HOSTS file question?

[Jake_Barnes]

<b>HOSTS file question?</b>

I'm having some HOSTS file issues. In examaning my HOST file folder, I find an interesting file "quotes" (2 KB) ... so my question is this, what files should be in the
<b>C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC folder</b> (contains the HOSTS file).

I have these:
********************************************************
-HOSTS (mine is 293 KB)(default is 1 KB)
-PROTOCOL (1KB)
-LMHOSTS.SAM (4 KB)
-NETWORKS (1 KB)
-SERVICES (7 KB)
(and this strange one ...)
-quotes (2KB) - have no clue why this one is there - has some quotes with some coding?
*******************************************************
Windows XP SP2 ...

Any help would be appreciated.
Jake

<A HREF="http://usera.imagecave.com/jakebarnes/HOSTS-ETC.jpg" target="_new">Screen Shot</A>

Edit: In the screen shot, I added the file extension ".crap" - the original file was just - quotes ... in case it is malicious code.

<b>"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."</b> <b>Hunter S. Thompson, <b><i> Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</i>, 1965.</b>

 

[palmerg]

All my 4 XP /etc have hosts, lmhosts.sam, networks, protocol, services and not quotes.

Can you post the contents of quotes?

I am officially <i>addicted</i>

 

[palmerg]

do you have a hex editor? That may show bits inside to give a clue as to what its for. I'll keep looking

Strange indeed

I am officially <i>addicted</i>

 

[mousepotato]

<A HREF="http://miataru.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/23466.html" target="_new">link</A>

Open it with notepad. Post the contents for us. I don't have it on either my XPPro, or XPHome rig.


---
If you believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.

 

[Jake_Barnes]

I'm afraid it might be malicious ... and am not sure how to render it safe ... I might screw up some machines if it's bad, but since it was created on the same date as the regular files (and hasn't hurt me yet ... to my knowledge) - it might be ok.

PM me an email - I'll paste it in a txt file and send it as an attachment if you want ... you can scan it before opening - if you feel safe doing that.


<b>"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."</b> <b>Hunter S. Thompson, <b><i> Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</i>, 1965.</b>

 

[Jake_Barnes]

I'll post it ... if you guys think it's safe ...


<b>"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."</b> <b>Hunter S. Thompson, <b><i> Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</i>, 1965.</b>

 

[mousepotato]

I believe it's safe to open with notepad.

<A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&newwindow=1&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US😱fficial&q=" target="_new">Google search</A>


---
If you believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.

 

[Jake_Barnes]

OK ... this is the complete file:
**********************************************************************
"My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters
get in the wrong places." A. A. Milne (1882-1958)
%
"Man can climb to the highest summits, but he cannot dwell there long."
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
%
"In Heaven an angel is nobody in particular." George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
%
"Assassination is the extreme form of censorship."
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
%
"When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares
that it is his duty." George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
%
"We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to
consume wealth without producing it." George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
%
"We want a few mad people now. See where the sane ones have landed us!"
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
%
"The secret of being miserable is to have leisure to bother about whether
you are happy or not. The cure for it is occupation."
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
%
"Here's the rule for bargains: "Do other men, for they would do you."
That's the true business precept." Charles Dickens (1812-70)
%
"Oh the nerves, the nerves; the mysteries of this machine called man!
Oh the little that unhinges it, poor creatures that we are!"
Charles Dickens (1812-70)
%
"A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted
to be that profound secret and mystery to every other."
Charles Dickens (1812-70)
%
"It was as true as taxes is. And nothing's truer than them."
Charles Dickens (1812-70)
%

***********************************************************************

I hope that's safe ... that's all that's in there.


<b>"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."</b> <b>Hunter S. Thompson, <b><i> Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</i>, 1965.</b>

 

[mousepotato]

One more link for you with more info:

<A HREF="http://www.eeggs.com/items/34337.html" target="_new">link</A>


---
If you believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.

 

[Jake_Barnes]

Ok, there is a secret file in Windows XP called "quotes". In order to get there you must be somewhat familiar with how to use Windows, simply open up My Computer (explorer) and double click on your main drive (probably C next navigate to: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\etc This is where the quotes file is. Open the file named quotes in your favorite text editor (notepad, MS Word, Emacs😛 ) then look at the quotes put there by the MS developers!
**note: I use Windows XP Pro, it might only work in professional edition **

That must be it ... no harm then ... thanks!

btw: I do have XP Pro.



<b>"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."</b> <b>Hunter S. Thompson, <b><i> Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</i>, 1965.</b>

 

[TheCh0s3n1]

I have WinXP Pro SP2 installed too, but no "quotes" in the Hosts file.

_____________
<i>There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary
and those who don't</i>

 

[mousepotato]

It's the "quote of the day file" that gets installed with "Simple TCP/IP Services". Most home users won't need this extra content. That's the reason you and I don't have it.

If you check your Windows CD you will find it. Or if you install "Simple TCP/IP Services" from your Windows CD, the file will end up in the folder Jake mentioned.


---
If you believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.

 

[Jake_Barnes]

The reason I brought this up is that I installed a new build of an anti-spyware app ... and it started totally deleting my HOSTS file ... my regular HOSTS (with additions) is 293KB ... but this app, when activated would just delete it. I started looking in that "ETC" folder and came across the "quotes" file with all those % headers ... wondered if something so strange and seemingly out of place could be causing the problem. Since it's not the quotes file ... must be the new app.


<b>"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."</b> <b>Hunter S. Thompson, <b><i> Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas</i>, 1965.</b>