Print Page | Close Window

Hosts File Location

Printed From: Web Wiz Forums
Category: General Discussion
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Description: General discussion and chat on any topic.
URL: https://forums.webwiz.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=17655
Printed Date: 30 March 2026 at 9:50pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.08 - https://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Hosts File Location
Posted By: iSec
Subject: Hosts File Location
Date Posted: 28 December 2005 at 12:43pm
Does anyone know whether it is possible to change the location for the file Hosts located under the following directory: %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\ ((for Windows XP)) without affecting applications that connect to it such as Internet Explorer ??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file - Hosts File Description

-------------
"When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars"
-Charles A. Beard



Replies:
Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 28 December 2005 at 3:01pm
Chek out these two KB articles
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;172218 - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;172218
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/139270/EN-US/ - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/139270/EN-US/


-------------

Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me.


Posted By: huwnet
Date Posted: 28 December 2005 at 6:02pm
There should be no real need to change the hosts file location.

If you are having problems with viruses etc adding entries to your hosts file use a tool like the one in Spybot S & D to lock the hosts file Wink


Posted By: iSec
Date Posted: 28 December 2005 at 6:53pm
Originally posted by dpyers dpyers wrote:

Chek out these two KB articles
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;172218 - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;172218
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/139270/EN-US/ - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/139270/EN-US/
Niether one implies the possiblety for changing the location of the file Hosts Unhappy


-------------
"When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars"
-Charles A. Beard


Posted By: iSec
Date Posted: 28 December 2005 at 7:01pm
Originally posted by huwnet huwnet wrote:

There should be no real need to change the hosts file location.

If you are having problems with viruses etc adding entries to your hosts file use a tool like the one in Spybot S & D to lock the hosts file Wink
 
I have no problem with viruses as I have a good virus protection software; but what makes me want to change it is because I have been using a software for a long while and used to redirect it to a page I created instead of having it go to the page it wants to go to. Unfortunately, the software vendor found out about it and released a new version of it which prevented me from doign what I used to do.
 
The new version of the software checks for the hosts file on the user's machine and if it finds that I made a change to it, it will not let me connect to the server where that software operates. So that is why I wanna change the location of the file "hosts" to somewhere else!


-------------
"When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars"
-Charles A. Beard


Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 28 December 2005 at 7:19pm
Sorry, I thought one of the articles listed locations in the order it would search them for a hosts file and the other one noted how to change registry values. MS may hav other articles on the hosts file. You might want to search there for something like "hosts registry"

-------------

Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me.


Posted By: huwnet
Date Posted: 29 December 2005 at 1:14pm
Just run a local DNS server (google Posadis). Then you set you DNS server to be the local one you are running on your computer.

Then you can make a custom record that is the same as redirection with a hosts file Wink



Print Page | Close Window

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.08 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Copyright ©2001-2026 Web Wiz Ltd. - https://www.webwiz.net