Everything Dev Needs to Know About Windows Server 2019 Host File Location

Hey Dev, if you’re reading this, chances are you’re dealing with issues related to the Windows Server 2019 host file location. Your search ends here because we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about this topic in relaxed English language. From the basics to the advanced level, we’ll cover all the important aspects of the Windows Server 2019 host file location.

Chapter 1: Understanding the Hosts File in Windows Server 2019

The host file in Windows Server 2019 is a plain text file that contains information related to the IP addresses and domain names of network devices. It’s a crucial component of the Domain Name System (DNS) as it maps the domain names to their corresponding IP addresses. In this section, we’ll discuss the basics of the host file in Windows Server 2019.

Section 1: The Purpose of the Hosts File

The host file serves several purposes, including:

Section 2: Location of the Hosts File

The hosts file in Windows Server 2019 is located in the following directory:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

The file is named “hosts” and doesn’t have any extension.

Section 3: File Format

The host file in Windows Server 2019 has a simple format that consists of two columns. The first column contains the IP address and the second column contains the domain name. Each entry is separated by whitespace. Comments can be added using the “#” character at the beginning of a line.

Section 4: Editing the Hosts File

To edit the host file in Windows Server 2019, follow these steps:

1. Open Notepad or any other text editor as an administrator.
2. Click “File” and then click “Open”.
3. Navigate to the hosts file located at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.
4. Click “Open”.
5. Edit the file as per your requirements.
6. Save the file.

Section 5: Troubleshooting Host File Issues

If you’re experiencing issues related to the host file in Windows Server 2019, you can try the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Check if the entries in the host file are correct.
2. Make sure that the file is not read-only.
3. Check if any anti-virus software is blocking access to the file.
4. Try running the Command Prompt as an administrator and then flush the DNS cache using the command “ipconfig /flushdns”.

Chapter 2: Advanced Topics Related to the Hosts File in Windows Server 2019

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the host file in Windows Server 2019, let’s move on to some advanced topics related to this topic.

Section 1: Using Wildcards in the Hosts File

You can use wildcards in the host file in Windows Server 2019 to map multiple subdomains to the same IP address. For example, if you want to map all subdomains of “example.com” to the same IP address, you can use the following entry in the host file:

192.168.1.100*.example.com

Section 2: Redirecting Domains to the Localhost

You can use the host file in Windows Server 2019 to redirect domains to the localhost by mapping them to the IP address “127.0.0.1”. This can be useful for testing websites and applications that are hosted on your local machine. For example, if you want to redirect “example.com” to the localhost, you can use the following entry in the host file:

127.0.0.1example.com

Section 3: Using the Hosts File to Block Access to Websites

You can use the host file in Windows Server 2019 to block access to specific websites by redirecting their domain names to a different IP address or the localhost. For example, if you want to block access to “example.com”, you can use the following entry in the host file:

127.0.0.1example.com

Chapter 3: FAQs

Section 1: What Should I Do If I Accidentally Mess Up the Hosts File?

If you accidentally mess up the hosts file in Windows Server 2019, you can restore it to its default state by deleting it and then restarting your computer. Windows will automatically create a new hosts file with default entries.

Section 2: Can I Use the Hosts File to Speed Up DNS Lookups?

No, the host file in Windows Server 2019 is not designed to speed up DNS lookups. Rather, it’s used to override the DNS settings for specific domain names.

Section 3: Can I Use the Hosts File to Block IP Addresses?

No, the host file in Windows Server 2019 is not designed to block IP addresses. Rather, it’s used to map domain names to IP addresses.

Section 4: What Is the Maximum Size of the Hosts File?

The maximum size of the host file in Windows Server 2019 is 65,536 bytes.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve read this article, you should have a good understanding of the Windows Server 2019 host file location and how to use it to resolve domain names, block access to websites, and test your DNS configuration. We hope this article was helpful to you. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below.