hosts file locked or deleted from dns cache?

20 Feb 2009 1:45 PM

Dole Bludger

I have configured a server with the name and ip address in my hosts file on
my PC. I use windows explorer to put on my desktop icon "property" -
Target: the following command:

//myserver/start/mybat.bat

That works fine, but on some occassions it seems to me that my hosts file
contents simply disappears from my dns cache ( I could not find myserver in
output of ipconfig /displaydns). Of course, when it happens I could not ping
myserver, and I get message something like host unknown.

I do not know what and how something on my PC cause that host file on
c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts simply does not work as expected.

Can I somehow debug and see what the problems is? Whether some program
locks hosts file or its content is simply deleted?

When I do repair of my local area connection, everything seems to be OK.

The problems is that I have to have admin account to do that.

20 Feb 2009 4:09 PM

Jack (MVP-Networking).

Hi
Are you using static IPs (or IP reservation) to make sure that the computers
are always available at the same address?
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking)

Show quoteHide quote

"Dole Bludger" <DoleBlud***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:8FE6AD96-B19A-450C-A039-C0B34FA8DE1B@microsoft.com...
>I have configured a server with the name and ip address in my hosts file on
> my PC. I use windows explorer to put on my desktop icon "property" -
> Target: the following command:
>
> //myserver/start/mybat.bat
>
>
> That works fine, but on some occassions it seems to me that my hosts file
> contents simply disappears from my dns cache ( I could not find myserver
> in
> output of ipconfig /displaydns). Of course, when it happens I could not
> ping
> myserver, and I get message something like host unknown.
>
> I do not know what and how something on my PC cause that host file on
> c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts simply does not work as expected.
>
>
> Can I somehow debug and see what the problems is? Whether some program
> locks hosts file or its content is simply deleted?
>
> When I do repair of my local area connection, everything seems to be OK.
>
> The problems is that I have to have admin account to do that.
>

20 Feb 2009 9:01 PM

John Wunderlich

=?Utf-8?B?RG9sZSBCbHVkZ2Vy?= <DoleBlud***@discussions.microsoft.com>
Show quoteHide quote

wrote in news:8FE6AD96-B19A-450C-A039-C0B34FA8DE1B@microsoft.com:

> I have configured a server with the name and ip address in my
> hosts file on my PC. I use windows explorer to put on my desktop
> icon "property" - Target: the following command:
>
> //myserver/start/mybat.bat
>
>
> That works fine, but on some occassions it seems to me that my
> hosts file contents simply disappears from my dns cache ( I could
> not find myserver in output of ipconfig /displaydns). Of course,
> when it happens I could not ping myserver, and I get message
> something like host unknown.
>
> I do not know what and how something on my PC cause that host file
> on c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts simply does not work as
> expected.
>

The purpose for the entry that you put in the "Hosts" file was to
provide resolution for a UNC reference (i.e. \\myserver\...). The
"Hosts" file is not the place to put this. You should place this entry
in the "LMHosts" file in the same directory (Take the lmhosts.sam file,
modify it, and save it without the .sam extension).

For more information:
"How to Write an LMHOSTS File for Domain Validation and Other Name
Resolution Issues"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314108/EN-US/>

"Differences Between the HOSTS and LMHOSTS Files in Windows NT"
(applies to XP as well)...
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/105997>

HTH,
John