LMHOSTS File

What Does LMHOSTS File Mean?

The LMHOSTS file is short for the “Local Area Network (LAN) Manager Hosts File”, is a plain text file that that resolves a domain host name to an IP address. The LMHOSTS file does not have a file extension and is only used when a WINS server is unavailable.

Techopedia Explains LMHOSTS File

LMHOSTS Files have been replaced by the WINS naming system. “LAN Manager” was an early Microsoft network operating system (NOS).

The LMHOSTS File’s location varies from one OS to another; it is most easily located using a Windows search for the “lmhosts.sam” file (an LMHOSTS sample file). If present, it may be found in the following locations:

Windows XP, VISTA and 7: C:WindowsSystem32driversetc
Microsoft Windows 98: C:Windows
Microsoft Windows 2000: C:WinntSystem32driversetc

The file can be opened with a simple text editor program and then edited or read as needed.

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Margaret Rouse

Technology Expert

Margaret é uma premiada redatora e professora conhecida por sua habilidade de explicar assuntos técnicos complexos para um público empresarial não técnico. Nos últimos vinte anos, suas definições de TI foram publicadas pela Que em uma enciclopédia de termos tecnológicos e citadas em artigos do New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine e Discovery Magazine. Ela ingressou na Techopedia em 2011. A ideia de Margaret de um dia divertido é ajudar os profissionais de TI e de negócios a aprenderem a falar os idiomas altamente especializados uns dos outros.

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