How to Edit Your Windows Hosts File
Versions of Windows prior to Vista used simple, editable lookup tables that matche IP addresses and computer names, also known as host names, on a network. Adding entries to the file forced your local Windows computer to match a specific IP address and DNS name with one another. Years ago, you needed to add the IP address and host name of each computer on a network to the host file of each computer on the network. Thanks largely to DHCP, or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, this tedious and error-prone procedure is no longer necessary. You cannot edit the hosts file of a Windows 7 or Windows Vista computer.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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1
Double-click the "My Computer" icon on the desktop to open an Explorer window. Double-click on the C Drive.
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2
Double-click on the folder named "Windows" or "WinNT." Your Windows install directory is this folder.
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3
Double-click on the "System32" folder.
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4
Double-click on the "drivers" folder.
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Double-click on the "etc" folder. You see the hosts file in the list of files that displays.
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6
Press the Start button and click "Run." Type "notepad" in the text box that appears. Press enter to launch the Notepad application.
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7
Click and drag the hosts file in the Explorer window by single left-clicking on it. Drag the icon over the Notepad window and release. The hosts file opens in Notepad.
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8
After the final line of the file, which probably reads "127.0.0.1 localhost," start a new line and add a manual entry as in this example. Substitute IP addresses and host names as needed for your purposes.
74.125.19.103 www.google.com
192.168.0.150 MyHouseServer
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9
Save the file and close Notepad. Your hosts file is edited and the new settings are applied.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The reason you add host entry's is to force your local Windows computer to use a certain IP address or DNS name to match a certain IP or DNS name. Basically if you want someone to access a local server by the name of the server or IP you can create a static entry on the local computer.
The Windows HOST file overrides your DNS settings on the local computer.
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References
Comments
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something worked it stopped redirecting, I wish I knew why!
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When it says it's in use, all you need to do is right click the file, click properties, and uncheck "read-only" and hit "Apply". Then save your hosts file and recheck "read-only" and hit "Apply" again.
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You have to rename the file extension, that's all - take off read only, create a new lmhosts then save, take away the extension - done. :)
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Who tried it cant be done
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You can't save the hosts file while windows is using it, that's why it doesn't work.
