Windows Hosts File

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jon
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J

Jon

I kept getting reacurring pop up boxes that were getting
totally out of control. I put a question in and a
Microsoft person said to run the scan in Safe Mode, and it
would probably clear up the password boxes. It did not
happen. I experimented and found out that the boxes could
be controlled in the Windows Host File. The problem now is
that since I have used the "Block" feature on several of
the ones in the list it will not work any more. Could you
please tell me how I can reactivate it, because I am
getting fresh pop ups that are listed in the file, but
Blocking them has no effect now.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Jon
 
Pop-up boxes are not caused by anything in the Hosts
file. The file controls the name(www.name.com) with a
particular IP address(127.0.0.1). This is usually
effective in browser redirections, not pop-ups. Pop-ups
can be controlled by many things, such as Browser Helper
Objects (BHO's), Adware Programs (Claria) or other
things. Run a spyware scan in safe mode to see what it
comes up with.
 
I agree somewhat with your other reply. I have seen requests for
credentials--i.e. login boxes--come up as a response to having adware
servers blocked via the hosts file. So I believe the results of your
experiment.

I also think that getting the machine clean of whatever is pulling in the
ads is a better approach than trying to bandaid with the hosts file.

I'm not certain that I understand exactly which block feature you have used
that is now failing?

If you've done a full, deep scan, in safe mode, with Microsoft Antispyware,
and it has come through clean, I'd advise looking closely at the list of
BHO's--browser helper objects--in tools, advanced tools, System Explorers.
What's there that is listed as Unknown? What happens if you choose to block
one or more of the Unknown objects--this can be reversed if it turns out to
be something useful.
 
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