How to Restore Windows XP Hosts File
The hosts file in Windows XP is an important file, and if that file is lost or damaged it is important to know how to recover or restore it. The hosts file is used to handle the way your computer connects with a number of external devices, including network servers and Internet sites. If you find that you are suddenly unable to access network resources that once posed no problem, you may find that a bad hosts file is to blame.
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Instructions
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Log on to your computer and click on the "Start" button. Choose "Search" from the menu. Choose "All Files and Folders" from the menu.
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Type "hosts" in the search box and start the search. The file should be located in "C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc." but it is always possible that the file was inadvertently moved.
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Right-click on the hosts file if you are able to locate it through the search. Then right-click on "My Computer" and choose "Explore" from the menu to open Windows Explorer. Navigate to the "C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc." folder, right-click and choose "Paste" to restore the hosts file to its proper location.
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Open Notepad by clicking on the "Start" button, choosing "Run" from the menu and typing "Notepad" in the box if you were not able to locate a hosts file on your system. You will need to use Notepad to re-create the hosts file.
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Type the IP address of the server you want to reach, then hit the "Tab" key and type the server name. For instance, if your server IP address is 25.69.23.52 and the name is server name you would type:
25.69.23.52 servername
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Save your Notepad file to the "C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc." folder as hosts and close Notepad. Click on the "Start" button and choose "Run" from the menu. Type "cmd" in the box and click "OK." When the DOS window opens, type "cd C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc." in the box. Then type "rename hosts.txt hosts" to save the hosts file to its proper format.
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