Question 1

What is a hosts file?

Accepted Answer

A hosts file is a plain text file used by operating systems to map hostnames to IP addresses. This mapping is consulted before DNS. It can be used for local development (e.g., mapping 'mylocal.dev' to 127.0.0.1) or for blocking access to certain websites by mapping their domain to a non-routable IP.

Question 2

How do I use the View Any File Hosts File Viewer?

Accepted Answer

Click the "Open Local File" button to select a hosts file from your device (e.g., a copy of /etc/hosts on Linux/macOS or C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts on Windows). Its content will be displayed as plain text.

Question 3

Does this tool modify my system's hosts file?

Accepted Answer

No, absolutely not. This viewer only displays the text content of a hosts file you upload. It does not interact with or modify your actual system hosts file. Modifying the system hosts file requires administrative privileges and should be done with caution.

View Any File

View Any File - Hosts File Viewer

Hosts File Viewer FAQs