eEye Digital Security

As newbie, may I ask -- with Blink Personal installed on my system, is there any need for having the MVPS Hosts file running?

Before having Blink on my system, I used it. However, before installing Blink, I restored the standard Microsoft Hosts file. Any suggestions?

#1 - The hosts file doesn't run.  It just is.

It is a DNS lookup table so that your computer doesn't have to lookup the DNS record for known sites.

With the fluidity of websites these days, it is no longer needed or recommended.

That is the "normal" use of the hosts file.

The MVPS hosts file is different.  It is the same hosts file, but used for a different purpose.  It stops access to websites by telling your computer to not bother looking them up, and just going to 127.0.0.1 (your own computer) to go to that website (which is not there) and fails.

It is designed to stop you going to advertising websites and downloading ads. (and the associated cookies).

It is up to you whether or not to keep it.  Go back to where you got it from, read up on it, and make an informed decision. :)
(You could achieve the same effect by creating all those rules (deny all) in Blink)

Or make it easy and if you already have the latest version of Spybot - it will populate the Hosts File with their massive list...

That said - I wish there was host file support in BLINK... that would even more increase the totalilty of the program...

     Or you can download this completely free HOSTS file Manager program from B.I.S.S. :  http://www.bluetack.co.uk/forums/index.php?act=dscript&CODE=showdetails&f_id=5

    The folks that run and moderate this website forum have one purpose - seek out, find, and categorize IP addresses.  They have free Block lists already created and everything for use in firewalls and such. 

     It is updated as new things are found (Last updated 01 June 07, currently has 80,534 entries in it).  Entries can easily be deleted or added by you via the simple and attractive user interface.  A great tool that works well with Blink.