If you need a fresh copy because yours is gone or broken, follow these steps to recreate the official Microsoft default:
You don't typically "download" a hosts file in the same way you’d download an installer; it is a native system file already present on your Windows 10 64-bit machine. However, if your file is missing, corrupted, or modified by malware, you can easily restore it to its default state.
Microsoft’s default hosts file for Windows 10 is actually mostly comments (lines starting with # ). Copy the text below:
Press the Start key, type "Notepad," right-click it, and select Run as administrator .
# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp. # # This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows. # # This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each # entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should # be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name. # The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one # space. # # Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual # lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol. # # For example: # # 102.54.94.97 ://acme.com # source server # 38.25.63.10 ://acme.com # x client host # localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself. # 127.0.0.1 localhost # ::1 localhost Use code with caution. Click File > Save As . Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc . Change "Save as type" to All Files (*.*) . Name the file exactly hosts (no .txt extension). Confirm the overwrite if prompted. Why You Might Need a New Hosts File How to locate and edit the hosts file in Windows 10
In Windows 10 (both 32-bit and 64-bit), the file is always found in the same system directory: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts How to "Download" or Restore the Default Hosts File
If you need a fresh copy because yours is gone or broken, follow these steps to recreate the official Microsoft default:
You don't typically "download" a hosts file in the same way you’d download an installer; it is a native system file already present on your Windows 10 64-bit machine. However, if your file is missing, corrupted, or modified by malware, you can easily restore it to its default state.
Microsoft’s default hosts file for Windows 10 is actually mostly comments (lines starting with # ). Copy the text below:
Press the Start key, type "Notepad," right-click it, and select Run as administrator .
# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp. # # This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows. # # This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each # entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should # be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name. # The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one # space. # # Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual # lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol. # # For example: # # 102.54.94.97 ://acme.com # source server # 38.25.63.10 ://acme.com # x client host # localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself. # 127.0.0.1 localhost # ::1 localhost Use code with caution. Click File > Save As . Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc . Change "Save as type" to All Files (*.*) . Name the file exactly hosts (no .txt extension). Confirm the overwrite if prompted. Why You Might Need a New Hosts File How to locate and edit the hosts file in Windows 10
In Windows 10 (both 32-bit and 64-bit), the file is always found in the same system directory: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts How to "Download" or Restore the Default Hosts File
