Immunize won't do all - Global (Hosts) not complete

[glnz2]

Have Spybot 1.5.1.16, has been working well last ten days, but today Immunize won't accept the last 216 unprotected elements of Global (Hosts). (It's Protecting against 6641 out of 6857.) I've run Immunize a bunch of times but it still leaves 216 Unprotected. Why won't it protect against these 216, and what should I do? (By the way, in "Ignore Products", everything is DEselected. Also, this is on my office PC, running Win2000Pro with plenty of RAM.) Thanks.

[glnz2]

Fixed for now, but still a question.

Following an idea in another thread, I exited from Spybot and then deleted C:\WINNT\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. I then turned on Spybot and re-Immunized (with Global (Hosts) checked) and it is now protecting against all 6857. Also, a new hosts file was created in C:\WINNT\System32\drivers\etc\.

But why the problem in the first place?

Here's a clue: Before I came to this solution and was trying other things, I was getting a Windows error message that the C:\WINNT\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file was being used by another process. Well, I think that "other process" is Spybot itself. So maybe Spybot can't get out of its own way to update and immunize Global (Hosts)? What do you think?

Thanks.

[md usa spybot fan]

glnz2:


... and then deleted C:\WINNT\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.
Since you deleted your HOSTS file, I suggest that you check it to make sure that you have the following entry:
127.0.0.1 localhost

If not, add it.

[glnz2]

Dear md: Thanks.

How do I add?

And is it just 127.0.0.1 localhost ?
No .com at end or www. at start?

[md usa spybot fan]

glnz2:

It should be added as I wrote it (no dot anythings anywhere).

[glnz2]

Dear md: I've added 127.0.0.1 localhost by opening the hosts file in Wordpad, adding the line (in alphabetical position), saving and closing. Windows insisted on saving the edited hosts file as "hosts.txt", so I renamed the file and deleted the .txt. Now, when I check the Global (Hosts) list in Spybot, I see 127.0.0.1 localhost in the display list.

Was this the right way to add it?
What does it do?

Thanks.

[barebear]

Dear MD,

After reading your comments re adding "127.0.0.1 localhost", I decided to look at my Global Hosts to make sure that entry was present --- about 5-6 weeks ago, I had deleted my Hosts file and then done the same thing as glnz22 (deleted the Hosts file and then re-immunized w/ Global Hosts checked.)

When I went to Advanced mode in Spybot and looked at the Global Hosts file, I found that the list isn't entirely in alphabetical order. After updating and successfully immunizing today, I have 7365 entries in that file.

The Windows hosts list (C:\WINNT\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) shows as unreadable when I go to it.

How can I verify the presence/absence of "127.0.0.1 localhost" w/o scrolling every entry in the Global Hosts list?----it would take me a couple of hours to do that

I know how to write something in Wordpad, but how do I open the Global Hosts file in Wordpad and then, after adding 127.0.0.1 localhost ( what happens if I'm unknowingly duplicating the entry?!), have the revised file saved in Spybot?

Please advise and thank very much in advance for your time and help.

[davedarkstar]

hi,was having the same problem with g/hosts etc, i found that if you type HOSTS in find in sysinternals i cap locks nothing happened. when i typed it in small caps it showed me problem, then i went into task manager and ended the prosess find had showed me and that solved the immunize stuff,got rid of everything, hope this works on youre pc,s :bigthumb:

[davedarkstar]

forgot to mention, i couldnt get updates either before , and the sysinternals find showed me... SZServer.exe,
and it was that i ended in task manager proseses.

[md usa spybot fan]

barebear:

To repair your HOSTS file:

Download HostsXpert from the following site:

Funkytoad.com -fast, functional and free - Home
http://www.funkytoad.com/

The page for HostsXpert is:

http://www.funkytoad.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=


After downloading HostsXpert.zip, unzip (extract) the content of the file into a known location.
Execute HostsXpert.
If the first button in the left hand pane is "Make Writeable?", click on the button.
Click on the "Restore MS Hosts File" button.
When you receive the following confirmation dialog click "OK".

Confirm
Press OK to Restore Microsofts original Hosts File
[OK] [Cancel]



Add Spybot's Hosts file as follows:

Go into Spybot > Immunize.
Right click on the right hand pane and select "Deselect all".
Scroll down to the bottom of the right hand pane and under Windows check "Global (Hosts)".
Click the "Immunize" button at the top of the right pane (the button with large green plus sign)?

[barebear]

Dear MD,

THANK YOU SO MUCH!--it worked perfectly.

My best regards, Peter