How to edit the hosts file (Windows)

Synopsis

How to edit the hosts file (Windows)

Prerequisite 

A hosts file is a plain-text file used by your Mac or Windows computer to map hostnames (such as Autodiscover or SharePoint) to IP addresses and is useful when you are unable to modify or access your DNS control panel.

 

Important Note: The above steps are advanced and we recommend that only your local IT admin proceed with them. Please note that Sherweb will not support issues related to the creation of a host record. We provide the following how-to for your convenience only.

How to

Note: This change is only valid for the machine on which the .hosts file has been edited. If you have additional machines such as at home or maybe a laptop, then you will need to repeat this process for each.

 

Open the hosts file

 

1. Go to the Start menu and choose Run. Copy and paste the following in the Run dialog box: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts.

 

2. Click the file called hosts. 

 

edithost_1

 

3. Click on Notepad.

 

edithost_2

 

Edit and save the hosts file

 

1. Type the lines like the following example below but replace the IP address with your autodiscover IP and replace (yourdomain.com) with your primary domain address that you will use with Sherweb.

 

xx.xx.xx.xx autodiscover.yourdomain.com

 

2. Your hosts file should look similar to the image below: 

 

edithost_3

 

3. Close the hosts file and save it when prompted.

 

Undo the Hosts file change

 

1. Open the hosts file as described above.

 

2. Delete the information that you added previously, then close and save the file.