HOSTS Backup Program..

[JD]

Although safer-networking.org is down, I'm curious as to what program
made a backup of my HOSTS file?

The file is hosts.20080613-192117.backup which bts feels reflects a
date of June 13 2008. I didn't run any anti programs on that date but it
sure looks like some program did a backup of my HOSTS file.

Anybody ever seen their HOSTS file backed up as above?

--
JD..

[James Morrow]

In article <3c2dnRvxO7UPr-zVnZ2dnUVZ_jmdnZ2d@posted.grandecom>,
JD@example.invalid says...
> Although safer-networking.org is down, I'm curious as to what program
> made a backup of my HOSTS file?
>
> The file is hosts.20080613-192117.backup which bts feels reflects a
> date of June 13 2008. I didn't run any anti programs on that date but it
> sure looks like some program did a backup of my HOSTS file.
>
> Anybody ever seen their HOSTS file backed up as above?
>
>

If you are using the HOSTS file from www.mvps.org then the HOSTS bat
file creates a backup at C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc (if you are
using Windows XP as I am.)

At the mvps.org site it says;

QUOTE
Do other programs add entries to the HOSTS file?

Yes there are several legitimate programs that add entries to the HOSTS
file. This is why it's important to keep a backup of your existing
HOSTS file. When you update via the "mvps.bat" this will rename your
existing file. If needed you can open HOSTS.MVP and copy and paste to
the new existing HOSTS file any other needed entries.

UNQUOTE

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm

From the file name you cite it is clear this is what has happened. And
it's a real good thing too. You never know when you may need that
backup.

--
James E. Morrow
Email to: jamesemorrow@email.com

[JD]

James Morrow wrote:
> In article <3c2dnRvxO7UPr-zVnZ2dnUVZ_jmdnZ2d@posted.grandecom>,
> JD@example.invalid says...
>> Although safer-networking.org is down, I'm curious as to what program
>> made a backup of my HOSTS file?
>>
>> The file is hosts.20080613-192117.backup which bts feels reflects a
>> date of June 13 2008. I didn't run any anti programs on that date but it
>> sure looks like some program did a backup of my HOSTS file.
>>
>> Anybody ever seen their HOSTS file backed up as above?
>>
>>
>
> If you are using the HOSTS file from www.mvps.org then the HOSTS bat
> file creates a backup at C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc (if you are
> using Windows XP as I am.)
>
> At the mvps.org site it says;
>
> QUOTE
> Do other programs add entries to the HOSTS file?
>
> Yes there are several legitimate programs that add entries to the HOSTS
> file. This is why it's important to keep a backup of your existing
> HOSTS file. When you update via the "mvps.bat" this will rename your
> existing file. If needed you can open HOSTS.MVP and copy and paste to
> the new existing HOSTS file any other needed entries.
>
> UNQUOTE
>
> http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm
>
> From the file name you cite it is clear this is what has happened. And
> it's a real good thing too. You never know when you may need that
> backup.
>

I do use the HOSTS file from mvps.org but I don't update my HOSTS file
using the mvps.bat file. I rename the current HOSTS file to HOSTS.old
and then move the new HOSTS file to replace the old one.

The only anti program I can imagine doing this without telling me is
either a-squared or Spybot Search & Destroy but I didn't run either of
those on the date my HOSTS file backup was created?



--
JD..

[Andy Walker]

JD wrote:

>Although safer-networking.org is down, I'm curious as to what program
>made a backup of my HOSTS file?
>
>The file is hosts.20080613-192117.backup which bts feels reflects a
>date of June 13 2008. I didn't run any anti programs on that date but it
>sure looks like some program did a backup of my HOSTS file.
>
>Anybody ever seen their HOSTS file backed up as above?

I found this in a forum post:

"Note #1: Spybot’s HOSTS file backups are stored as
hosts.yyyymmdd-hhmmss.backup (where yyyymmdd-hhmmss =
year/month/day/dash/hour/minute/second of when the backup was taken).
They are stored in the same directory as the systems HOSTS file:
Win 95/98/ME = C:\WINDOWS
Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
The Spybot Hosts file facility also allows you select and restore the
HOSTS file to any one of the backups taken when you added Spybot's
Hosts file. This is done by selecting a backup from the pull-down
selection list of backups (?symbol on the right of the "Restore
backup" button).

When no longer needed the backups can be manually deleted using
Windows Explorer, navigating to the appropriate directory and
deleting"
http://forums.spybot.info/archive/in...p/t-12411.html

It looks like the backup was probably created by Spybot S&D.

[JD]

Andy Walker wrote:
> JD wrote:
>
>> Although safer-networking.org is down, I'm curious as to what program
>> made a backup of my HOSTS file?
>>
>> The file is hosts.20080613-192117.backup which bts feels reflects a
>> date of June 13 2008. I didn't run any anti programs on that date but it
>> sure looks like some program did a backup of my HOSTS file.
>>
>> Anybody ever seen their HOSTS file backed up as above?
>
> I found this in a forum post:
>
> "Note #1: Spybot’s HOSTS file backups are stored as
> hosts.yyyymmdd-hhmmss.backup (where yyyymmdd-hhmmss =
> year/month/day/dash/hour/minute/second of when the backup was taken).
> They are stored in the same directory as the systems HOSTS file:
> Win 95/98/ME = C:\WINDOWS
> Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
> Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
> The Spybot Hosts file facility also allows you select and restore the
> HOSTS file to any one of the backups taken when you added Spybot's
> Hosts file. This is done by selecting a backup from the pull-down
> selection list of backups (?symbol on the right of the "Restore
> backup" button).
>
> When no longer needed the backups can be manually deleted using
> Windows Explorer, navigating to the appropriate directory and
> deleting"
> http://forums.spybot.info/archive/in...p/t-12411.html
>
> It looks like the backup was probably created by Spybot S&D.

Thanks Andy!

It sure does sound like the backup was created by Spybot S&D. I'll see
what happens next time I run Spybot S&D.

--
JD..

[siljaline]

See http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm#Merging
The SpyBot HOSTS file is chock-full of reduntant entries, it will
slow down your Browser significantly.

Try this proggy on for size - recommded.
http://www.abelhadigital.com/

--
Silj

[JD]

siljaline wrote:
> See http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm#Merging
> The SpyBot HOSTS file is chock-full of reduntant entries, it will
> slow down your Browser significantly.
>
> Try this proggy on for size - recommded.
> http://www.abelhadigital.com/
>
> --
> Silj
>
>

From what I can tell, the backup was just a copy of my MVPs HOSTS file.
To be on the safe side I downloaded and installed the latest MVPS HOSTS
file.

--
JD..