How to detect hosts file exists?

A hosts file in one's computer can create lots of problem while he/she is accessing an Internet services. So do I find whether hosts file exists in my computer?

If you are unable to access the Internet sites you have browsed to, or your requests to one Internet site are redirected elsewhere, but you can access other Internet sites, then you should understand that hosts file is ruling you Internet access and this is called "Hosts File Hijacking."

Once you have sensed the presence of host-file in your computer, you should:
Go To The Hosts File:: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\etc (Windows XP) C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\etc (Windows 2000) C:\Windows\Hosts (Windows 98)

You can view the contents of the Hosts file using notepad. The Hosts file is a editable using notepad, hence you can change the contents of the hosts file.

The lines at the beginning with # in the first column - IGNORE.
If there are ANY entries in there that refer to Microsoft or to Akamai DELETE them!
Now close notepad accepting the changes.
Now open Internet Explorer and try the Windows Update site again.

The steps for investigating and cleaning the Hosts file:

1. Backup the Hosts file.

Here are the standard Hosts file locations:

Windows XP & Vista: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 2K: C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Win 98\ME: C:\WINDOWS

First, locate the Hosts file; it is a file named "Hosts" with no extension. Right-click on it and select Copy. Now, right-click in the clear space to the right of the Hosts file and select paste. At the bottom of the file list, there should now be a file named "Copy of Hosts"

The backup is no danger to your computer because the name is changed. Keep it on your computer for at least one month, just in case you need to refer back to it.

2. Examine your Hosts file.

Extract all files (that is, decompress or unzip) the contents of HostsXpert.zip to your desktop. This will create a folder called: HostsXpert. To run the program, open the HostsXpert folder and doubleclick on the file HostsXpert.exe

Click the "BackUp Hosts File" button.

The contents of the Hosts file appear in the window on the left. You will be able to edit, remove unwanted lines and save the Hosts file with HostsXpert.


3. Analyze the Hosts file.

The Hosts file consists of lines with up to 3 parts:
a) The IP address to direct messages for a domain to
b) The domain name
c) Anything after "#" on a line is a comment for people, and the computer will ignore it.

4. Make the desired changes to the Hosts file using the HostsXpert utility and save the changed file.

5. Check your computer for the cause of the Hosts file hijacking.

6. Take action to secure your computer so it doesn't happen again