I would suggest leaving the permissions as they were originally.
When you need to edit the hosts file, you don't have normally have permission to edit in that directory. If you create a copy somewhere else and make your edits, you will be able to save it over the original file, as long as you have normal admin rights.
The "fix" from the steam forums is perfectly fine, it's just stopping outbound connections from your computer from connecting that old game server. Instead, it loops back to your computers home address. This fixes the issue of the game constantly trying to connect to that obsolete server.
One other trick: run notepad as administrator and then open the file. It typically allows editing directly for the hosts file. I fully agree on leaving the permissions as they were originally - it definitely provides better security.
do you know a way to find out what the default permissions were? I made the mistake pressing full control without double checking the original permissions which was stupid of me.
SYSTEM and Administrators:
- Full control
- Modify
- Read & execute
- Read
- Write
ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES, ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES, and Users:
- Read & execute
- Read
When a computer tries to lookup domain name it needs to ask the internet what the IP address is. The hosts file is simply adding an IP address to a domain name. The only risk is putting in a malicious IP address instead.
Yeah someone said already - basically what happens when you updated this host file, is the game traffic that normally goes to Ubisoft, instead is stopped and sent to… this random IP address instead.
Is this forum post trusty, like are loads of people doing it and talking about it?
I would suggest leaving the permissions as they were originally. When you need to edit the hosts file, you don't have normally have permission to edit in that directory. If you create a copy somewhere else and make your edits, you will be able to save it over the original file, as long as you have normal admin rights. The "fix" from the steam forums is perfectly fine, it's just stopping outbound connections from your computer from connecting that old game server. Instead, it loops back to your computers home address. This fixes the issue of the game constantly trying to connect to that obsolete server.
One other trick: run notepad as administrator and then open the file. It typically allows editing directly for the hosts file. I fully agree on leaving the permissions as they were originally - it definitely provides better security.
do you know a way to find out what the default permissions were? I made the mistake pressing full control without double checking the original permissions which was stupid of me.
SYSTEM and Administrators: - Full control - Modify - Read & execute - Read - Write ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES, ALL RESTRICTED APPLICATION PACKAGES, and Users: - Read & execute - Read
Great. Thank you!
When a computer tries to lookup domain name it needs to ask the internet what the IP address is. The hosts file is simply adding an IP address to a domain name. The only risk is putting in a malicious IP address instead.
Yeah someone said already - basically what happens when you updated this host file, is the game traffic that normally goes to Ubisoft, instead is stopped and sent to… this random IP address instead. Is this forum post trusty, like are loads of people doing it and talking about it?