Solved ETC directory

[barsim]

Hello,
I was looking for the HOST files, and of course had to open the ect directory first where HOST was found.
Besides a bunch of backups were there. I think those were created by Spybot search & destroy program that I no longer use.
My question is, can I safely delet them?
Thank you
barsim

 

[Callender]

You can keep the following and delete the rest:

# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 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 handled within DNS itself.
#	127.0.0.1       localhost
#	::1             localhost

So delete everything after the last line shown above.

 

[barsim]

Re ETC directory

Dear Callender,
Thank you for the aswer.
Should have specified more accuratly.
See the highlighted files in the screenshots 1. and 2.. They are the ones I was talkig about as deletable?
Thank you again

 

[Callender]

I looked at your attachment and thought you were asking if entries in your hosts file could be deleted.

As for backed up hosts files - if you don't need them you can delete them.

The file named HOSTS without a file extension is the active hosts file. Those other with the .backup extension are old backups and assuming that you do not wish to transfer any entries from those into your current hosts file or wish to keep them for reference purposes you can delete them.

 

[Callender]

I have to say that the one that is 1kb in size looks like it mught be a copy of the original hosts file so you should keep that one.

 

[Alejandro85]

No idea where they've come from, but it seems some sort of automated backup. All of those are completely ignored by Windows and can be safely deleted (the only consequence being not being able to restore them if needed).

BTW, the best form of a backup would be to copy it to somewhere else, preferably an external disk. Leaving them alongside the original only protects against accidental modification, but not against deliverate attacks.

You can keep the following and delete the rest:

# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 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 handled within DNS itself.
#	127.0.0.1       localhost
#	::1             localhost

So delete everything after the last line shown above.

Doing so destroys any custom configuration that may be there, replacing it with a completely empty hosts file (every single line is a comment). Without knowing exactly the system of the OP, this is NOT a safe approach.

 

[Callender]

Doing so destroys any custom configuration that may be there, replacing it with a completely empty hosts file (every single line is a comment). Without knowing exactly the system of the OP, this is NOT a safe approach.

True. I misunderstood the original question where the OP states that Spyboy S&D is no longer required with an attached hosts file that only contained entries added by Spybot S&D and no other entries have been added.

 

[barsim]

Dear Callender,
THKX for the help.
barsim