Can't "Fix"

[Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)]

Susan,

are you logged in on the Judith&Yuda account?

[rlakritz]

Yes

[Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)]

Okay, you need to set the windows explorer to view system and hidden files first.

In explorer, go to menu "Extras" and select "Options" (don't know the exact english name, maybe folder options...).

Select the middle tab in the window that pops up (should be named view).

Make sure to take away the x in the box "Hide system files" (or something like that - again, no exact worging...)
Make sure to select "Show all files" under "Hidden files and folders"

Close the window with okay.

Then navigate to "C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\"

right click on file "hosts" and unselect "hidden".

Then try hostsXpert again.

[rlakritz]

I did the first thing in Windows Explorer.  I next went to the hosts file, right clicked on it, but the hidden file was not selected.  I tried to run HostsXpert but got the same 2 warnings.
It is now after 1am and I have to get up early tomorrow.  I'll have to continue this tomorrow.  Thanks for the help!

[Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)]

I did the first thing in Windows Explorer.  I next went to the hosts file, right clicked on it, but the hidden file was not selected.  I tried to run HostsXpert but got the same 2 warnings.
It is now after 1am and I have to get up early tomorrow.  I'll have to continue this tomorrow.  Thanks for the help!

Okay, we'll go for it tomorrow.
essexboy will be online sometime tomorrow.

Good night!

[Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)]

Create the folder "C:\Unlock"
Download and save the attached unlock.txt file there.
Rename the downloaded file to "Unlock.bat"

Go to Start -> Run

Copy or type this into the commandline:

C:\Unlock\Unlock.bat

Press Enter or click OK.

A black window should appear for a very short time (very, very, very short).

Run hostXpert again.

Did ist work?

Come back here anyway and check for further instructions from essexboy, even if it worked!
See you tomorrow.
 

[rlakritz]

Good morning guys.
I created the folder, downloaded and renamed the file.  When I copied it into the run the commandline, 2 thngs happened: 1. it couldn't find the file C:\unlock\unlock.bat, 2. it would only recognize c:\unlock\unlock.bat.txt which didn't work (no black screen).  I tried to get rid of the .txt but didn't succeed (read "don't know how").

[Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)]

Good Morning, Susan.  
You are doing great! Don't worry, we'll get this done.

Go to Start -> Run
 
Copy or type (watch the spaces!) this into the commandline:

REN C:\Unlock\Unlock.bat.txt C:\Unlock\Unlock.bat

hit Enter or click OK.

Go to Start -> Run

Copy or type this into the commandline:

C:\Unlock\Unlock.bat

Press Enter or click OK.

A black window should appear for a very short time (very, very, very short).

Run hostXpert again.

Come back here anyway and check for further instructions from essexboy, even if it worked!

[Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)]

Susan,

I won't be around too often until monday, and I don't know if essexboy will.

So keep cool and keep looking this thread up every once in a while. If the trick in the post above helped to have hostsXpert run and fix your hosts file, then we are pretty far alright.  

Anyway, in the meantime you can download the Avast AIS 6.0.1044 by clicking on the bold, blue "AIS" in my signature and run it. It's the newest pre-release version and very stable. (In your first post you wrote that you installed the Internet Security version, so I presume you have a licence for it - you have to pay for AIS)

Just in case you had installed the 30-day-trial version of AIS and have no licence, then download the "Free" from my sig, uninstall the current Avast version on your PC, reboot and install the downloaded "Free".

I'll be checking in here every now and then, as time permits, so keep me updated.  

Have a wonderful weekend
Zyndstoff

[rlakritz]

Thanks Steven.  I tried to copy the command but got a message that the Windows couldn't find REN.  Oh well.  Have a great weekend!  Susan

[essexboy]

Hi Susan - this is a shorter version  - we will just reset the attributes first

@Echo off
attrib -s -r -h "C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\Hosts"
exit

Next you will need to create the batch fix to do that copy and paste ALL of the above in the quote box to a notepad file. 
Then in the text file go to FILE > SAVE AS and in the dropdown box select SAVE AS TYPE to ALL FILES
Then in the FILE NAME box type fix.bat

This will create a batch file which is a small blue box with a yellow cog in it
Then run fix.bat by double clicking you may see a black box appear and then disappear

Then retry Hostexpert

[Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)]

Hi essexboy,

do you think the attrib command will work? If her Windows doesn't find the ren-command, it won't find the attrib either, I'm afraid.

What is the standard path for the DOS-commands in XP? Looks like the enviroment-variables have been deleted?

[essexboy]

If the change of attributes fails - I will delete it using a kernel mode tool and then create another one

I will also get OTS to check the variables and reset if necessary 

[Zyndstoff (aka Steven Gail)]

Okay.

Did you look at the bat-file I sent her as unlock.txt?
Is it okay?

If so, she can still run it if she knew the path for the ren-command. Wasn't it something like C:\Windows\Command\ ... I can't remember, I'm growing old... *sigh*

[essexboy]

From a batch file there is no need to state the location of the command file

As to why the ren command failed you will need to run that from the command prompt as opposed to the run command