Re: DNS cache and hosts file ignored

"Daniel Crichton" wrote:
Exactly what location is it in?

The registry entry and file location are: %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc

(The registry key type is correct too... REG_EXPAND_SZ, and just to be
pedantic the keys name is:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\DataBasePath)

I haven't messed with XP 64 yet, but maybe
it should be in c:\windows\system64\drivers\etc\

rather than the system32 folder - if XP 64 has a system64 folder.

Yes, I had though of that too... I even considered that 32 bit apps would
use the hosts file mentioned above and 64 bit apps would use something else,
but thats just a stab in the dark. I am no 64bit XP Guru, but I think the 64
bit system files fall under the folder:

%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64

There is an etc folder in there and it is empty
(%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\Drivers\etc). I have tried copying the hosts file into
it, and it made no difference. Perhaps there is another (missing) registry
entry.

Here are some links to the resource I have been using
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/network/deploy/depovg/tcpip2k.mspx

This is for Windows 2000, not XP, and so some aspects may well have changed.
Download the article for Windows 2003 from
tp://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=06C60BFE-4D37-4F50-8587-8B68D32FA6EE&displaylang=en
- this includes the XP implementation details.

Yes, I was aware that it was for 2000. But I was thinking XP was born from
2000. But your comment reminds me that XP-64 originated from 2003... so I
will give those docs a read through... Ok I gave the relavent sections and
appendix C a read through, I did not read anything startling ... no ah ha!
There it is.... But thanks for the reference anyway (neat document).

The documenation is quite clear. I flushed the cache and then listed the
contents on the 64 bit PC. The cache was empty. I did the same thing on
another machine, and their the cache contained the hosts file, as
promised.

This points to XP 64 either not loading the hosts file due to an error on
one of the lines, or it being in the wrong location.

That is the conclusion I came to too, that is why I asked for the "magic
setting". The hosts file is valid (100% sure), I have worked with hosts files
often enough. In addition the machine reads the file and resolves properly
when I switch the dns client service off.

I disable the DNS Client service on the systems here as I've found it has a
habit of getting "stuck", at least on 2000 - if the primary DNS server
doesn't respond to a request it kicks to the secondary, and from then on
only uses the secondary. On occassion I've had DNS resolution fail
completely when the secondary didn't respond quickly, and the machines
didn't return to trying the primary.

Hmmm, thats interesting. Good to know.
WRT the document you listed above you can change various timeouts to be more
"patient". Might also solve these problems.

Thanks for the feedback.

Cheers
Caleb.

.

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