Hosts Editor

Hosts Editor is a small application designed to edit the Hosts file, which is used by the system as a list of IP addresses and associated domain names for the built-in local DNS server. It is a simple text file that contains information about the Windows driver and the Internet DNS server prior to being sent via the DNS server. It is located in the Windows directory (WINDOWS/system32/drivers/etc/). If you install this extension on your computer you can block opening of certain pages or direct them to other sites.

In Hosts Editor this file is presented as a table consisting of three columns: A web browser must contain both an IP address and a domain name. If your item is off by checking the appropriate box, you are able to toggle it back on. Using this tool, an individual can expand, reduce, move, or edit existing items as well as adding new ones. Additionally, Hosts can be opened externally using an external editor in addition to the desktop interface.

Many antivirus programs block third-parties from changing the hosts in their folders to let those whose files are changed know that malicious activity occurred.