Can't access certain websites

Computer Problem:

My first post is dedicated to my friend KneeCo who had an annoying internet surfing problem. He complained about not being able to visit certain websites. At first, we tried a couple of quick fixes to solve the problem like resetting his cable modem, and clearing out his cookies and cache. Unfortunatly those did not work, and the blue furry monster was pissed that we got rid of all the cookies.

The Solution:

The problem here was the HOSTS file. What is a hosts file you ask? The HOSTS file is built into the Windows operating system, and can be used to block ads, banners, cookies, web bugs, and even most hijackers. The HOSTS file is the first place a browser looks for an IP address. If it does not find the domain name (internet address) in the HOSTS file, the browser is then allowed to continue displaying a website.

The HOSTS file is located in the following directory on your computer:

For Windows NT/2000/XP Pro: c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
For Windows XP Home: c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

You can edit the HOSTS file in windows notepad. At the top is an explanation of the simple syntax. Each line is an IP address, a domain name, and an optional comment placed after a # sign. A default entry in every HOSTS file looks like this: 127.0.0.1 localhost # this is the universal IP address of all local computers.

Therefore to solve the problem, I told my friend to remove the website he wanted to visit from the HOSTS file. How did it get there on the first place? Unfortunatly we do not know. It could have either been put there by spyware or some other malicious tool, or it was intentially blocked by an anti spyware program.

Additional Information:

If you would like to take advantage of blocking unwanted pop ups and such, you can download regularly updated host files from the internet. The following link is one that I recommend.

http://pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/serverlist.php?showintro=0&hostformat=hosts

In most cases a large HOSTS file tends to slow down the machine. However, this only happens in Windows 2000 and XP. Windows 98/se and ME are not affected.

To resolve this issue open the "Services Editor"
Start > Run (type) "services.msc" (no quotes)
Scroll down to "DNS Client", Right-click and select: Properties
Click the drop-down arrow for "Startup type"
Select: Manual, click Apply/Ok and restart.

Remember to update your HOSTS files on a regular basis since new ad pop ups are discovered every day.