My hosts file doesn't seem to block ads anymore. I'm still getting a lot of ads from pagead2.googlesyndication.com and ad.doubleclick.net. I checked for adware using the latest updates from Ad-Aware. The hosts file still doesn't seem to work. I don't want to download any other ad blocking programs. I simply want to get my hosts file to block ads. How do I fix this problem?

First verify you have a current (newest) version of it.Right click and send to notepad (to big will open in word instead)....at top of file it will have a date on it,do a google and see if you find a more current one.You can also add those offending sites to your existing host file,just open it and add addresses of those annoying sites,and re-save.

Can I take it that you've peered inside the hosts file and can see the entries you mentioned next to 127.0.0.1 ? Also is the file simply called hosts (no extension) and in the c:\windows folder. I know this is basic but it seems best to check it first. The only other possibility I can think of is that some malware has "got at it". You could run Ad-Aware or whatever. Derek.W

http://www.mydesktophelp.com/?hostseditor

That prog would`nt work on my machine. Like was said above, the hosts file is in the windows folder,, it has no extension. Open with text editor and add the offending address. Note, you can right click on a popup and get the address, however, if it is a shockwave popup, you`ll need to view/source and see where that add is being hosted by. Here is an example what your host file should look like: 127.0.0.1 media.fastclick.net 127.0.0.1 www.budsinc.com 127.0.0.1 abcsearch.com 127.0.0.1 admin.abcsearch.com 127.0.0.1 www3.abcsearch.com #[Browseraid] 127.0.0.1 www.abcsearch.com #[Restricted Zone site] 127.0.0.1 acestats.com 127.0.0.1 www.acestats.com 127.0.0.1 actualnames.com #[Parasite.ActualNames][Restricted Zone site] 127.0.0.1 www.actualnames.com 127.0.0.1 ad-up.com 127.0.0.1 www.ad-up.com

I already scanned for adware using Ad-Aware using the latest update. My Hosts file is in the right folder and all of the items have 127.0.0.1 next to it. I added z1.adserver.com to the file and I still have those ads. What are some other possibilities that I can try?

It may seem like some sort of spyware or adware has changed the directory of where your hosts file should be. If you are running windows xp. You will need to get into regedit, and go to this following directory. LocalMachine\system\currentcontrolset\services\tcpip\paramenters. Ensure that the DataBasePath is set to %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc Instead of some other directory. This path in the registry actually tells windows where to look for the hosts file.