A Question About My Host File

[mrlessk]

Hi,
Windows XP Home
IE6/Firefox 0.8
K-Lite v2.6

I just received an e-mail from my financial institution. I know it is safe and
secure to open links from them so, that is not a problem.

When I tried to open a link within the message my default browser,
Firefox 0.8 tried to open it and on the top of a blank page was:
"This site/picture is blocked by the HOSTS file!"

The reason I am posting in FileSharingTalk is because just recently I had
amended my ETC>host file by adding some items that Lite supplied me to
block ads I was still getting in my K-Lite v2.6. I deleted a host.off
file that was in my SYSTEM 32>ETC, added Lite's entries, ads were gone,
and everything was fine.

I'm a little uneasy when it comes to messing with Registry, SYSTEM 32,
Host files and such.
I don't like messing with my system anymore than I have to due to lack
of experience.

So, how can I safely open the link?

I have a couple of small Programs....Hostess 3.0 and also Host Toggle which I've used in the past.
They allow me to toggle the host file off and on.

Am I going to mess things up with KL for example if I toggle OFF
my host file in order to view this link and then toggle it back on? :(

Thanks,
mrlessk :)

[firefox]

your klite will work fine if you turn off your host file. Or if you like you can go to C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc and edit your hosts. file and find the line where your web site in question is at and add a ; in front of it and it will remark it and not block it any longer, or you could just delete that line. That should work.

[mrlessk]

Originally posted by firefox@10 August 2004 - 14:21
.... find the line where your web site in question is at and add a ; in front of it and it will remark it and not block it any longer, or you could just delete that line.  That should work.
Wow! Pure Genius....it worked!
Turns out the link was categorized as an "Ad"....(ad.double click.net) when I right-clicked>Page Info.

I opened etc>host in Notebook, found ad.double click.net, put that semi-colon in front of the IP address,
Saved the file, and the link opened on my next try.

I wonder if I should remove that semi-colon now so as not to receive
any random ads that I don't want?

Thanks much firefox for the cool trick,

Nicely done!
:beerchug:

mrlessk ;)

[hungrylilboy]

double click is a online advertising, email marketing company which is related to popups, banners, tracking cookies and more.

therefore i would advise putting this line back in ur hosts.

what did the image show which was blocked? was it an ad?

[mrlessk]

Originally posted by hungrylilboy@10 August 2004 - 17:21
therefore i would advise putting this line back in ur hosts.
what did the image show which was blocked? was it an ad?
Ok, I just removed that semi-colon I inserted in front of 127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net
in host and saved the file which should return it to it's previous state.

Yep, basically the link was an AD for a service they were offering.
Pretty standard stuff.
So, I read it and decided not to take them up on their offer.

This was an interesting excercise. Now I know what to do next time something
is blocked by the host file that I might want to view.

Thanks for the reply,

mrlessk :)