How to modify the hosts file? Hosts file editing steps and precautions

in the process of daily use of computers, many users will encounter abnormal website access and domain name resolution failure problems. Modifying the hosts file at this time can often solve such network configuration-related problems. However, many people are not familiar with the hosts file, nor do they know the correct modification process and pay attention to details. Blind operation may lead to system network failure. This article will disassemble the modification steps of the hosts file in detail, and sort out the key precautions to help users of different systems safely complete configuration adjustments and solve various network access problems.

How to locate different system hosts files?

to modify the hosts file, first need to find its storage path, different operating systems hosts file location differences, precise positioning is the basis for subsequent operations.

1, Windows system hosts file location

The hosts file of the

Windows system is stored in the system directory of the system disk by default, and the specific path is C:\\ Windows\\ System32\\ drivers\\ etc\\ hosts. Users can find the file by opening this computer and entering the corresponding folder in turn. You can also enter the path directly in the running window to jump quickly. Press the Win + R key combination to open the running window. After pasting the path, press Enter to directly locate the folder where the hosts file is located.

2, Mac system hosts file location

The hosts file of the

Mac system is located in the root directory of the system, and the specific path is/private/etc/hosts. Users can open the end point application through the startup desk, enter the sudo nano /private/etc/hosts command to open the file directly, or they can go to the folder function during the visit and enter the path to find the corresponding hosts file.

3, Linux system hosts file location

The hosts file storage path of the

Linux system is similar to that of the Mac system, and is located in/etc/hosts by default. Users can directly edit by entering the sudo vi /etc/hosts command through the end point, or enter the etc folder of the root directory through the file manager to find the hosts file.

2. Detailed steps for editing the hosts file?

find the hosts file, the next is the core editing operation, because the hosts file belongs to the system key configuration file, you need to obtain the corresponding permissions to modify, the editing process of different systems is slightly different.

1, Windows system hosts file editing steps

first right-click on the hosts file, select the open method, preferred Notepad or professional code editor. If you can not save the modification directly open, indicating that there is no administrator permission, you can right-click on the Notepad application, select Run as an administrator, and then in Notepad through the file open option, find the hosts file and open, then you can add or modify the configuration content in the file, after editing can be directly saved.

2, Mac and Linux hosts file editing steps

take the Mac system as an example, open the end point and enter the sudo nano /private/etc/hosts, press Enter and enter the computer boot password to enter the editing interface. Add the Internet Protocol Address and the corresponding domain name in the file according to the format, press Ctrl + O to save after editing, and then press Ctrl + X to exit the editing interface. Linux the system operation process is similar, use the sudo vi /etc/hosts command to enter the editing mode, press the Esc key after completing the modification, enter: wq to save and exit.

What are the format specifications for the modification of the hosts file?

The configuration content of the

hosts file has strict format requirements, and the configuration that does not meet the specifications cannot take effect, and may even cause abnormal network parsing, so the correct format rules must be followed.

1, the basic configuration format of the hosts file

hosts each configuration file consists of two parts, the first half is the Internet Protocol Address of the target server, and the second half is the corresponding domain name, separated by at least one space or tab. For example, to point the domain name www.example.com to 192.168.1.100, you need to add a line of "192.168.1.100 www.example.com" to the hosts file, one line for each configuration sheet.

2, comments and newline rules of hosts file

if you need to add description content in the hosts file, you can use the #sign to start, the content after the #number will be regarded as a comment by the system and will not participate in domain name resolution. In addition, the hosts file does not support the configuration content of newline, each complete IP and domain name mapping must be on the same line, and the cross-line configuration will be recognized by the system as invalid content and cannot take effect normally.

4. Precautions for modifying the hosts file?

modifying the hosts file is a system configuration adjustment, improper operation may cause network failure, so it is necessary to pay attention to several key details to ensure that the modification process is safe and effective.

1, backup hosts file before modification

before modifying the hosts file, be sure to back up the original file. You can copy a hosts file to another folder, or rename it to hosts_backup, so that if there is a network abnormality after modification, you can directly replace the backup file to restore the original configuration, to avoid long-term failure to access the network due to wrong modifications.

2 Confirm the accuracy of Internet Protocol Address and Domain Name

when adding or modifying the contents of the hosts file, you must ensure the accuracy of the Internet Protocol Address and domain name. If the Internet Protocol Address is entered incorrectly, the domain name will point to the wrong server and cannot access the target website normally. If the domain name is misspelled, the corresponding resolution configuration will not take effect. Be sure to check the relevant information carefully before modification. If necessary, you can verify the availability of the Internet Protocol Address through the ping command.

3, verify whether the configuration takes effect after modification

complete the modification of the hosts file and save it, you need to verify whether the configuration is effective. You can open a command prompt or end point, enter the domain name corresponding to ping, if the returned Internet Protocol Address is consistent with the configuration in the hosts file, it means that the modification has taken effect; if the returned Internet Protocol Address is still the original Internet Protocol Address, you can try to refresh the DNS cache, Windows system input ipconfig /flushdns, Mac system input sudo dscacheutil -flushcache, and then verify.

To sum up, modifying the hosts file is a practical skill to solve the problem of network parsing. The core lies in accurately locating the file, editing according to the specifications, and doing backup verification. The storage path and editing process of the hosts file in different systems are slightly different. Users need to choose the corresponding method according to their own system, and at the same time strictly abide by the format specifications and precautions.