Reset Hosts File to Default in Windows XP, Vista and 7

Reset Hosts File to Default in Windows XP, Vista and 7

In Windows, hosts file is an important file which maps hostnames to IP addresses. It is an simple text file that contains text lines containing IP address followed by the hostname. It is usually found in "%windir%\System32\drivers\etc\" folder. In 64-bit editions, it might be also stored in "%windir%\SysWOW64\drivers\etc\" folder.

It is sometimes hijacked by malware to redirect to website that contains malicious code. Sometimes malware block security website or Windows Update to install security update or virus definition using this file.

You can always set it to default using following trick:

1. Press "Windows + r" to open RUN dialog box.

2. Type following line of text and hit enter:

Code:

%windir%\System32\drivers\etc\

3. In etc folder, you will find hosts file.

4. Open the file with notepad and replace its contents with the following text:

For Windows 7:

Code:

# Copyright (c) 1993-2006 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
 # localhost name resolution is handle within DNS itself.
# 127.0.0.1 localhost
# ::1 localhost

For Windows Vista and Server 2008:

Code:

# Copyright (c) 1993-2006 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
 127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost

For Windows XP and Server 2003:

Code:

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
 127.0.0.1 localhost

5. Save the file and it is set to default.