SPYBOT Hosts File

[retiredx]

In addition to SPYBOT (1.6.2.46) on my Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 system I am running WEBROOT SPYSWEEPER. From time to time WEBROOT preforms excessive I/O reads and uses up 50% of the CPU. The WEBROOT folks say it is because of a conflict with the Windows Hosts file. They showed me how to tell WEBROOT to ignore the host file and the problem went away. They also said if I tell SPYBOT to ignore the HOSTS file the problem will go away.
QUESTION: How do I tell SPYBOT to ignore the HOSTS file?
How can I get WEBROOT and SPYBOT to coexist? (this is what I want to do.)

thanks

Richard (retiredx)

[drragostea]

I think Webroot's Tech Support had a slight misunderstanding. Spybot doesn't have an "ignore HOSTS file" option... rather a "Make HOSTS file as read-only as protection against hijackers" .

You can find this in the Advanced Mode, it should be where the "IE Tweaks" are.

[retiredx]

Thanks.
I will set the HOSTS file so that it is not read only by
using the TWEAKS panel. I did use the properties panel
but that did not help.

Richard (retiredx)

[DougCuk]

I think what Webroot's Tech Support were trying to say is that various programs have a problem with extra large Hosts files.
Spybot currently adds over 10,000 lines to the Hosts file which can cause problems for any programs that try to process this list line by line - Internet Explorer has such a problem which can result in a delay when loading.

The Hosts file Read-Only selection would not normally cause a problem.

There are two possible solutions to this issue:
1. Disable the Hosts file immunisation in Spybot - 100% fix but less secure.
2. Disable the Windows DNS Client Service - this only works for some programs.

You CAN remove the Spybot entries from the Hosts file via the Immunize button on the Spybot main screen.
From the Immunize panel you can deselect the Hosts file protection as follows:
Click Undo option at top of screen to remove all immunisations
Untick Global Hosts item - this is the last item in the list
Click Immunize option at top of screen to re-apply immunisation without the Hosts entries.


However I recommend you try the second option as recommended in the Spybot FAQ - disable the DNS Client service.
I previously posted the following with regard to the problem with Internet Explorer:

The large size of the Hosts file created by Spybot immunisation can be a problem - it causes a significant delay when opening Internet Explorer.

To disable the cache you need to switch off the DNS Client Service - either via the Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services route or more simply by using the Run option from the StartMenu (if enabled) - just enter Services.msc at the Run prompt. You then locate and Stop the DNS Client Service and then change the Startup Type to Manual or Disabled. Any problems then you just turn it back on.

Despite the Microsoft description this service is NOT required for normal DNS resolution (unless you use Active Directory Domains) and most systems seem to run just fine without it. Turning this service off just disables the local DNS cache - all lookups then go to the DNS servers direct. In my tests this doesn't seem to slow DNS lookups as long as your ISP's DNS servers are quick - plus it stops the caching of failed website loads which can make a website appear offline until the cache expires.