> Am I misunderstanding the use of the Hosts file to block web sites?
>
> I thought adding "127.0.0.1 acme.com" was supposed to override
> the Domain Name Server's data for the IP address when ANY browsers
> requested a page from acme.com (made up domain name), directing the
> browser to
> the local hard drive. Since the requested page probably isn't on my
> hard drive this should permit me to block things like advertising
> pop-ups
> from that site.
>
> So many sites won't function without JavaScript. I'm not enthusiastic
> about turning it off.
>
> However, I continue to find cookies from these domains when I scan for
> tracking cookies. Third party cookies are turned off in my browser
> security settings too. Today I was even subject to a pop-up window
> with one of the supposedly blocked domains displaying in the browser
> address bar!
> IF the sites opening these ads are using the site's actual IP address
> to bypass the Hosts file, should the address bar be displaying the IP
> address or the URL?
>
> TIA

I suspect the following links will be useful to you. MVPS.org has a
very useful HOSTS file I've used for quite awhile now and like. There
are many others, too.
Be sure to read about how to keep a large HOSTS file from slowing down
your computer; MVP org provides a batch file to help that along.

Lots of info in these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hostsfaq.htm

http://accs-net.com/hosts/what_is_hosts.html

http://everythingisnt.com/hosts.html

Except for MVPx... I don't recommend anyone or anything, but there are
some good ones out there. These links are provided in the interest of
information, not recommendation of the sites themselves.

Twayne