HPHosts installation led to clogged up Internet connection and even PC

I thought it might be fun to give those HOSTS protection file a try but after installation, I didn't disable my DNS settings/cache (or something like that) as it was recommended. I never thought it would stuff 56,000 sites into my HOSTS file… Now upon reboot my PC is painfully slow, and it takes twice as long to load anything. The cooling fan is running like crazy. What I figured was to deleted everything from the Hosts file except I came across a problem:

# hpHosts last updated on: 01/04/2009 17:09
# hpHosts last verified by Steven Burn: 01/04/2009 17:45
#
# IMPORTANT: Rename this file to "HOSTS" (no .txt extension)
#
# Support: http://mysteryfcm.co.uk/?mode=contact
#
# Note: Due to attacks, the forums are currently offline.
#
# Download: http://hosts-file.net/?s=Download
# Mirrors: http://hosts-file.net/?s=Help#dlmirrors
#
# Intermittent updates:
#
# Sites are also added between updates. If you are using a program such as Hostsman,
# or are running a script or anything, or simply want to stay protected against sites
# between updates, please put a watch on the following URL.
#
# http://hosts-file.net/hphosts-partial.asp
#
# localhost address - DO NOT REMOVE!
127.0.0.1 localhost
#
# Trusted Hosts - Insert your trusted hosts with their correct IP addresses below this line.
#
# 59,358 - BAD HOSTS BEGIN HERE!!!!

And it ends with:

127.0.0.1 zzzzz.cauction.hop.clickbank.net
#
## Append critical updates below ############################
#

I was tempted to remove everything but I saw that next to 127.0.0.1 localhost, it was a warning not to remove.

I need to know what portions of the quote above am I suppose to remove to clear out so I can leave my Hosts file as it was from Day 1. In other words, I want to know what to remove and I'll delete the rest of the 56,000+ sites.

Thanks.

This program will reset you hosts file back to it's default:


Download HostsXpert by FunkyToad from >>>here<<< and save it to your Desktop.

You will need to extract the ZIPPED file(s):
Right click on the zipped folder and from the menu that appears, click on Extract All…
In the 'Extraction Wizard' window that opens, click on Next> and in the next window that appears, click on Next> again.
In the final window, click on Finish

• You should now see the HostsXpert folder
• open it and double click HostsXpert.exe
• Click on Restore MS Hosts File.
• In the confirmation window, click on OK.
• Click on Make Hosts Read Only to secure it against further infection.
• If it says "Make Writable?", click it and it should change to the above.
• Close program when complete.
• Empty Recycle Bin

Alright thanks for the help, that resolved the problem. But I wanted to know will a Hosts file with 60,000 entries slow down your browsing noticeably? What's with the DNS thing and the recommendation to disable it?

I have over 10,000 in my hosts file, courtesy of Spybot Search & Destroy and Spyware Blaster. I don't see any noticible slowdown in boot time or network usage. Maybe I should rename it and do some timing checks.

Hey drragostea, MSVP Hosts file is a beneficial addition to your armament to protect your machine. It should not noticeably decrease the speed of your browsing. The DNS Client Service and Cache can be considered "redundant", since when browsing, the address that you enter to search or go to, will be resolved "upstream" by your ISP's DNS or subscribed DNS if you have selected such a service like OpenDNS (also excellent) Having DNS Client Cache is like keeping a list of items that are already on a list both in Hosts File and in the DNS of your ISP. Disabling the local DNS Client Service can be thought of as minimizing the time needed to record this list of the lists. Why bother with Hosts File at all? Well, I'm glad you asked. (you asked didn't you?) Over time, experts and services that make it their business to identify where all the malware virus and spyware are loading from (where malware home base ISP is located in internet addressing) have compiled lists (the best of which, IMO, is MSVP Hosts File). Having the list available on your machine "prevents" the owner/user from accidentally browsing to a location known to be serving up malware features. For those that wonder, Host File does not prevent browsing to "adult" sites and therefore is not explicitly a censor or Parental Control. But it does prevent browsing to sites that are known to be associated with malware. Often times, purveyors of malware do use enticement of Adult content to get an owner/user to click on a link. Those sites "are" blocked in MVPS Hosts File. But other "legitimate" (non-malware related) adult sites can be visited, according the the owner/user's preference. Best Regards

Thank you for the responses Doug and Ztrucker. I don't know what might have caused the slow down but everything is normal now. I took a look at the MVP Hosts site but my question now is: How do I go on updating the Hosts file with new sites? How often is it updated? All I have to do is click on the .bat file and the MVP will update everything to the latest?

There used to be a subscription to be notified when MVPS Hosts File was updated.
It is not an "every day" schedule.

A major update last occurred March 15, 2009.
I suspect (but don't know for sure) that the update includes many of the source addresses of that darned conficker Trojan that has received so much media hype recently.
(by the way, you're secure against that vulnerability if you have kept your MS operating system updated via MS Updates)

I tend to update my package for Hosts every couple of months.
Someone with more familiarity may come by to give more specific recommendation.

Just download again from http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
Then follow their instructions:'

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

Download: hosts.zip [right-click - Select: Save Target As] [Updated March-15-2009]

This download includes a simple batch file (mvps.bat) that will rename the existing HOSTS file to HOSTS.MVP then copy the included updated HOSTS file to the proper location. For more information please see the readme.txt included in the download.

If you are running Vista, follow the specific instructions regarding UAC.

Best Regards

I just installed the MVPS Hosts package by running the batch file they provide. It has 16,518 lines of which 16,500 are actual redirect entries. I was very pleased to see all the doubleclick entries, as many time I end up waiting for those ads to load before a page is usable.

No performance impact that I can detect.

I did note this on the MVPS Hosts web site:

Editors Note: in most cases a large HOSTS file (over 135 kb) tends to slow down the machine.
This only occurs in W2000/XP/Vista. Windows 98 and ME are not affected.

To resolve this issue (manually) open the "Services Editor"

* Start | Run (type) "services.msc" (no quotes)
* Scroll down to "DNS Client", Right-click and select: Properties
* Click the drop-down arrow for "Startup type"
* Select: Manual, or Disabled (recommended) click Apply/Ok and restart. [more info]

When set to Manual (or Disabled) you can see that the above "Service" is not needed (after a little browsing - when set to Manual) by opening the Services Editor again, scroll down to DNS Client and check the "Status" column. It should be blank, if it was needed it would show "Started" in that column. There are several Utilities that can reset the DNS Client for you … [more info]

Editors Note: The above instructions are intended for a single (home-user) PC. If your machine is part of a "Domain", check with your IT Dept. before applying this work-around. This especially applies to Laptop users who travel or bring their work machines home. Make sure to reset the Service (if needed) prior to connecting (reboot required) to your work Domain …

I'm going to stop it, set it to Manual and see what happens.

by the way, you're secure against that vulnerability if you have kept your MS operating system updated via MS Updates

Hope that that works a majority of the time. What sucks is that I read in one article about how Conficker puts a "fake" patch so we (not us, but the researchers) can't the difference between a real patch that Conficker exploits and the fake one it patches. Apparently, they found the difference between the fake and real patch now.
OpenDNS is doing pretty well : ).

It is not an "every day" schedule.

Thanks, I assuming you're saying that MVP Hosts won't be updated everyday?

Just one last thing I couldn't find or might have missed on the site: Where does it tell us that their Hosts file has been updated and is ready to update ours?

Thanks.
drragostea

Is there any problems if you do not have a Hosts file? I think I cleaned it good (it actually disappeared, gone) when I restored it.

You can reinstall the MVPS Hosts File. No problem if you don't. Just that you'll be seeing tons of un-asked for advertisements and will not be protected from accidentally clicking on risky links and visiting risky sites.

Thanks a lot Doug.

I tend to update my package for Hosts every couple of months.

I got it. Next time there is a major update, I just download the .zip file and just double click the .bat file (assuming that'll overwrite my old MSVP Hosts file with new sites)?

Would you suggest using two sources like hpHosts and MSVP simultaneously? Or will that cause further trouble?

I use only the one…. MVPS Hosts File

Alright . Have a good day.