I just saw this thread as I logged onto the forum with some complaints about Firefox (FF) immunization. Like several others in the thread, I use Windows XPSP2, fully patched; FF 2.0.0.9 as of this morning, but 2.0.0.8 was identical in behavior. I also use SeaMonkey(SM) 1.1.5 and SpyWareBlaster (SWB) and, when forced, IE7. The last plays no part in the following. I also use Spybot S&D (SSD) 1.5.1.17 (beta) [the HE beta].

Three files are involved here: The Hosts file, which I refer to as etc/hosts (Unix/Linux bias!); hostperm.1 in my FF profile; and hostperm.1 in my SM profile. All files receive large additions from SSD and/or SWB, as follows:

SWB makes no entries in etc/hosts; it adds (currently) 210 tracking cookie sites to each of the hostperm.1 files.

SSD adds no entries to SM hostperm.1, 7294 items to etc/hosts, and around 22000 entries to FF hostperm.1. The FF entries include 110 more tracking cookie sites, but more than 7000 lines controlling each of 'image', 'popup', and 'install' activities (3 x 7000+ = 22000). None of these sites should be listed in FF hostperm.1, since all (I think!...checking in detail is not practicable) are also in etc/hosts!

The real issue I have is this: the normal control of FF hostperm.1 is through the Tools | Options section. The enormous number of additions makes it extremely difficult to load and examine FF hostperm.1! In my view, it is urgent that only hosts not in etc/hosts be added to FF hostperm.1!

At the same time, it would be nice if anything from the drastically reduced list used to immunize FF hostmerm.1 could also be added to SM hostperm.1.