Computer help, hosts file and ads

[grandkodiak]

I used to use windows\system32\drives\etc\hosts file to black website and aim ads from showing up. i got rid of it a few months back when i reinstalled xp pro and forgot to reinstate it. now i found my backup that had my lists of ad servers to block, but when i create a hosts file in the folder, it up and disappears automatically!! wtf? is there some update in xp (just downloaded a bunch to catch up) that automatically deletes the hosts file? if so thats fucked up, i own the damn computer i should be able to tell it what it can and cant display to me and what it can/cant delete!!

[eddierox]

Oh well hell yes your settings have been deleted after re-install. What did you think? It would magically come back?
Always send and back your info into cyberspace at all times.
This insures your info you may want and need to always be there.

However I'm in Vista so everything is saved into a Windows.old folder when you install & reinstall Vista over and over and over if need be.

[SexOnWheels]

Oh well hell yes your settings have been deleted after re-install. What did you think? It would magically come back?
Always send and back your info into cyberspace at all times.
This insures your info you may want and need to always be there.

However I'm in Vista so everything is saved into a Windows.old folder when you install & reinstall Vista over and over and over if need be.

How big is the Windows.old folder and is it compressed?

[eddierox]

How big is the Windows.old folder and is it compressed?

Well it stores your entire previous OS into the folder. Since I have an 80G C drive it came up as 10 G on the first run and I kept installing and reinstalling Vista just to see how big the folder would get. I finally stopped after 3 installs & reinstalls and it maxed at 17 G's ... so I imagine there is some compression going on.

[grandkodiak]

Duh? Read the question again?