HOSTS file lost all use

[Enverex]

(This is urgent as I cannot modify my site, alter the server, etc)

I had some ****ty Spyware/Virus that kept changing my DNS servers, adding popups and adding crap to the HOSTS file.

Well Mcafee removed it, but now my hosts file has lost all use, it doesn't work basically so I can no longer assign domains (and sub-domains) to LAN machines.

Any ideas on how I can fix this?

NS

[Shorty]

I have nothing to suggest apart from trying to rebuild your host file but Im bumping this back up as it needs sorting and fast!

[Enverex]

Shorty said
I have nothing to suggest apart from trying to rebuild your host file but Im bumping this back up as it needs sorting and fast!

I have the host file entirely intact. The problem is, is that Windows just doesn't seem to be using it at all.....

NS

[Shorty]

Is it not importing the host file in the network card settings??

[Enverex]

Shorty said
Is it not importing the host file in the network card settings??

Apparently not.......

NS

[Enverex]

Right, I tried a repair install and that didn't work.


And now its getting worse......

If I use the internet on this machine at all then it is likely to take down the whole networks internet.

After X amount of time (never too long though) while browsing or doing anything internet related the internet will suddenly die, completely, all contact with the outside world will be lost, for all machines. And I have to hard reset the router (it's still responding and connected to the ISP, but just not doing anything).

But this only happens if I browse the internet on this machine. I can browse for as long as I like on any of the others and it's fine.

Any ideas?
Kinda makes this machine sucky without internet access, espcially the fact it will kill everyones internet access if I try to use it.

NS

[Enverex]

Right, I have now also done a repair install, and also tried deleting the hosts file completely and nothing is working.

Someone has to have some idea of something because this is really becomming a big problem now.

NS

[Enverex]

Is there an entry in the Registry that controls the hosts file? Because I have deleted the file completely and after 5 reboots it is still not coming back......

I really don't want to have to format because I have loads of stuff installed and it would take an age to find it all and re-install it again........

NS

[panzerkw]

There's no registry entry, but does the HOSTS file look something like this?

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

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost

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

Does the HOSTS file have an extension? I don't think it's supposed to

[kanezfan]

maybe your NIC died? I mean, can you try a spare NIC in that machine? after a repair install, any hosts file related problem should be fixed as it's pretty much the same as doing a full install, save the registry isn't completely wiped. I'm betting it's hardware related.

[Enverex]

panzer: The hosts file looked like that before it got raped, then something made a new one that simply contained the line.......

127.0.0.1 localhost

which is fine. So I added my own lines in there but they didn't seem ti have any effect, so, as I said, I deleted the file entirely, and 5 reboots and 2 days later Windows still hasn't recreated the hosts file, which shows that it is just not using it at all (or trying to).

kanez: NIC is fine. Internet works fine (to an extent, about to start a new thread). LAN access is fine, throughput is still maxed, so I doubt it is a hardware issue....

I have just formatted anyway, so we will see now anyway....

NS

[Enverex]

Ok, reinstall completed and everything is working fine. It just seems like that Virus screwed something up, the fact that Windows wasn't even re-creating the hosts file showed that it was something more than just a wrong or missing file.

NS

[Enverex]

****s SAKE

This just isnt funny anymore.

I just installed all the drivers for everything, and I get a message come up telling me my Windows partition is full.... and I haven't installed any programs yet, and my desktop and documents are stored on another partition, then I notice a sync symbol next to everything on my music server...

It turns out it is basically trying to sync then entire server onto my Windows partition. Now now at any point have I synced ANYTHING, and the option to unsync it is greyed out.

Any ideas? Becuase I am about to reach my limit with this POS.

Unmounting the network drive makes NO difference.
Notice it wont even let my uncheck the sync option.

EDIT: Fixed, it was because it was set to be my "My Music" folder. Why it has to sync that folder I dont know, stupid integrated WMP garbage.

NS

[muddocktor]

Glad you are working your problems out with that box, NS.:)

[Enverex]

muddocktor had this to say
Glad you are working your problems out with that box, NS.:)

Yeah.... not happy that I had to resort to "format C:" though. ****ing viruses.

Everything is just dandy now, also the problem of the internet dying after X amount of time has gone away too now (after a while of using the net on this machine, the internet would go down for the entire LAN, no other machines caused this, and I am going through a router.... weird).

NS

[Clutch]

Damn, I'm really glad to see that you got the problems fixed, I know you were about to go nuts. *Cheers m8