The whole point of the host file is to provide local control over name
mappings. It both allows you to create name-IP address mappings that are
not registered in the DNS system and to override mappings that are. This
can allow you to save the bandwidth use and delay that result from DNS
lookups to commonly accessed sites, or to force a certain IP address to
be used with a certain name. It would be counterproductive for this file
to be overwritten or changed dynamically, as this would remove the
administrative control normally gained through the use of this file.

I would hope that Windows would not allow applications to write to a
file like this, but with Microsoft, one never knows.  Still, I suspect
that someone, not something, wrote those entries into your hosts file.
If you read the page on that link you sent again, I think you'll see
that the author does not mention that file getting changed dynamically.
That would defeat the purpose described in the article.

--Steve

>>> [log in to unmask] 1/12/2006 1:25:15 PM >>>
I would guess that there might be some way for internet entities or the

OS to register ip addresses in someone's hosts file, without the user 
being aware of it. I certainly didn't add the rather large list of  
internet sites that I discovered in my hosts file, for I didn't even 
know what it was till I ran into problems accessing sites.  And this 
list was comprised of web sites that I visit frequently, and not a list

of generic sites indicating a pre-installed hosts file.
For more info go to http://accs-net.com/hosts/what_is_hosts.html 
- Charlie Cavanaugh

Steve Barner wrote:

>On most Windows machines, the hosts file is in (from the Windows
program
>directory) system32\drivers\etc. It simulates the /etc/hots file on
Un*x
>OS's. However, this is not a dynamically generated file, so I
wouldn't
>expect an IP address mapping to be in there unless someone explicitly
>added it.  By default, the only entry is the 127.0.0.1 localhost
>mapping.
>
>--Steve Barner, South Burlington High school
>
>  
>
>>>>[log in to unmask] 1/12/2006 10:52:14 AM >>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>You might want to check the Hosts file on the workstations unable to 
>retrieve the page. The Hosts file keeps a record of frequently
visited
>
>web sites & their IP addresses for easy access for the computer 
>attempting to reach those sites. Unfortunately, sites like Google
will
>
>frequently change their IP addresses, and when the workstation refers
>to 
>the Hosts file as a means to reach a site, it will exhibit the types
of
>
>messages that you are getting.
>The solution is to open the Hosts file (stored in different places 
>depending on the OS; on my xp machine it's in C:\I386) with wordpad
or
>
>notepad, and comment out or erase the incorrect entry for the web
site
>
>you're trying to reach. You should then be able to access the site.
>For the longest time I was unable to access the main Google web page
on
>
>my home computer. When I discovered the Hosts file, the problem was 
>quickly solved.
>- Charlie Cavanaugh
>
>John McSweeney wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Up until a few days ago google mail was working to and from my  
>>network..... now it can't get through returning different messages  
>>with different browsers including "page contains no data" and Could 
>>    
>>
>
>  
>
>>not connect to remote server
>>
>>You tried to access the address https://mail.google.com/, which is  
>>currently unavailable. Please make sure that the Web address (URL)
is
>>    
>>
> 
>  
>
>>correctly spelled and punctuated, then try reloading the page.
>>
>>when entering http:// mail.google.com it automatically tries to  
>>connect using https...
>>there are a number of returns on a google search suggesting it might

>>    
>>
>
>  
>
>>have to do with ads not loading.....
>>I have enabled https inbound and outbound , but no luck so far and  
>>have several students and staff chomping at the bit to see gmail
>>    
>>
>return
>  
>
>>any suggestions or similar experiences solved will be greatly  
>>appreciated
>>john mcsweeney
>>
>>    
>>
>
>  
>

-- 
Charlie Cavanaugh
Technology Coordinator
Johnson Elementary School
Johnson, VT 05656
802-635-2211 ext 113





______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
This email may contain information protected under the Family 
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or the Health Insurance 
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).  If this email contains 
confidential and/or privileged health or student information and you 
are not entitled to access such information under FERPA or HIPAA, 
federal regulations require that you destroy this email without 
reviewing it and you may not forward it to anyone.