nikki605 0 Report post Posted February 3 7 hours ago, Andavari said: If dealing with multiple HOSTS files it helps to have a tool like the no longer developed and homepageless HostsXpert that works very well in Windows XP up to Windows 10. In it you can import multiple HOSTS files, and even sort them which will remove all those comments and nuke any duplicates. Plus it's 100% portable! It's what Nergal mentioned years ago and after seeing his recommendation I started using it. It's still archived and available at: * https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/hostsxpert.html * https://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Security-Related/Hoster.shtml * http://www.snapfiles.com/get/hoster.html I also have been using HostsXpert to update the MVPS Hosts file, but looking at it's download tab, it appears that it only downloads from MVPs Hosts and HpHosts. You make it sound like it can also download/merge/sort hosts files from other sources as well. Am I missing something? Can I use HostsXpert to download/replace/update Peter Lowe's hosts file? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hav0c 0 Report post Posted February 3 Hello to all, Steven Black host file contains Dan Pollocks (someonewhocares.org) entries as well. See here under section Sources of hosts data unified in this variant I am starting to use the following as well https://hosts-file.net/ad_servers.txt https://hosts-file.net/grm.txt https://hosts-file.net/exp.txt https://hosts-file.net/emd.txt https://hosts-file.net/psh.txt Link to what grm, exp, emd, psh mean Another host file list, I think i have not posted ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nikki605 0 Report post Posted February 3 I stumbled across Steven Black's list a short time ago. My question is how do I easily download/install/update his file? I have gotten so used to using HostsXpert because it is so easy and foolproof. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andavari 1 Report post Posted February 3 Yes it can, however a HOST file will block the bad stuff system-wide, not just in a single web browser where uBlock Origin is installed. I use it as both the HOSTS file and within uBlock Origin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nikki605 0 Report post Posted February 5 I've downloaded and installed HostsMan http://www.abelhadigital.com/hostsman/ I'm trying to figure out how to use it. It handles the other hosts files we've been discussing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andavari 1 Report post Posted February 5 In my opinion HostsMan mangles the hosts file(s) into a complete unreadable mess by merging all those lines, whereas HostsXpert does not and has a readable and traditional format. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nikki605 0 Report post Posted February 5 I've used HostsXpert for years and agree with you that it always performed well. Unfortunately, if MVPS Hosts is no longer going to be updated, the only other hosts file it supports is HpHosts. HostsXpert hasn't been updated in years to add these other hosts files. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andavari 1 Report post Posted February 5 Not actually a real problem for me since I manually download the hosts files I need anyway, merge them with a batch files, and then import them into HostsXpert which I then have sort to remove duplicates. I don't trust only having my hosts file install only in the host file, I install via the manual downloads I've merged which are also the backup copies. The only reason I started doing that in the early 2000's was I remember in the past a forum I'd visit would empty out the hosts file via some script if it detected that its ads didn't load. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razz 0 Report post Posted February 8 MVPS Host File has been updated. https://mvpshostsnews.blogspot.com/2019/02/mvps-hosts-file-update-february-08-2019.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HostsNews+(Hosts+News) Update via HostXpert worked perfectly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nikki605 0 Report post Posted February 8 Got it! Thanks for letting us know and great to see that Mike is okay! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andavari 1 Report post Posted February 8 On the official MVPS Hosts website, he made an official announcement, and we can help by donating! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nikki605 0 Report post Posted February 8 Thanks for pointing out Mike's announcement. I made a donation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nergal 0 Report post Posted May 8 Mvps updated may 8th https://mvpshostsnews.blogspot.com/2019/05/mvps-hosts-file-update-may-08-2019.html?m=1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nikki605 0 Report post Posted May 8 Got it downloaded. Thanks for the post! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andavari 1 Report post Posted May 9 On 2/3/2019 at 10:08, nikki605 said: I stumbled across Steven Black's list a short time ago. My question is how do I easily download/install/update his file? I have gotten so used to using HostsXpert because it is so easy and foolproof. Long overdue answer. HostsXpert cannot do the downloading, however it can do all the merging, but only after you've already manually downloaded the separate HOSTS files. 1. In HostsXpert tick the Make Writable button to make your installed HOSTS file writable, otherwise what's detailed below won't work. 2. Click Import Options, and then choose Merge. Now browse to a single HOSTS file you wish to merge. You need to repeat this step for each separate HOSTS file. 3. Click Editing, and then click Sort. Scroll to the top of the HOSTS file in HostsXpert as many have those loopback headers, and you can end up with a myriad of them that need to be manually pruned/removed. 4. Click File Handling, and then click Make ReadOnly. Done. If you use Windows Defender as the default antivirus look in the Winapp2.ini file for the cleaner [Windows Defender *] since it will allow CCleaner to remove backup copies to the HOSTS file that Defender makes every time you change/modify the HOSTS file. Or, for a more targeted cleaner for it without unnecessarily touching the rest of Defender, this is what I use just to clean the backup copies of HOSTS that Defender makes on Windows 10: [Windows Defender (HOSTS Backups) *] DetectOS=10.0| LangSecRef=3024 Default=False Detect=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender FileKey1=%CommonAppData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\BackupStore|*.* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hazelnut 2 Report post Posted June 12 MVPS HOSTS File Update June 11-2019 http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nikki605 0 Report post Posted June 12 Got it downloaded and installed. Thanks for posting, @hazelnut Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hazelnut 2 Report post Posted June 12 17 minutes ago, nikki605 said: Got it downloaded and installed. Thanks for posting, @hazelnut My pleasure nikki Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andavari 1 Report post Posted June 14 I got it too immediately after seeing your post. As always thanks! Plus it gave a reason to turn on the old XP machine to update something on it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
siliconman01 0 Report post Posted June 17 On 2/5/2019 at 12:22, Andavari said: In my opinion HostsMan mangles the hosts file(s) into a complete unreadable mess by merging all those lines, whereas HostsXpert does not and has a readable and traditional format. In HostsMan v4.8.106, go to Edit>Preferences>Import. Then uncheck "Rearrange hosts file content". That will cause HostsMan to arrange in one entry per line. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
siliconman01 0 Report post Posted June 17 Stephen Black's Unified source easily added to HostsMan. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hazelnut 2 Report post Posted July 14 MVPS HOSTS File Update July 13 http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nikki605 0 Report post Posted July 14 Got it! Thanks for remembering what I seem to forget. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nergal 0 Report post Posted August 15 MVPS update Aug 15 2019 http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nikki605 0 Report post Posted August 19 Got it, thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites