Guest MrNobody Posted August 20, 2007 Posted August 20, 2007 I am having a problem where no matter what I do Windows completely ignores any additions to my hosts file. I tried adding the following entry: 127.0.0.1 something to my hosts file, and then I open up a new command prompt and type "ping something" and after a few seconds delay it says ping request could not find host something. I have tried the following: 1. Made sure the file is just "hosts" with no file extension like .txt or anything. 100% sure about this 2. Opened up regedit and navigated to the Tcpip parameters looking for DatabasePath and made sure it pointed to system32/drivers/etc. 3. I have run ipconfig /flushdns numerous times 4. I have rebooted numerous times 5. I erased everything in my hosts file except for the one default entry "127.0.0.1 localhost" and my new entry underneath it in a new line. So the file only contained those two lines. the ip number and the hostname were separated by 5 spaces. I also tried using tabs. Other than that this is a brand new build of Windows XP Pro on a formatted hard drive and I barely even installed anything on it besides my development tools like Eclipse and Java JDK. There is absolutely no funny business with my network, it is setup to use my wired LAN no proxies, auto detect DHCP settings, just about everything is default! Please help! This is such an odd problem
Guest R. McCarty Posted August 20, 2007 Posted August 20, 2007 Re: Windows XP is ignoring my changes to hosts file Many security programs now provide "Locks" against changes to the Hosts file. Would you have anything installed that might interfere with Hosts resolution ? The NSLookup command might help, I'd read through the following: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/nslookup.mspx?mfr=true "MrNobody" <MrNobody@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:C62706FF-25CC-45D5-B504-03EC53539B20@microsoft.com... >I am having a problem where no matter what I do Windows completely ignores > any additions to my hosts file. > > I tried adding the following entry: > 127.0.0.1 something > to my hosts file, and then I open up a new command prompt and type "ping > something" and after a few seconds delay it says ping request could not > find > host something. > > I have tried the following: > > 1. Made sure the file is just "hosts" with no file extension like .txt or > anything. 100% sure about this > > 2. Opened up regedit and navigated to the Tcpip parameters looking for > DatabasePath and made sure it pointed to system32/drivers/etc. > > 3. I have run ipconfig /flushdns numerous times > > 4. I have rebooted numerous times > > 5. I erased everything in my hosts file except for the one default entry > "127.0.0.1 localhost" and my new entry underneath it in a new line. So > the file only contained those two lines. the ip number and the hostname > were > separated by 5 spaces. I also tried using tabs. > > Other than that this is a brand new build of Windows XP Pro on a formatted > hard drive and I barely even installed anything on it besides my > development > tools like Eclipse and Java JDK. There is absolutely no funny business > with > my network, it is setup to use my wired LAN no proxies, auto detect DHCP > settings, just about everything is default! > > Please help! This is such an odd problem
Guest PA Bear Posted August 20, 2007 Posted August 20, 2007 Re: Windows XP is ignoring my changes to hosts file One or more options/settings in an ever-growing number of third-party applications may be disallowing the change(s) from "sticking". These include but are not limited to Ad-aware's Ad-Watch, Spybot Tea Timer, SpywareBlaster, SpySweeper, Spyware Doctor, Norton AntiVirus, McAfee VirusScan and/or Antispyware, and Zone Alarm (Free and Pro). Here's something else about NAV that you may not be aware of: http://bertk.mvps.org/html/symantecdoc1.html -- ~Robear Dyer (PA Bear) MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User) AumHa VSOP & Admin; DTS-L.org MrNobody wrote: > I am having a problem where no matter what I do Windows completely ignores > any additions to my hosts file. > > I tried adding the following entry: > 127.0.0.1 something > to my hosts file, and then I open up a new command prompt and type "ping > something" and after a few seconds delay it says ping request could not > find > host something. > > I have tried the following: > > 1. Made sure the file is just "hosts" with no file extension like .txt or > anything. 100% sure about this > > 2. Opened up regedit and navigated to the Tcpip parameters looking for > DatabasePath and made sure it pointed to system32/drivers/etc. > > 3. I have run ipconfig /flushdns numerous times > > 4. I have rebooted numerous times > > 5. I erased everything in my hosts file except for the one default entry > "127.0.0.1 localhost" and my new entry underneath it in a new line. So > the file only contained those two lines. the ip number and the hostname > were > separated by 5 spaces. I also tried using tabs. > > Other than that this is a brand new build of Windows XP Pro on a formatted > hard drive and I barely even installed anything on it besides my > development > tools like Eclipse and Java JDK. There is absolutely no funny business > with > my network, it is setup to use my wired LAN no proxies, auto detect DHCP > settings, just about everything is default! > > Please help! This is such an odd problem
Guest MrNobody Posted August 20, 2007 Posted August 20, 2007 Re: Windows XP is ignoring my changes to hosts file Well, if my changes were not "sticking" due to a third party program, then when I opened the hosts file again it should show the original file, not my changes, correct? And whenever I open my hosts file even after a reboot I see my changes in place. Also, I have not installed any of those programs or any kind of anti virus or anything like that. Just a few development tools and that's it. I'm reading up on the NSloolup command now
Guest jorgen Posted August 20, 2007 Posted August 20, 2007 Re: Windows XP is ignoring my changes to hosts file MrNobody wrote: > I'm reading up on the NSloolup command now nslookup contacts the dns server directly. So whatever entries you have in the hostfile won't show up when using this tool
Guest MrNobody Posted August 20, 2007 Posted August 20, 2007 Re: Windows XP is ignoring my changes to hosts file Yeah so it looks like it won't help me. Any other ideas? I'm willing to try anything at this point. It is such a bizarre situation.
Guest GO Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Re: Windows XP is ignoring my changes to hosts file Disable the DNS Client service (or just stop it and change it's Startup Type to Manual). This is a solution I stumbled across quite some time ago when I ran into the same problem as you. I've yet to come across an explaination as to why all of a sudden XP starts to ignore the hosts file. This solution could possibly cause problems, depending on your environment (as far as I can tell it's only necessary if you're in a domain setting), but it has yet to cause me any problems. MrNobody wrote: > Yeah so it looks like it won't help me. > > Any other ideas? I'm willing to try anything at this point. It is > such a bizarre situation.
Guest MrNobody Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Re: Windows XP is ignoring my changes to hosts file Yes! That did it. I don't think I rely on tha DNS client service for anything so it shouldn't affect me either. Sure is strange though how this was required for my latest build on my laptop. After formatting and installing Windows XP on this laptop several times over the past 4 years it only decided to this this one time. .. oh well! Thanks! "GO" wrote: > Disable the DNS Client service (or just stop it and change it's Startup Type > to Manual). This is a solution I stumbled across quite some time ago when I > ran into the same problem as you. I've yet to come across an explaination > as to why all of a sudden XP starts to ignore the hosts file. This solution > could possibly cause problems, depending on your environment (as far as I > can tell it's only necessary if you're in a domain setting), but it has yet > to cause me any problems. > > MrNobody wrote: > > Yeah so it looks like it won't help me. > > > > Any other ideas? I'm willing to try anything at this point. It is > > such a bizarre situation. > > >
Guest GO Posted August 21, 2007 Posted August 21, 2007 Re: Windows XP is ignoring my changes to hosts file Your welcome. Glad it worked. MrNobody wrote: > Yes! That did it. I don't think I rely on tha DNS client service for > anything so it shouldn't affect me either. > > Sure is strange though how this was required for my latest build on my > laptop. After formatting and installing Windows XP on this laptop > several times over the past 4 years it only decided to this this one > time. .. oh well! > > Thanks! > > "GO" wrote: > >> Disable the DNS Client service (or just stop it and change it's >> Startup Type to Manual). This is a solution I stumbled across quite >> some time ago when I ran into the same problem as you. I've yet to >> come across an explaination as to why all of a sudden XP starts to >> ignore the hosts file. This solution could possibly cause problems, >> depending on your environment (as far as I can tell it's only >> necessary if you're in a domain setting), but it has yet to cause me >> any problems. >> >> MrNobody wrote: >>> Yeah so it looks like it won't help me. >>> >>> Any other ideas? I'm willing to try anything at this point. It is >>> such a bizarre situation.
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