Cannot Create Hosts File

[esman01]

I rec'v the following error when installing the SSD hosts files:

Cannot create "C:Program Files\Spybot - Search_Destroy\%SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. The system cannot find the path specified."

This is a Win XP computer, %System Root% is C:\WINNT/

I fixed this problem once before on a different computer, but I was unable to find the fix this time. I think it had to do with resetting some default Windows directories. If someone has the fix, could this be posted, possibly pinned.
Thank you.

[Zenobia]

Try going to:

C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
And see if hosts(no extension),is there.
If it's not,there should be a copy of HOSTS in the C:\I386 folder,
that you could copy to C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

[md usa spybot fan]

esman01:

You indicated that the system was "a Win XP computer, %System Root% is C:\WINNT/".

Please note that the normal default HOSTS file locations are:
Win 95/98/ME = C:\WINDOWS
Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

[esman01]

Thank you for the replies. I will try Zenobia's suggestion, but I am still curious about the other solution I did before. If anyone knows that fix, I would still be interested in that.

md usa spybot fan - I was puzzled by that. I think maybe the machine was upgraded from W2K to XP(?).

[douglas9]

When you locate file make sure you have 'unchecked' the hosts file under "Miscellaneous Locks" if you have that checked to prevent your hosts file from being hijacked. Frequently overlooked by myself and sure others have been perplexed at times when trying to change the hosts file.