Hosts File

[Frank C]

I recently learned of the function and power of Hosts file from a recent Gibson podcast, Episode #45, 22 Jun 2006.
http://www.grc.com/default.htm

I read the MD Spybot Fan’s sticky on the subject.
"How Spybot-S&D protects against the installation of Spyware/Malware" 2005-11-08, 13:12

I would like to know how Spybot updates Hosts file. Is this done when Immunize is run? I understand that Immunize updates the restricted list in I.E.
Should I run "+ Add Spybot-S&D host list" each time that there are updates to Spybot?
Thanks
Frank Camp

[md usa spybot fan]

To use Spybot's Hosts file feature go into Spybot > Mode > Advanced Mode > Tools > Hosts file.

To add Spybot's Hosts file to your HOSTS file click on "Add Spybot S&D hosts list". Spybot will take a backup of your current HOSTS file (see Note #1) and then add its entries. Spybot marks the beginning and the end of the HOSTS file entries it adds with comments as follows:# Start of entries inserted by Spybot - Search & Destroy
127.0.0.1 babe.the-killer.bz
127.0.0.1 babe.k-lined.com
127.0.0.1 did.i-used.cc
127.0.0.1 coolwwwsearch.com
127.0.0.1 coolwebsearch.com
…
…
…
# This list is Copyright 2000-2004 Patrick M. Kolla / Safer Networking Limited
# End of entries inserted by Spybot - Search & Destroy
When you use the “Remove Spybot S&D hosts list” button in Spybot, it removes the entries between those comments and leaves the other entries in your HOSTS file intact.

If you have already added Spybot's Hosts file, clicking the "Add Spybot S&D hosts list" will merge any new entries that have been added to its list during updates into the existing entries in the HOSTS file. If you use Spybot's Hosts file, I recommend that you "Add Spybot S&D hosts list" after every update to ensure that your HOSTS file contains the latest information.

The Spybot Hosts file facility also allows you select and restore the HOSTS file to any one of the backups taken when you added Spybot's Hosts file. This is done by selecting a backup from the pull-down selection list of backups (▼ symbol on the right of the "Restore backup" button).

You also can remove entries from the HOSTS file by highlighting the entries in the Hosts listing and then clicking the "Remove selected entries" button.

Note #1: Spybot's HOSTS file backups are stored as hosts.yyyymmdd-hhmmss.backup (where yyyymmdd-hhmmss = year/month/day/dash/hour/minute/second of when the backup was taken). They are stored in the same directory as the systems HOSTS file:
Win 95/98/ME = C:\WINDOWS
Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
When no longer needed they can be manually deleted using Windows Explorer, navigating to the appropriate directory and deleting them.