The hosts file is available on any operating system. The browser turns to it for the service information it needs to process a user request.
Why hosts are needed
The Hosts file associates the name of the remote host with its own IPs. Host - any computer connected to the Internet.
With the help of the hosts file, the connection to the Internet is accelerated, because, when meeting a frequency request, the browser does not turn to the DNS server, but only to the hosts file. This file has many other features as well. For example, using hosts, you can block access to unwanted sites or make a redirect, that is, redirect a user from one site to another.
In this regard, malicious software is rapidly spreading on the Internet by hackers, which is introduced into the hosts file, prescribes certain data there, and the user gets to an unwanted site, for example, a fraudulent one. This is fraught with the seizure of antivirus protection and cluttering up the computer and system with viruses.
Hosts file view
It is worth knowing that the hosts file does not have an extension, which distinguishes it from other files. However, in fact, this is a regular text file that the user can easily open using a regular notepad. To do this, just right-click on the hosts file and select notepad from the list of programs.
The hosts contains the main entry - 127.0.0.1 localhost. It must be present in all hosts files. In addition to it, the user will see a comment from Microsoft, which indicates what and for what purpose the hosts file can be used. Also in the commentary there are commands that the user can enter if necessary. The absence of a comment should be alarming, as it may indicate the activity of the virus.
The comment is followed by a list of commands that are already in the host file of the operating system. Comments are also written here. They are distinguished from commands by the # sign. Each comment starts on a new line.
The hosts file is written in English. Hosts files differ slightly for different operating systems, but the essence of the hosts file does not change.
Any user can easily find such a file on their computer, just go to the Windows folder, for example, for Windows. This will be useful if you do not have a certain page, for example, on a social network. If, when checking the hosts, extra entries are found that were made without the user's consent, then they should be deleted. This is most likely malware.
