Actually, the Hosts file is one of my pet peeves--- several badly-done
"internet accelerator" tools and ad- and pop-up blockers actively misuse
it. As George found--- despite his heroic troubleshooting efforts---
misuse of the Hosts file can be *extremely* difficult to track down.

I strongly recommend NOT using the Hosts file for any internet-related
purposes; and to avoid using any tools that make use of the Hosts file.
They almost always end up causing more trouble than they solve.

How strongly do I recommend this? Well, we've even called it the "Evil
Hosts File" in the past. <g> Lots more info:

Link to infromation.. Read item #5 on the list..........


Source: Lanagalist.com