Security → Re: Who else runs a hosts file?

The only Hosts file that will slow your machine is a bloated one with parked entries that are no longer in use. See prior conversations on this.

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The only Hosts file that will slow your machine is a bloated one with parked entries that are no longer in use. See prior conversations on this.

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Thats what I was wondering.. So if I took all the entries on that 2002 list posted above,it wont bog my computer down??

Right now my host file only has 4 entries..... My browser has most of them now in its filter... There are 150 entries in it (Thats both the popup and filter lists combined)

If I could put those in my HOST File instead and delete them from my browser,it might be better..... (All those do not bog my browser down so they shouldnt bog it down in the host file either)

said by Bill_MI :

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Security Vendors? Well, I guess it is... sorta. I've always considered the hosts file a security/privacy/adblocking tool.

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Yes quite a good one!!

Na if any thing you'll get faster page loads as ads won't get resolved to any thing but local host so the data from the ads does not load.

Thank you Nova

said by Mele20 :

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I don't know about Vista or Windows 7 but in Windows 8 you have to EXCLUDE the Hosts file from Windows Defender detection. Otherwise, if it has been ALTERED in any way (such as adding MVPS host list to it) then Defender thinks it is infected and removes what you added.

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Even if you make the file READ ONLY??

Not sure you could make it read only as it is a system protected file and Windows 8 has a lot of security that earlier versions of Windows don't have. Microsoft took this action deliberately in an attempt (MS claimed) to help protect ignorant of computers users from getting infected.

It's not like that's any protection. If you can set it read only, I can unset it.

Actually make a admin account with a long password use disk encryption edit the host file set read only and log out. At that point you can not unset read only from out side that admin account. Unless you use a exploit etc to elevate privileges etc.

It is not possible to distinguish a hosts file that was modified because you wanted to be modified, from a hosts file that was modified without your knowledge.

Since the latter is a popular trick of malware (and since the hosts file is a largely-obsolete way of doing name resolution, which is what it's there for), it is a reasonable default to report a modified hosts file as 'possible infection'.

You have an override. This override says, in effect, "yes, I intended those changes". It is a pretty good example of secure-by-default.