HOSTS file and auto.search.msn.com

[Rigsby]

Apologies if this is posted in the wrong place.

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Windows XP SP2 Fully patched
Spyware Terminator
Sunbelt Personal Firewall
Avira Antivir PersonalEdition Classic

Spybot 1.5.2.20.
Latest Detection update 12/03/08
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Spybot detected the following:

Microsoft.Windows.RedirectedHosts
SB1$0D4FC46F Redirected host
auto.search.msn.com 127.0.0.1

I have the latest HOSTS file from Bluetack which contains that line. Why would Spybot single out that one entry in particular??

I decided to leave the entry in the HOSTS file.

What's the situation??

Thanks.

[Yodama]

auto.search.msn.com 127.0.0.1

in your hosts file means that the site is redirected to your own computer thus blocking access to the site. Since it is a legit site Spybot Search & Destroy will detect that it has been blocked and tries to unblock it.
A good alternative to the Bluetrack hosts file is the MVPS hosts file, we usually test our detection rules with the MVPS hosts file to avoid issues.

[Rigsby]

Thanks Yodama.

I've reinstated the MVPS version of HOSTS.

The Bluetack version has approx. 4 times the number of entries !!