Solved Cannot edit hosts file in Win 11 Pro

DarioArgento · Jun 19, 2024

I cannot edit my hosts file no matter what I am trying.

I have one account to log into. I copy the hosts file to my desktop. I open Notepad as an administrator. I open the hosts file on my desktop, and add my entries. I save the file. I then go to replace the original hosts file in /etc folder. It asks me for admin permissions, I click yes. It starts to replace it, all going well. But when it's finished, I get this: Destination Folder Access Denied / You need permission to perform this action (it shows an icon of the /etc folder) with two buttons "try again" and "cancel."

I downloaded and installed powertoys, and tried making additions to the hosts file with that. It hangs up for 30 seconds and says "cannot save to hosts file because file is in use."

I have no idea what is causing my hosts file to be "extra off limits" in comparison to the dozens and dozens of articles, forum posts, and videos I've looked into now, and would appreciate any help. Thanks!

Ghot · Jun 19, 2024

Hello @DarioArgento and welcome to ElevenForum.

Here are some links that will help you on your Windows 11 journey.

Quickie Eleven Forum Setup Guide for new Members

Quickie Interface tour... Quickie set up... At the top right, click on your name, then choose "Preferences". Then go through everything on the left side. Quickie navigation... Click Forums and choose a subforum, OR... Click Forums, then New Posts or What's New Ranks, Trophies...

www.elevenforum.com

Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite - GUIDES

How to use backup software... 1. When everything is working perfectly... make a full Windows backup. 2. Then, if something breaks... restore from the latest backup. 3. Then... try "whatever you were doing" a different way. If it still breaks Windows, then... go to step #2. 4. Repeat...

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Windows 11 Tweaks - Leader Board.

These are tweaks I've seen asked for... many times. They are collected here for easy access. All of these and more can be found in the Eleven Forum Tutorials Make sure to read the "notes" in the various tutorials. At the bottom of the first post in all the "tutorials", there are links to...

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antspants · Jun 19, 2024

Hi, welcome.

After reading what you have already attempted:
Try taking ownership of the hosts file or its parent folder “etc” see if that helps.
When done editing (if it works) reset the permissions.

Add Take Ownership to Context Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add Take Ownership to the context menu of all files, folders, and drives for all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11. This will allow you to be able to instantly take ownership of a file, folder (and all contents), or drive (and all contents) by changing the...

www.elevenforum.com

Add "Reset Permissions" to Context Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the "Reset Permissions" context menu to reset effective permissions of files and folders back to their default inherited permissions in Windows 10 and Windows 11. On NTFS and ReFS volumes, you can set security permissions on files and folders...

www.elevenforum.com

Ghot · Jun 19, 2024

I just looked at my HOSTS file.

I'm the Owner.

antspants · Jun 19, 2024

It’s Windows, it’s anyones call

You know what I’m talking about…

antspants · Jun 19, 2024

I just assumed with everything the OP has tried, one would assume the read only was disabled or it was advised somewhere to make sure it is, but I shouldn’t assume.

The only other thing I can guess is that something is using it, all the time, weird issue. I’ve never come across it and I have accessed HOSTS a lot.

Ghot · Jun 19, 2024

I must have taken ownership a while back.
Cause I know that all I do now... is un-check the read only and edit the file.

antspants · Jun 19, 2024

Ghot said:
I must have taken ownership a while back.

Maybe you didn’t? I don’t recall ever having to.

Possibly the OP at some point changed some permissions on their PC?
How does one reset all permissions across Windows?

Ghot · Jun 19, 2024

One of the 1st tweaks I do is "Add Take Ownership to the Context Menu".

Since I keep good backups... if I take ownership of the wrong thing... I just restore from a backup.

BobOmb · Jun 19, 2024

you have to open notepad as admin, then browse to the original hosts file,
not a copy, from inside notepad and edit it in place.. use the copy as the backup of the original contents

you cannot overwrite the hosts file on a running system, (you have to right-click “run as admin” notepad, not just be an admin, it needs to be run elevated, and your edits should save)

zbook · Jun 20, 2024

Try the steps in this tutorial:

Network & Sharing - Reset Hosts file back to default in Windows

How to reset Hosts file back to default in Windows The Hosts file is used by the operating system to map human-friendly hostnames to numerical Internet Protocol (IP) addresses which identify and locate a host in an IP network. The hosts file is one of several system resources that address...

www.tenforums.com

DarioArgento · Jun 20, 2024

I solved it. It was the firewall I was using. It had an option I wasn't aware of turned on: "prevent modification of hosts file." So it was doing it's thing in the background, and explains the "cannot save file because it is in use" by powertoys.

This all started with me learning about Microsoft trackers in Win 11 and then of course wanting to block them. Off topic, but are there any good articles and the such to read about, lists etc, to further add this kind of stuff to the hosts file anyone can point me to? I'm new to this stuff, obviously.

Thanks!

chrisvienna · Jul 13, 2024

I have the same problem, but only since the latest win11 update. It seems MS has introduced some background service that holds a lock on the hosts file. Additionally WLAN did not confirm internet access any more - because I had some very important entries regarding MS in my host file. The easiest way to change this is to boot up with Ubunto or such and edit the host file there.
Its very interesting that MS corrupts its own OS just to force their needs :think:

OAT · Jul 13, 2024

chrisvienna said:
It seems MS has introduced some background service that holds a lock on the hosts file.

Welcome to the forum.
Please take the type to fill in your system specs in your profile.
A Windows channel/version would also be helpful.

The only thing that would be preventing hosts file changes is your security & virus prevention software.
MS has nothing to do with it unless a change to the UAC settings has been triggered

Rollback_Jockey · Jul 13, 2024

Check out Hosts File Editor +

Hosts File editor+

Hosts File editor

hostsfileseditorplus.weebly.com

antspants · Jul 13, 2024

chrisvienna said:
I have the same problem, but only since the latest win11 update. It seems MS has introduced some background service that holds a lock on the hosts file. Additionally WLAN did not confirm internet access any more - because I had some very important entries regarding MS in my host file. The easiest way to change this is to boot up with Ubunto or such and edit the host file there.
Its very interesting that MS corrupts its own OS just to force their needs

Welcome to the forum.

Microsoft hasn’t done any such thing that I am aware of. I freely edit or swap copy and paste a host file if needed. In fact I loaded a new system for someone yesterday and it’s one of the first things I did for them.
I would suggest you have done something to your system or perhaps an antivirus program is protecting it.

chrisvienna · Jul 13, 2024

OAT said:
Welcome to the forum.
Please take the type to fill in your system specs in your profile.
A Windows channel/version would also be helpful.

The only thing that would be preventing hosts file changes is your security & virus prevention software.
MS has nothing to do with it unless a change to the UAC settings has been triggered

I switched off my security software before of course. I made investigations which process locked my host file, one of it was svchost.exe. There was one other but I don't remember the name. Anyway they were unstopable (respawning), so I assumed they where some sort of service. Since I found a solution to the problem, I did not investigate further.
By the way, what do you mean by "a change to the UAC settings has been triggered"? What would be the trigger and what the change?

antspants · Jul 13, 2024

chrisvienna said:
svchost.exe.

Is an integral part of Windows. But I have read that some malicious files can be disguised as that, throw people off the scent of malware. Like I said, your PC possibly has issues. I’d download Malwayrebytes and scan.

Editing the host file is no more complicated than opening notepad as admin, making sure the hosts file isnt read only, and editing. It doesn’t get any more complicated. If it does, there is a problem.

antspants · Jul 13, 2024

svchost is basically a generic program that runs shared service DLLs. If you were to create a malicious service as a DLL, it would be loaded through svchost.

You could backdoor svchost.exe itself too...or you could inject into the memory space of svchost and run your malicious code in svchost's process.

In general, every executable and DLL on your system can be backdoored if need be, and every process that you own or have access to can be injected into.

is it safe to always assume it is legitimate?
no. If you think the exe itself is compromised, compare it's hash to the hash of a known-good copy.

If you think you have a malicious DLL loading as a shared service, check the resource monitor to see exactly what DLLs are being loaded and compare their hashes to known-good samples.

antspants · Jul 13, 2024

antspants said:
I’d download Malwayrebytes and scan

Depending what's in your hosts file, you might want to add it to the Malwarebytes exclusions.

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