looked up in the Hosts file first.

Originally Posted by Terry Hanushek

Interesting observation. After re-reading this thread last night, I copied the MVPS Hosts file to my home machine (WinXP Home using dial-up access). I visited a couple of sites after that and there did seem to be a longer delay than usual in opening them. I'll do some experimenting tonight and report back.

After three days of constant delays as I went to different sites, I finally gave up on the MVPS Hosts file and restored my original file. I was experiencing five to ten second delays opening pages, far longer than my limited patience could handle.

Terry

[Terry Hanushek]

"How do i go about restoring my previously empty hosts file"

Since I never had anything in my Hosts file before this experiment I just removed everything in it to go back to where I started.

1) Open HOSTS with Notepad

2) Highlight all entries except first one for Localhost. (Hold the shift key down and use Page Down to get to the bottom of the file.

3) Hit Delete

4) Save

If you have problems or want an alternate approach, Ray has the initial Hosts file in his original post. Use copy / paste to move it to your Hosts file.

HTH

Terry

[rVidia]

Originally Posted by Terry Hanushek

After three days of constant delays as I went to different sites...

I'm curious, Terry: did you set the DNS Client service to Manual in the Services Editor and then reboot before performing these tests? I would be interested in a comparison between the amount of delay with DNS Client set to Automatic vs. set to Manual.

[Terry Hanushek]

Ray

All I did was copy the MVPS Hosts file to my Hosts file. I did not alter the DNS Client service. I may get an opportunity next week to rerun my test with the DNS Client service change.

Terry

[rVidia]

Terry and others:

I decided to run some tests of my own, so I'd like to share my results. I performed these tests using Sysinternals' Filemon.



Test 1

MVPS HOSTS file. DNS Client service startup type comparison.

I first pasted the MVPS HOSTS file (10/15/06 update version) over my HOSTS file. I then set the DNS Client service to Manual and reboot. I also set DNS Client to Disable and reboot. I next opened the Firefox browser and went to www.google.com

With DNS Client set to Manual or Disable, HOSTS file entries were looked up before opening Google (see note)

I then set the DNS Client service to Automatic and reboot and next opened Firefox to go to Google.

With DNS Client set to Automatic, HOSTS file entries were NOT looked up before opening Google (see note)

Note: A more appropriate way to define Automatic, Manual, and Disable in regards to the DNS Client service would be:

Automatic - when the DNS client service is started
Manual and Disable - when the DNS Client service is NOT started

I determined the above results by going to Google and then referring to Filemon. When the DNS Client service was set to Manual and Disable, Filemon showed Firefox reading C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts (WinXP), the HOSTS file (see test 2). However, when DNS Client was set to Automatic, nothing pertaining to the HOSTS file was listed in Filemon.



Test 2

DNS Client service set to Manual/Disable. HOSTS file comparison.

With the MVPS HOSTS file in use, I went to Google and opened Filemon, which showed Firefox reading the HOSTS file (the DNS Client was set to Manual/Disable). I next took screenshots of those entries in Filemon.

MVPS HOSTS file - Filemon : See mvps1.jpg, mvps2.jpg, mvps3.jpg

I then pasted the default HOSTS file (see my first post) over my HOSTS file. After going to Google, I opened Filemon and took a screenshot of appropriate entries in Filemon.

Default HOSTS file - Filemon : See default.jpg

I finally analyzed these Filemon entries:

With the MVPS HOSTS file - on average, Firefox took 1 to 2 seconds reading the HOSTS file before opening Google.

With default HOSTS file - Firefox took a fraction of a second reading the HOSTS file before opening Google.

In conclusion, with the DNS Client service set to Manual/Disable, the MVPS HOSTS file caused about a two second delay in comparison to the default HOSTS file / DNS Client set to Automatic.



I hope these results were of some interest. Results might differ, so you may want to download Filemon and run some tests of your own

Ray

[PeteF]

Originally Posted by rVidia

I first pasted the MVPS HOSTS file (10/15/06 update version) over my HOSTS file.

Everyone,
You can get the MVPS HOSTS list here.
Use copy & paste to insert it to your HOSTS file.
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt


Ray, could you please post a few details about your computer
hardware and Internet connection that might have an effect
on the speed of your test results. Thanks.

Everyone,
Just my opinion here. I'm thinking that 2 seconds is too long of
a delay to deal with when using the MVPS HOSTS list which has
over 12,000 entries. So perhaps Spybot's HOSTS file list which
only contains 2,000 entries would be a good compromise. I am
assuming that Spybot has taken the delay issue into
consideration and only lists the worse IP addresses.

I'm using the Spybot HOSTS file list on a P4 1.8 GHZ PC and
768 DSL connection. I have not noticed any appreciable delay.

---pete---

[rVidia]

Pete, here are the details on my test machine:

Intel Celeron 2.8 GHz
FastAccess DSL Xtreme (384 Kbps)

I agree with you that Spybot's HOSTS list would be a good alternative.

Ray