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Windows 8 Changes Host File Blocking
An anonymous reader writes "Windows 8 has been confirmed to not only ignore, but also modify the hosts file. As soon as a website that should be blocked is accessed, the corresponding entry in the hosts file is removed, even if the hosts file is read-only. The hosts file is a popular, cross-platform way of blocking access to certain domains, such as ad-serving websites."
Just fine - I've done a number of posts on the source site already, posting portions of what I have here a ton of times (mind you, which my "skeptic naysayers" here haven't disproven a single shred of to date)... I'm just waiting for the page to update for responses I gave others there (takes time on some boards, part of what I LIKE about /. is "instant on" with posts).
It's not a "demise" by the by - MS Sec Essentials is the KEY "workaround"... so you know. There's another I posted but it hasn't come up yet there (databasepath parm in tcp/ip parms in registry & redirecting it).
You obviously also aren't aware of some of my posts over time here. I've been "into" a LOT more than hosts my man... a LOT more. I'll post some for YOUR reference after this post as an "addendum"... fair enough? Good.
Anyways:
Do I *like* what I saw on Win8 there? Heck no... especially NOT on hosts files!
However/Then again??
MS "fanboy" extraordinaire here or not??
I don't think much of Win8, due to "METRO"! Man, I've said it before - MS has to get rid of Mr. Ballmer & his crew responsible for it... too far, too fast, not enough market on PC's yet for touch screen (tablets, & phones, yes... PC OS? No!)
Not that he's some evil guy, in fact, I hear he's a hell of a NICE guy who's great @ grooming mgt. talent (& that's also from an MS mgt. man named Foredecker who posts here or did). I've said this many times here before in fact.
However - He's not a "King Billy" calibre man, who was a computer coder/technologist AND business man... that's what MS needs.
Fact is - of ALL the MS guys I am aware of, personally or otherwise?
I hope Russinovich, former "co-worker" of mine thru Sunbelt where we sold wares together takes over 1 day. We've had diff.'s over time, but he'd get MY vote.
Anyways - Pity is, Win8 "under-the-covers" is BETTER than Win7 even in a LOT of ways, such as "self-terminating services"!
(Which tuners/tweakers like myself have been into for decades, ala my guides for it from 1997 onwards, & I'd be as bold to say they WERE the 1st of their kind, as I have yet to find older ones).
Proofs: I.E./E.G.-> I have done so since 1997-1998 with the most viewed, highly rated guide online for Windows security there really is which came from the fact I also created the 1st guide for securing Windows, highly rated @ NEOWIN (as far back as 1998-2001) here:
http://www.neowin.net/news/apk-a-to-z-internet-speedup--security-text
& from as far back as 1997 -> http://web.archive.org/web/20020205091023/www.ntcompatible.com/article1.shtml which Neowin above picked up on & rated very highly.
That has evolved more currently, into the MOST viewed & highly rated one there is for years now since 2008 online in the 1st URL link above...
Which has well over 500,000++ views online (actually MORE, but 1 site with 75,000 views of it went offline/out-of-business) & it's been made either:
---
1.) An Essential Guide
2.) 5-5 star rated
3.) A "sticky-pinned" thread
4.) Most viewed in the category it's in (usually security)
5.) Got me PAID by winning a contest @ PCPitStop (quite unexpectedly - I was only posting it for the good of all, & yes, "the Lord works in mysterious ways", it even got me PAID -> http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2007/09/04/pc-pitstop-winners/ (see January 2008))
---
Anyhow/anyways, all that aside?
My std. post on hosts, of course...
For those of you that run Microsoft Windows 32 or 64 bit? An automated hosts file creation & mgt. program:
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APK Hosts File Engine 5.0++ 32/64-bit:
Sc
And this move makes sure you will never consider using a Windows-based platform as a small office-firewall, if you ever thought about something crazy like that before...
c++;
To my "naysayers" -
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3058625&cid=41048439
* That's MOSTLY directed to "funny man" metrix007, who's RUN from doing it before.. 8 times now, lol!
As well as my other detractors, who are naught but trolls, since they CAN'T disprove my points (or the ones the article source here makes, a mere subset of my own full model).
Go for it boys... I'll be waiting for the egg to fall on your faces, as per my usual.
(Should be 'simple' for the /. wannabe computer gurus. right? Well, let's see - I have been WAITING for someone to find a "chink" in that posts' armor... it only strengthens it IF you do, but? No one here ever did or does, lol!)
Nothing against you either...
APK
P.S.=> Call me crackpot & such all you like, but until my naysayers here can disprove my points on hosts files advantages over other things (DNS or AdBlock etc./et al, though hosts compliment them & supplement them vs. THEIR issues/weaknesses)?
Well... all the "downmods" in the WORLD, as well as off-topic illogical ad hominem attacks FAIL vs my points on hosts... fact! That's life folks, beat me or lose to me when you attack me (and, metrix007 KNOWS the result of all folks on /. on THAT account, lol - see my 1st post)... apk
Microsoft gives you one more reason to switch to Mac OSX or Ubuntu.
Eh no one wants to switch to a OS that will automatically make you a smug and pretentious asshole. Especially if those OS's suck in comparrison in every single concieveable way.