How to edit the hosts file in Windows Vista.
Introduction
I develop and manage my websites and need to edit my hosts file when I’m at certain locations to bypass DNS settings when testing new sites.
It took me a little while and a little research but I figured out how to edit the hosts file in Vista.
Edit the Hosts File
Non-frequent Edit
- Open Notepad with Administrative privileges by clicking Start, All Programs, Accessories, and then right-click Notepad and select to open as Administrator.
- Now that Notepad is open with Administrative privileges browse to (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc) in Notepad and open the hosts file.
Now you can edit and save the hosts file.
Frequent Editing
I sometimes frequently edit my hosts file and like a shortcut on my desktop for easy editing. Here’s how to create a shortcut on your desktop and lets you quickly and easily open your hosts file with Notepad and edit it.
- Send a shortcut to Notepad to your desktop by right-clicking Notepad in the start menu and selecting send to desktop.
- Right-click the shortcut to Notepad on your desktop and select properties.
- Click the advanced button near the bottom of the shortcut tab and check off run as administrator. Click OK in the advanced properties window.
- Replace %SystemRoot%\system32\notepad.exe with %SystemRoot%\system32\notepad.exe C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts in the target box. Click OK in the properties window to save the changes.
Now all you have to do is open that shortcut to open your hosts file with Notepad with administrative privileges.
Thanks to the first few commenters on this guide for pointing this out to me.
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You also could just open your editor with administrator privileges (right-klick, “Run as administrator”).
Thanks for this information.
It was useful for me.
/ Thava
Thanks!
Hey guys, heres a better way.
Create a new short cut pointing to:
C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
Open the properties and click the Advanced button on the Shortcut tab and select Run As Administrator.
That’s it, this will allow you to edit the file in place in notepad.
Going to
Accessories > Right Click Notepad > Run As Administrator.
Open the file you want to modify.
thats it.
Nice to know! :) Vista’s a bit over the edge securitywise if you ask me..
Security in vista is kind of excessive, specially when you’re a developer and need to be working directly on some system file or process.
Being able to easily access and work with system files and processes is what made all earlier versions of Windows so unsecure but easy to use.
Things have drastically changed in the past few years that made Microsoft harden Windows Vista.
Most regular PC users will very rarely see UAC prompts once their PC has been set up and used a little.
I have a serious problem with my Windows Vista Hosts file.
I am getting this message while I am trying to save this file.
Cannot Create c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file.
Make sure that the path name is correct.
I have tried everything from Running notepad as administrator and even unclicking the Read Only property for my folders but no Use. Please help if anybody has any idea about this.
Thanks
Ankur
hey…
i used to have that same problem, with the error “make sure your path name is correct”
the only way i know to avoid that, is to move the hosts file to ur desktop and edit it there, once you’re done editing it, simply move it back into the original folder (c:/windows/system32/drivers/etc/)
hope this helps
So you can open and edit your hosts file but when you go to save your changes it gives you this error?
I have the same problem as Ankur… I have disabled UAC and tried that too :( (using vista business)
thanks! very useful!!
Check your firewall or other protective software. McAfee blocked my attempt to edit/delete the file as part of “protect network settings.”
Guys i dont have a hosts gile :(
I am using a windows vista home premium.
And idea what could be the problem.
Are you positive you’re looking in the right place? There has to be a hosts file.
very usefull, thank you so much
Thanks Brent.
Thanks very much ….. at least i can alter the hosts file now….. still hate vista but hey beggers cant be choosers!!
Cheers
Thanks, that’s useful!
Right now I’m as usual struggling against the Vista UAC, which was turned off last time I checked, in order to update this file.
I paid for this computer and am FULLY QUALIFIED to update its system resources, but MS has decided to make simple tasks difficult to impossible.
I expect my next computer will be a Mac
Now that I’m done complaining about Vista, I’ll offer something constructive.
One line command does the trick: C:\Windows\system32\notepad.exe C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
If necessary revise for any customizations, of course.
And do whatever it takes to overcome Vista UAC.
yes it works
How do I get to the Hoast file……..I have XP instead of Vista.
Better still how do I get rid of b1.adv.net if I have XP? Thanks in advance. Please email me with answer….
i could not edit host file in window vista. i follow ur instructions but unable to did that, plz give me another solution its an very urgent for me
It works fine and I was able to save the host-file after turning norton off.
Great tip Charon.
Vista protects the hosts file and it is perfectly sane and valid that it does so.
To edit it you must do son as administrator:
Right click the shortcut of your favorite editor such as Notepad as select Run as Administrator.
From within the editor, open the hosts file (or drag and drop it into the editor).
Now you are able to save changes to it.
you just said what everybody else did, but it just doesn’t seem to work for me. whatever I do, run as administrator or not, every time I receive the same stupid message -make sure the path and filename are correct. Impossible to save
Thanks a lot!
THANKS YAR I HAVE LOT OF DOUBTS ABOUT VISTA . I HAVE A DOMAIN SERVER ITS RUNNING IN WINDIOWS 2003 SERVER OS HOW I CONNECT TO WIN 2003 SERVER DOMAIN
Thanks alot for this info. Good stuff! Really helped me do something I couldn’t figure out.
How do I block the Vimax ads on a Mac???
“127.0.0.1 b1.adv.net” where do I copy this on a Mac???
Thanks for any help??!!
RG
I can’t find etc in System32 folder.
It works! Thanks man!
This is the only method that actually worked for me. The norton site is useless.
Thanks!
Kind of plain vanilla (some PICTURES would have helped, guys…) but does the trick. Question is, will XP7, er i mean Windows 7 *wink* change the place the HOSTS file is stored. I hate having to remember 3 operating systems. They should keep it in the same darn place.
thank you! this information was quite useful.
I can’t get past this error…
“Cannot create the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file. Make sure that the path and file name are correct.”
It keeps wanting to add a .txt extension like I can’t save a file without an extension. I’m running notepad as administrator and I tried disabling my Norton AV. Nothing is working. Argh!
You shouldn’t have to create the hosts file. It should already be there. What version of Windows are you using?
It is already there. I open up Notepad as admin and then I open up that hosts file no problem. I make my changes but then when I save it won’t let me do it without an extension for some reason.
I wound up letting it save as .txt and then i just browsed back to that directory, renamed the original hosts file as a backup, then removed the .txt extension from the new one I saved and now I’m up and running.
This is good.
Very useful information and very neatly described. Thanks!
I was having issues and finally realized that my hosts file was set to read-only… once I cleared that flag, then I was able to edit it (as admin.)
For The Guys Who Are Getting The “Cannot Create …”
This is not a Vista issues. A lot of package and in my case – Spybot Search & Destroy – not only add entries to your hosts files, but they also set it to read only mode…
Right click and uncheck read-only as Daniel said and you will be able to edit it finally!
Forest……YOU ARE THE MAN!!!
Such a simple solution for such a pain in the butt problem. That was exactly what it was for me.
Knowledge Is Power ;)
http://www.emeksepeti.com/blog/post/2009/08/06/Changing-your-hosts-file-in-Vista.aspx
this is what i have for a hosts file.
# Copyright (c) 1993-2006 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a ‘#’ symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost
since its just an example im pretty sure nothing i do is gonna make a difference. anyone wanna give me a hand?
The last two lines of the file are active. The examples are the lines with a # to the left of them. A # sign comments the line out.
Thanks dear. You solved my problem.
Thanks!It was the only one way for my Vista.