-=PCTechTalk=- Re: Windows-update.
- From: "~OoO~" <SirTroth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 12:04:18 -0400
I should have explained the HOSTS file a bit better.
File names are usually composed of the name plus extension... the name being
before the period, the extension being after the period. In other words, if you
saved a Microsoft Word document, and called it REPORT, the resulting file name
would be:
REPORT.DOC
REPORT is the name, DOC is the extension. Now, I say usually, cause its
possible to have a file name without an extension. The only purpose the
extension serves is to tell your computer what application to open it with. So,
in the above example of REPORT.DOC, the DOC extension tells Windows to open the
document using WORD. If you don't have WORD installed, it wouldn't recognize
the DOC extension, and as a result would ask you what application you'd like to
use to open it.
With that said, the HOSTS file is of the latter variant... it has no extension.
Its simply HOSTS. If you see a HOSTS.TXT, that's not the file we want. Or if
you see HOSTS.any extension, that's not it. You want simply HOSTS.
Now... by default, when you install Windows, Microsoft felt it appropriate to
"shield" their customers from viewing extensions. In other words, by default
you don't see the extension of file names. We want to change this, cause we
want you to see what the extension is. So, go ahead and double-click on MY
COMPUTER, then on top click on TOOLS > FOLDER OPTIONS... > then VIEW. Then
scroll to where it says SHOW HIDDEN FILES AND FOLDERS and make sure there's a
check mark in there. Right below that, you'll also see HIDE EXTENSIONS FOR
KNOWN FILE TYPES. Make sure there is NO check mark in this one. Then hit APPLY
and then OK.
Alright... now you should be able to see extensions with no problem.
Next... the HOSTS file... this file, although it has no extension, is a text
file. What that means is that you can view the contents using any text editor.
We're going to use NOTEPAD.
With the new changes we made on your system, do a search again for HOSTS. Make
sure you search it just like that... HOSTS. (without the period). And, where it
says where to search, make sure its searching the C drive. I think by default
it might show a different folder, so just make sure its searching the C drive.
Once it finds anything, you want the file that is just called HOSTS. Not
HOSTS.TXT or HOSTS.JS or anything else. Simply HOSTS as the file name. With
that file found, you want to hold SHIFT down, and right-click on the file, and
it should say OPEN WITH... Select this option and then scroll through the list
to tell it to open it with NOTEPAD. And, there you can now see the contents of
the HOSTS file. Technically speaking, if you want to make sure that this is not
the problem with the Windows Update, you can just delete all the contents in
this file, and then just save it empty (FILE > SAVE). That would remove any
HOSTS restrictions you might have. Anyway... use the contents of the HOSTS file
to see if it has anything to do with that article I forwarded to you.
Regarding NORTON and the warning you received. Norton AntiVirus has a setting
that basically warns you about any script that could be harmful if run. The
reason you got the warning is because whatever you clicked on was a script
(javascript) and Norton was just telling you to be careful. Since Norton
doesn't really know whether or not this is a bad script, it gives you the
option. You shouldn't be in this position in the first place, cause we don't
want to run any scripts, so you're ok to just not allow the script to run.
By the way... do a search as HOST, not HOSTS. That way it brings up anything
with the HOST in the name... but then YOU have to make sure you're looking at
the file called HOSTS... not HOSTL, for example, which the search would bring
up.
Hope I didn't confuse you any more than I did myself.
;-)
..::[ Sir Troth ]::..
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ICQ: 1717439
AIM: SirTrothX
MSN: SirTroth@xxxxxxxxxxx
YAHOO: SirTroth
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
----- Original Message -----
From: Sylviavandewall
To: pctechtalk
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 11:34 AM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: Windows-update.
Troth,
.Ok, I'll try and explain this in my best English......ha-ha
I did a search and it came up with 2 files. One HOSTS had 1kB and is called
SAM-file, the other LMHOSTS has 4kB and also is called SAM-file. Now a very
weird thing happened, I went to the sample files and saw they are all
JScript- and VBScript-files. I'll explain them here:
2 CHART with one JScript and one VBScript
2 EXEL, same as above
2 NETWORK, same as above
2 REGISTRY, same. Now with this one something strange happened when I tried
to open them Norton came up with a warning that said: HARMFUL SCRIPT.
Object: Windows Script host shell object. Activity: RegWrite. Your computer
is temporary stopped something has to be done with this script:
C:\WINDOWS\SAMPLES\WSH\REGISTRY.JS. and the same thing came with the other
file only there the REGISTRY ended with VBS. Than Norton asks What do you
want to do? Advice: stop script.
I pressed the ok bottom because I don't know what this is all about. Is this
a virus or just a file I cant touch??
Than 2 SHORTCUT the same as above and one SHOWVAR with only VBScript.
The other file LMHOST I cant find.
I hope you can understand my explaining all this -:)
Sylvia.
> -:)) Yes I can imagine that!!
> I have WindowsME, I'll do the search now.
> Sylvia.
>
> > Do a search on your system for the hosts file. WinXP: START > SEARCH and
> enter HOSTS. For WinME/98SE/95: START > FIND > FILES AND FOLDERS.
> > I mentioned the different operating systems cause I tend to forget tad
> bits from previous posts (since we go through so many here), and forgot
what
> OS you said you had.
> >
> > ---Troth
To unsub or change your email settings:
//www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk
To access our Archives:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/
//www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/
For more info:
//www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/list?list_id=pctechtalk
To unsub or change your email settings:
//www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk
To access our Archives:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/
//www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/
For more info:
//www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/list?list_id=pctechtalk
Other related posts:
