Virus Guy <Virus@Guy.com> wrote in news:4F181EED.EE8E684@Guy.com:

> I've been running my win-98 machines for years with hosts files that
> exceed 700/800 kb in size. It's only within the past year that web
> browsing is really getting bogged down by site-blocking caused by
hosts
> blocking.

Which only makes sense, As your machine has to read the hosts file line
by line (unless it's already cached it) every single time you enter a
domain. I don't care how fast/slow your machine is, trolling hundreds of
entries will slow it down a smidgeon.

As far as DNS services go, your win9x machine still understands what DNS
is, and will still make use of it. It can't provide DNS routing services
to other machines without 3rd party software, but it still makes use of
DNS as a client to resolve and let you surf.

With regard to running windows 98 for years, I don't see the point in
doing so from a technical perspective. You aren't more secure than an NT
box, although I realize for some silly reason you think you are. Fact
is, short of some specific NT services, your win9x box is just as
0wnable as any other machine. In some cases, much much more so. It's
easier for a virus to totally 0wn a win9x box because that machine has
poor/almost not present permissions on files. FAT32 does have drawbacks
from a security perspective, but you wouldn't know that.

A properly configured system although not 100% hackproof is still
considered secure for most purposes. Running seriously OUTDATED OS and
other apps tho, is asking for it. I know you don't believe anything I
and others tell you, but could you please do one tiny favor? Stop
proclaiming win9x is safer. it isn't.




--
Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too
many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and
the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. - J.C. Watts