Cannot save file host

join · 08 Oct 2020

I open file host by "run as administrator" then I add some lines to block ads on viber desktop or to get access to some web sites which have been blocked on my machine....when I save it will give this

Cannot save file host-cannot-save-file-host-1.png

and if I click yes, it will give this

Cannot save file host-cannot-save-file-host-2.png

Even I open file host from explorer C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc it is the same
Spybot - Search & Destroy has added a lot of line to block web sites, I don't know if it prevents me to save change on file host.
Please help me to fix it, thank you
I am using windows 10 version 2004

snickie · 08 Oct 2020

join said:

I open file host by "run as administrator" then I add some lines to block ads on viber desktop or to get access to some web sites which have been blocked on my machine....when I save it will give this

and if I click yes, it will give this

Even I open file host from explorer C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc it is the same
Spybot - Search & Destroy has added a lot of line to block web sites, I don't know if it prevents me to save change on file host.
Please help me to fix it, thank you
I am using windows 10 version 2004

1. Go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc with explorer
2. Type on Shift and right-click on an open space
3. Click on "open command window here as Administrator"
4. When prompt is open , type "notepad hosts". (Dont type citation marks).
5. Now you should be able to edit and save the hosts file!

Regards, snickie

join · 08 Oct 2020

snickie said:

1. Go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc with explorer
2. Type on Shift and right-click on an open space
3. Click on "open command window here as Administrator"
4. When prompt is open , type "notepad hosts". (Dont type citation marks).
5. Now you should be able to edit and save the hosts file!

Regards, snickie

I don't understand "Type on Shift " can you tell more, thank you
I press Shift and right click on an open space, it gives "open powershell windows here "

snickie · 08 Oct 2020

join said:

I don't understand "Type on Shift " can you tell more, thank you

You have to type on the Shift key, the one to the left on your keyboard!

join · 08 Oct 2020

snickie said:

You have to type on the Shift key, the one to the left on your keyboard!

Yes, I did, but only "open powershell windows here "

- - - Updated - - -

Now I can open it, let see. Thank you

Samuria · 08 Oct 2020

Spybot is old and will fill the host with thousands of lines slowing the internet to a crawl most will be out of date and useless revert it to default then use one of the DNS sites which blocks site live up-to-date and no impact on performance.

join · 08 Oct 2020

snickie said:

1. Go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc with explorer
2. Type on Shift and right-click on an open space
3. Click on "open command window here as Administrator"
4. When prompt is open , type "notepad hosts". (Dont type citation marks).
5. Now you should be able to edit and save the hosts file!

Regards, snickie

I go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc with explorer ==> Shift and right click ==> (it open powershell) ==> type: notepad hosts ==> (it opens file host) then it is the same, cannot save it

Do you have any other idea? Thank you

snickie · 08 Oct 2020

join said:

I go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc with explorer ==> Shift and right click ==> (it open powershell) ==> type: notepad hosts ==> (it opens file host) then it is the same, cannot save it

Do you have any other idea? Thank you

I think you have to open notepad with the command prompt, not Powershell.

1. Right click on Windows start button.
2. Click on Command prompt (Admin)
3. When in the command prompt, type cd drivers\etc
4. Now type notepad hosts

If you can't save the hosts file now, then you have to edit the security for the hosts file!
I can edit and save the hosts file this way, but maybe I did some changes to security years ago. I can't remember .-)

f14tomcat · 08 Oct 2020

You're trying to do your work in windows\system32\drivers\etc folder. This folder is a restricted system folder and will stop you at every corner if you try to modify files in-place.

Copy the Hosts file to your desktop. Do your adds/deletes/whatever to the file there, and save it. Remember, HOSTS has no file extension, so in Notepad you must save it with the option "All Files", not .txt.

Then, copy and paste your desktop file into the system directory replacing the existing hosts file. There will be a couple of "are you sure?" type questions.

If you are unable to do this, you will need to take ownership of the HOSTS file. That's a different story. Try this first.

p.s. - as a side note, Spybot S&D is a dinosaur and somewhat less than useful for anything. I agree, dump it. It's doing nothing but slowing you down.

Ghot · 08 Oct 2020

@join

I use a 3rd party HOSTS file, so I change these all the time.

Do what @f14tomcat says... Copy the HOSTS file to your desktop, right click and choose properties, then UNcheck Read only... edit it there, then SAVE it.
Then right click it, choose Properties, and put a checkmark IN the Read Only box.

Then go back to the drivers\etc folder and RENAME the HOSTS file to HOSTS.old
Then drag and drop the edited HOSTS file (that's on your desktop), into the drivers\etc folder.

/edit

Alternatively, you can do the same thing IN the drivers/etc folder.
Just right click HOSTS and choose properties, and UNcheck Read Only.

Open HOSTS with notepad, edit it and Save it.
Then right click HOSTS again, and choose Properties, and put the checkmark back in the Read Only box.

Just tested this myself... works fine.

In either case the trick is to UNcheck the Read Only box, edit and save it, then REcheck the Read Only box.