Host Files

A Hosts file is one way to help prevent pop-ups and keep your computer security from being breached. The Hosts file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. This file is loaded into memory at startup, then Windows checks the Hosts file before it queries any servers. This prevents access to the listed sites by redirecting any connection attempts back to the local machine. Another feature of the HOSTS file is it´s ability to block other applications from connecting to the Internet, as long the entry exists.