Spybot opens when I double-click on a hosts file, how do I make itopen Notepad?

I just installed Spybot Search & Destroy on my older win98 machine as I
realized that I hadn't run a spyware scan in nearly 6 months, and found
that Ad-Aware is no longer supported. Afterwards, I tried to open my
hosts file. Instead of being presented with a dialog box asking me what
program I wanted to use to open it, I got a dialog box saying something
about SpyBot scanning the file.

I had not thought it possible to assign a program to the hosts file
because it lacks an extension. This leads me to another question. How do
I fix it so that double-clicking on the shortcut on the desktop (or the
actual file, but being in the windows folder, it's a pain) will eitehr
give me that old dialog box, or open it in either WordPad or Notepad
instead of scanning with SpyBot?

I tried unchecking the option about locking the hosts file under "IE
Tweaks" in SpyBot, but that had no effect. I posted this here instead of
searching for a spybot forum because I would like to reassign the
intercept to open either Notepad or Wordpad when I double-click on the
hosts file, which would probably involve a registry tweak rather than a
Spybot tweak, but I'd settle for turning off this "feature" of scanning
the file instead of opening it.

If you are using a shortcut to access the file, then default actions and
application options are not involved.

Right-click the desktop shortcut and choose Properties. Enter the Target as
C:\Windows\Notepad.exe c:\Windows\hosts. Set the Start directory to
C:\Windows. Close and save the shortcut. If hosts is actually located
somewhere else, use the appropriate location.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"SlickRCBD" wrote in message
. ..
I just installed Spybot Search & Destroy on my older win98 machine as I
realized that I hadn't run a spyware scan in nearly 6 months, and found
that Ad-Aware is no longer supported. Afterwards, I tried to open my hosts
file. Instead of being presented with a dialog box asking me what program I
wanted to use to open it, I got a dialog box saying something about SpyBot
scanning the file.

I had not thought it possible to assign a program to the hosts file
because it lacks an extension. This leads me to another question. How do I
fix it so that double-clicking on the shortcut on the desktop (or the
actual file, but being in the windows folder, it's a pain) will eitehr
give me that old dialog box, or open it in either WordPad or Notepad
instead of scanning with SpyBot?

I tried unchecking the option about locking the hosts file under "IE
Tweaks" in SpyBot, but that had no effect. I posted this here instead of
searching for a spybot forum because I would like to reassign the
intercept to open either Notepad or Wordpad when I double-click on the
hosts file, which would probably involve a registry tweak rather than a
Spybot tweak, but I'd settle for turning off this "feature" of scanning
the file instead of opening it.

Jeff Richards wrote:

If you are using a shortcut to access the file, then default actions and
application options are not involved.

Right-click the desktop shortcut and choose Properties. Enter the Target as
C:\Windows\Notepad.exe c:\Windows\hosts. Set the Start directory to
C:\Windows. Close and save the shortcut. If hosts is actually located
somewhere else, use the appropriate location.
That works great for a work-around. Thank you.

The problem still occures when I tried to open the hosts file from the
C:\windows folder, but I do that so rarely that I should be able to live
with the inconvenince. Especially since I found that the trick to get an
"open with" still works. I'd still like to know how Spybot managed to
do what it's doing and how to turn it off, and/or how to redirect it to
my own ends. I'd have loved to get Notepad or Wordpad to open the Hosts
file automatically like Spybot is doing a decade ago.

You can post your queries he
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=4
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

SlickRCBD wrote:
I just installed Spybot Search & Destroy on my older win98 machine as I
realized that I hadn't run a spyware scan in nearly 6 months, and found
that Ad-Aware is no longer supported. Afterwards, I tried to open my
hosts file. Instead of being presented with a dialog box asking me what
program I wanted to use to open it, I got a dialog box saying something
about SpyBot scanning the file.

I had not thought it possible to assign a program to the hosts file
because it lacks an extension. This leads me to another question. How do
I fix it so that double-clicking on the shortcut on the desktop (or the
actual file, but being in the windows folder, it's a pain) will eitehr
give me that old dialog box, or open it in either WordPad or Notepad
instead of scanning with SpyBot?

I tried unchecking the option about locking the hosts file under "IE
Tweaks" in SpyBot, but that had no effect. I posted this here instead of
searching for a spybot forum because I would like to reassign the
intercept to open either Notepad or Wordpad when I double-click on the
hosts file, which would probably involve a registry tweak rather than a
Spybot tweak, but I'd settle for turning off this "feature" of scanning
the file instead of opening it.

If you have the Spybot TeaTimer module enabled, disable it then test opening the
hosts file.

Open Spybot, click the Mode menu click to checkmark Advanced mode.
In the left pane, click to expand Tools.
In the left pane, click Resident.
In the right pane, un-check "Resident TeaTimer"
Close Spybot.

Does this help?
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"SlickRCBD" wrote in message
. ..
I just installed Spybot Search & Destroy on my older win98 machine as I realized
that I hadn't run a spyware scan in nearly 6 months, and found that Ad-Aware is no
longer supported. Afterwards, I tried to open my hosts file. Instead of being
presented with a dialog box asking me what program I wanted to use to open it, I
got a dialog box saying something about SpyBot scanning the file.

I had not thought it possible to assign a program to the hosts file because it
lacks an extension. This leads me to another question. How do I fix it so that
double-clicking on the shortcut on the desktop (or the actual file, but being in
the windows folder, it's a pain) will eitehr give me that old dialog box, or open
it in either WordPad or Notepad instead of scanning with SpyBot?

I tried unchecking the option about locking the hosts file under "IE Tweaks" in
SpyBot, but that had no effect. I posted this here instead of searching for a
spybot forum because I would like to reassign the intercept to open either Notepad
or Wordpad when I double-click on the hosts file, which would probably involve a
registry tweak rather than a Spybot tweak, but I'd settle for turning off this
"feature" of scanning the file instead of opening it.

I hate Spybot TeaTimer and never use it when I install Spybot Search and
Destroy. It seems to cause more problems then it helps to fix at least in my
opinion for what it is worth.

"glee" wrote:

If you have the Spybot TeaTimer module enabled, disable it then test opening the
hosts file.

Open Spybot, click the Mode menu click to checkmark Advanced mode.
In the left pane, click to expand Tools.
In the left pane, click Resident.
In the right pane, un-check "Resident TeaTimer"
Close Spybot.

Does this help?
--
Glen Ventura, MS MVP Windows, A+
http://dts-l.net/
http://dts-l.net/goodpost.htm


"SlickRCBD" wrote in message
. ..
I just installed Spybot Search & Destroy on my older win98 machine as I realized
that I hadn't run a spyware scan in nearly 6 months, and found that Ad-Aware is no
longer supported. Afterwards, I tried to open my hosts file. Instead of being
presented with a dialog box asking me what program I wanted to use to open it, I
got a dialog box saying something about SpyBot scanning the file.

I had not thought it possible to assign a program to the hosts file because it
lacks an extension. This leads me to another question. How do I fix it so that
double-clicking on the shortcut on the desktop (or the actual file, but being in
the windows folder, it's a pain) will eitehr give me that old dialog box, or open
it in either WordPad or Notepad instead of scanning with SpyBot?

I tried unchecking the option about locking the hosts file under "IE Tweaks" in
SpyBot, but that had no effect. I posted this here instead of searching for a
spybot forum because I would like to reassign the intercept to open either Notepad
or Wordpad when I double-click on the hosts file, which would probably involve a
registry tweak rather than a Spybot tweak, but I'd settle for turning off this
"feature" of scanning the file instead of opening it.