Re: Disappearing HOSTS file XP Pro SP2

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My reply is at the bottom of your message.

jonnybee <jonnybee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi All -

I do web development, and I use the HOSTS files on our local machines
to access test servers that don't have 'public' DNS names and for
virtual servers on the local loop so we don't have to publish over
the 'net to our own IIS6 servers.

It works brilliantly. HOWEVER - I have one machine that just won't
let me create/edit a HOSTS file. Well, it will let me create it, and
then it will just wink out of existence right before your eyes.

This box is running XP Pro 32 with SP2 installed & is up-to-date on
hotfixes/patches.

This is the only machine I am having this problem with AFAIK. I have
4 others where this is not the case. 2 with XP Pro and 2 with Media
Center.

I'm not sure when the problem began to be honest because machines are
tasked differently. I noticed when I started publishing to a new
virtual server - WOW - that was slow... of course I'm publishing to a
fully qualified path, and I had created a host file to point to the
local server, so I first pinged the FQDN - whoa - ti was resolving to
the public DNS entry. It was so slow because the traffic was flowing
out over the internet to the provider and then back to the server. I
thought I might have made a mistake in the HOSTS entry, so I went to
system32\drivers\etc - NO HOST FILE!

Yep, I was logged on as Administrator when I created the file. I
tried a couple of times, and finally used Crimson editor to create
the file, and left the system32\drivers\etc folder open in Explorer.
About a minute later - POOF!

I suspect this is a function of Windows System File Checker. I have
done some research along those lines, but I'm unsure if the HOSTS
file is one of those protected? The only way I can figure this one
based on what I have read is that this machine didn't have a HOSTS
file when SP2 was applied - so SFC thinks there should not be one.
One other thought has occurred and that was the Malware Removal tool
might be responsible.

I'm at a complete loss here - Thanks for any ideas.

jon b

SFC can't have anything to do with this.
What antispyware/antimalware applications do you have running on this box?
Disable them and test again.



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