Windows 7-7100 RC has a bug in the Hosts file set. When I add an IP{domain name} to the hosts file then test the IE8 and FireFox the site is not blocked. Any Ideas where or if there is any settings or services that need to be changed??

You likely saved it with a .txt ending as that is the default for Notepad. It needs to be saved with no extension and you also need to run Notepad with administrative rights to be able to save to the correct place.To make Notepad save without extension write the filename like this: "hosts" and change filetype from Text to All.

Hey Jens No, you are incorrect, I have been a Microsoft user for 25 years, and have always been knowledgeable about the HOSTS file since the beginning. I did not save the hosts file as hosts.txt. It is still "hosts" only, and It is not functioning properly. This is a bug in the Windows 7 version. I am not the only one who has this problem. I have read this same issue in the Network segment of this form also, and have not seen a true answer, I have also sent reply's to MS since the first version I started in, back in November, and there has been no bug repairs yet. If you are running Windows 7 then try the host file test and tell me if it works for you. My normal test is to add a set like this then try to visit the web site. example: 127.0.0.1 adobe.com In my tests previously when I do this in Windows XP, you get an error in the browser, "Not connecting to the site". Thanks for your response. Larry

It works fine. As expected the search pagecomes up as I don't have a Web Server installed.Older versions of IE would respond with Unable to connect.

Can't reach adobe.com > 127.0.0.1 in IE8 but sadly I can reach adobe.com in FireFox3.5. When I try to add my own domain pointing to the ip of my new hoster it keeps going to the old hoster. I can prove that because the new environment has only a html, the old shows a drupal installation.

Hmm, it seems hosts file is working. ping and tracert to the url in the hosts file works. It points to the ip of my new hoster. But my browsers, IE8, FF3.5 and Chrome don't want to listen to that.