Hosts.sam

How can I set up a local hosts file to redirect requests to ad servers to 127.0.0.1. I have tried to set one up using info found online with no success. I even have a list of all known adservers. I am on a dialup net connection, w/ no broadband option, and I am sick and tired of @#%! @$#%@$# ad servers HOGGING BANDWIDTH THAT I PAY FOR and causing the connection to drop or slow page loads. I ignore ads anyway, so why should I allow them to waste bandwidth downloading. I am running IE 5.5 on my 98SE partition, so I can't even block cookies. I do not want IE 6.0 on 98SE--it is too flaky and unreliable.

First, it's not the hosts.sam file you want, it's just HOSTS with no extension. Should be found in the same directory as the hosts.sam file.

You can go here for and explantion of how to set it up and a VERY large hosts file to use.

If you're running w2k (and probably XP) you MUST go into services manager and disable "DNS client" and reboot before putting a large hosts file into place.

Once you've got it in place, you can say goodbye to all the doubleclick ads and cookies, because you won't see any more of them.

DVOM, I don't understand why you have to disable the DNS Client :(

http://www.poppeeper.com/

POP Peeper is a utility that runs in your Windows task bar and alerts you when you have new
email on any of your POP3, Hotmail, MSN or Yahoo accounts. You can also use POP Peeper to read
and delete your email. POP Peeper supports HTML email, so you can see your email the same way
as you would in your email client.

Completely Free: No Ads. No Registration. No Fees.
Easy Setup
Compatible with the following Server Types: POP3, Hotmail\MSN, Yahoo
Read and delete email without opening your email client
HTML Email Support
Save or Open File attachments
No account limit -- notifies you of an unlimited number of accounts
Be notified of new email with visual and\or audible indicators

Perhaps there is something special about my PC running Win98FE with IE6sp1.
I find IE6sp1 to be the best and fastest browser I have run.
I have seen no bugs with it on this or my work's Win2K machine.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by deirdrew
DVOM, I don't understand why you have to disable the DNS Client :(

---

I don't know "why" either, but it locks your machine up.

Report_2:

IE 6.0 on 98SE did not work for me. Everything worked fine using IE5.5. Once I upgraded, I frequently got the error: "Internet Explorer has encountered an error and needs to close...." No registry or other system errors were found with Norton WinDoctor. I ended up formatting and reloading, because I could not surf from Windows Explorer or open IE successfully from the run command to even download Netscape 4.76. Netscape 6.0 and newer having been touched by AOL, thanks but no thanks. I will not knowingly load anything on my system that has been screwed up by AOL and regularly search for and delete any AOL keys in the registry that I find. And yes, I do make my dislike for AOL known at every available opportunity!

Ah, the HOSt file. I love it. It is my kind of solution - built in to the OS.

First of all, using 127.0.0.1 in your HOST file is not a great idea. It is a good idea, but not great. The reason, 127.0.0.1 is a real and valid IP. If you have a very large HOST file, your machine is going to be looking for the server on your machine.

e.g. You have "adserver.com" listed as 127.0.0.1 in your HOST file. Every time you visit a page and "adserver.com" is in the html, your computer is going to actively look for that server on your computer. You do this with enough pages and your computer will spend resources looking for the server on your computer - every time. Another side effect of this, you will notice your "back" button doesn't work very well. Sometimes, your back button will stick on the same page, because, it is trying to connect to the last server process to time out: "adserver.com" - loopback. You may need to click "back" two or three times to get back one page. It is a big pain becasue it can really mess up being able to go back. And if your HOST file is located on a server accessed by many comps, you will notice the traffic slows other functions. THis site is a great example of the above.

The solution is to use a valid IP format, but not a valid address. 0.0.0.0 is a valid IP format, but an invalid IP. Your computer will not search for the server on your computer and as a result, it will not slow the computer or cause your "back" button to operate incorrectly. Try pinging "adserver.com" when HOST is 127.0.0.1, you notice, you will get a return, it is a valid and working IP. Now, try pinging "adserver.com" when HOST is 0.0.0.0, you notice an immediate timeout.

Save your computer from working needlessly. Change your HOST file lockout IPs to 0.0.0.0

I have been trying to get people to change their HOST file for 5 years now.

...dauf

Good point which makes sense. With 0.0.0.0 equal to no connection for the ad server request being available, that would explain why it just times out and does not return a reply, hence the use of less system resources.

Just switched my HOSTS file from 127.0.0.1 to 0.0.0.0 and haven't noticed any difference in the last hour. But it works great. Still getting next to zero new cookies.

No one else mentioned it,but i use the one in SpyBot and seems to work just fine. Updated fairly often too. Is there any way,i wonder, to change it's listings to 0.0.0.0 without doing all mungo zillion of them one at a time?(if you even can). That would be very cool. :)

Thanks guys for the tips. The internet can be a beautiful place without all the ad clutter. I love it when a popup comes up with contents "page cannot be displayed". Or the squares with the big red x in the corner where an ad would normally be. I've still got some tweaking to do, but I'm getting there. Best of all with a hosts file, sites that won't load when ad blocking software is being used is none the wiser.

Ridgerunr, I believe you can do it with EditPadLite.

I think it's got a "find and replace" type feature.

DVOM,,Thanks for the suggestion and link.:)

Have it dn/loaded and will give it a good look...

Ridgerunr, I originally tried EditPadLite when trying to deal with that huge HOSTS file in w98 because notepad couldn't handle a file that large.

Now running w2k and notepad is up to the job.

The function is called "search and replace".

Haven't tried your program yet DVOM,,but one thing i "did" find out. Tried to click a hot link here and it would do nothing but show the site it was trying to get to on the bottom progress bar. No action whatsoever. Got to thinkin' about it and opened SpyBot S&D and removed the hosts file. Came back here and now have no problem opening a link!!?? Hmm,,,may be bugs in the host file using the 127.0.0.1 that others haven't found?

Tried to do a right click on the hosts file in SpyBot for a copy/save to my WinXP notepad, but got no menu at all. Is there another way to save it to notepad or the program you suggested i wonder?

Right now, just using AdShield to block the nuisance ads...

If you found your HOSTS file without going through SpyBot, you should be able to just rename it. Then give the HOSTS file from my above link a try.

Okie doke DVOM,,pulled the host file out that SpyBot put into C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc. . Had to remove the "read only" from it before editpad could change it. but them changed all 127.0.0.1 entries to 0.0.0.0 with editpad and bingo!! :D Still kills the ads,but so far,haven't had any trouble with the "back' button or clicking on links. Left a SpyBot hosts backup in Windows just in case,but looks like it a winner... Thanks you my friend! ;)