HostsMan

HostsMan
HostsMan

Automatic update of hosts file, enable/disable hosts file, built-in hosts editor, scan hosts for errors, duplicates and possible hijacks, hosts file backup manager.

After etalmar posted it I downloaded and used Hosts Manager. I had a huge hosts file (10,000+ entries) which I read was likely causing my SVCHOST Service: DNSCache to max up CPU usage every 15 minutes or so.

It sorted the entries and removed duplicates and stacked multiple on the same line (which I was unaware I could do). So now it doesn't look so pretty but it works like 900 entries and I have not seen the CPU spike in services since.

I estimate my hosts entries block at least 90% of the ads I would otherwise be subjected to. I get the entries from Spybot Search & Destroy and Winhelp 2002 but this utility manages them nicely including removing dups no matter where your list comes from. (Note: Supposedly, when the MVPS site is up, you can go to Hosts ... Check for Updates and MVPS is the first one available in HostMan's list but I had already added mine manually from Winhelp 2002)

For me I was glad he posted it. Again I see this as a techy program. Though it's simple for anyone to use, the whole idea of editing the hosts file is not for everyone.

I did notice when you thanked him for posting. I must admit that this area of computing is still over my head. I have no clue what the software does and in turn wonder if it should be added to the list for general use.

Clifford, a few weeks back you asked what the hosts file was for and I explained it the best I could but I never realized that my hosts file was actually doing it's job right here on these forums. I have been here for 5 months and up until yesterday (when I came here from another persons computer) I didn't realize that most of you see google ads on these webpages. In five months I had never seen an ad on these pages.

I would definitely recommend adding the entries from Winhelp 2002 to your hosts file entries and then installing HostsMan to disable your hosts file with the click of a button when you visit sites that won't function without your ad blocker disabled (the website only knows the ads aren't showing, it can't tell if it is your hosts file or ad blocking software in your browser).

Thanks again Etalmar, I used to have to copy an empty hosts file each time I needed to "disable ad-blockers" and with the file being read-only I usually found it easier to just not bother with that website. Now I can just run hostsman, click disable hosts, and browse, then re-enable. So simple yet so useful

Interesting - The only time I see those adds are when I am not logged in.

Are you sure you was logged in?
Did you post anything, because that would have required logging in?

Well when I got here I definitely wasn't logged in, I didn't notice if they went away after I did sign on. But on my computer I never see them anytime.

You're welcome! I have been using Hostsman for a long time and I appreciate the easy access buttons and simple but comprehensive approach to blocking ad and malware sites, along with maintaining an updated hosts file. Besides enabling and disabling the hosts file with the click of a button,you can also create an encrypted copy, as well as save a copy to an external backup folder. I have the DNS Client service disabled. My host file isn't terribly large, but I haven't noticed any slowdown in browser performance. I don't know if you've tried the HostsServer feature yet, but it really isn't necessary.

Glad you like HostsMan. I think it is the best hosts file program out there and I have tried just about all of them.

My hosts file is huge (10,000+ entries) and the sort and remove duplicates option fixed a problem I had for months with my system slowing down about every 15 minutes to run DNS svchost at 50% or more CPU for a couple minutes at a time - I have not noticed this issue once since.

I haven't tried the HostsServer, not sure what it's purpose is or what I would use it for. I'm sure I could read up on the other features but HostsMan has already done and is doing everything I could have hoped for.

My hosts file is a little less than half the size of yours, as I try to clean it out on a regular basis and keep it streamlined, mostly with entries that I add to it, not just by downloading the MVPS list, which is good, but a little excessive to me.

Also, I use the 0.0.0.0 IP protocol, not 127.0.0.1, as it seems to be faster. If you use 127.0.0.1, every time an ad server tries to connect to a blocked site, the computer will try to communicate with itself and the connection has to time out. If you set it to 0.0.0.0, the computer will immediately recognize it as invalid and you won't be stuck with lots of open connections, especially if a web site tries to load images from a blocked host. 127.0.0.1 = your computer .. 0.0.0.0 = nowhere.

Well thanks again, I will need to give that a try as I didn't know this You do learn something new every day!
Already changed, I shall see how it goes.