after a format, i cant access the hosts file except in safe mode - and that is a pain for routine maintenance. i have read some entries here that are very close but dont address my circumstances. i have run adaware, ewido (ver 3.5 and 4.0), spybot14, cwshredder, hijack this(log only contains vid card, a/v, a sound card entry, printer driver, and my firewall - thats all and they are not malicious), a2-squared, spyware doctor, syysweeper, and trojan hunter - no results. i have been able to edit/update hosts for a few years now, then this problem shows up. additionally, i cant send any filez out to anyone using mirc,polaris, or invision. i have power cycled my cable modem and my router, and reset my router from scratch no solution has been found, truthfully i think its something to do with windows, but i will consider your comments and they are appreciated. p.s i use mvps.org for my downloads and have d/l this file 5-6 times, so i am reluctant to think its a bad version