Spybot creates its HOSTS file in the wrong location

[salvinger]

When using the spybot's hosts list, if the hosts file does not already exist in the ETC folder, spybot creates the hosts file in the windows folder, and also takes much longer to actually create the file.

[PepiMK]

Which version of Spybot-S&D are you using? And which Windows version?

Spybot-S&D tries to locate the hosts file in a bunch of locations starting with the regitry path (TCP/IP Parameters key DatabasePath value), over the sysdir etc. folder, the windows folder, and in the end, if it's found nowhere, it uses the registry location, or, if that does not exist, the windows folder for Windows 4.x and the system etc. folder for Windows 5.x.
I just saw though that Vista is not really there yet (Windows 6.x).

Default path for missing (recreated) hosts file on Vista

[salvinger]

I am running Windows XP and tried creating the hosts file on both 1.4 and 1.5. Both times it created the hosts file in the windows folder. When i manually created the hosts file in the etc folder, Spybot added the text in the correct location.

[PepiMK]

Could you use regedit and check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters, a value named DataBasePath?
Sounds like even that (which should be default) is missing.

[salvinger]

The DatabasePath key is showing "%SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc" as its value, is this correct?

Edit: Think I found what originally caused the problem. When I have no hosts file in the windows folder or the etc folder, spybot creates the hosts file in the etc folder. When I made a hosts file in the windows folder, spybot added its entries into the hosts file in the windows folder. So I guess originally I had a blank hosts file in the windows folder and spybot just added its entries to that.