DNS service crashing in Windows 10 with large HOSTS file
I don't get why my Android device handles a large hosts file just fine, but if I try to use a similarly-sized file in Windows 10, the DNS Service starts using a massive amount of CPU and slows everything to a crawl. It gets so bad the system must be rebooted into safe mode just so the hosts file can be deleted.
I've heard of this problem in earlier versions of Windows, but I have fully updated Windows 10.
Any help would be appreciated.
networking windows-10 dns hosts-file
add a comment |
I don't get why my Android device handles a large hosts file just fine, but if I try to use a similarly-sized file in Windows 10, the DNS Service starts using a massive amount of CPU and slows everything to a crawl. It gets so bad the system must be rebooted into safe mode just so the hosts file can be deleted.
I've heard of this problem in earlier versions of Windows, but I have fully updated Windows 10.
Any help would be appreciated.
networking windows-10 dns hosts-file
1
How big, is “large?”
– Appleoddity
Dec 19 '18 at 4:28
~5 - 6 MB or so...
– Jesse
Dec 19 '18 at 5:18
Why are you using such a large hosts file?
– DavidPostill♦
Dec 19 '18 at 13:35
Assuming you're using it for ad-blocking, consider setting up a personal DNS server instead. Technitium DNS Server or MaraDNS can do this for you.
– shawn
Dec 23 '18 at 10:25
Thanks for the suggestion. My VPN application connects to their private DNS that is supposed to block ads and trackers, but there's no way I know of to see what or how much they are blocking. I suppose maybe there is a way to monitor the traffic on the VPN's virtual adapter to see what is getting through, but I'm not an expert in that.
– Jesse
Dec 29 '18 at 20:32
add a comment |
I don't get why my Android device handles a large hosts file just fine, but if I try to use a similarly-sized file in Windows 10, the DNS Service starts using a massive amount of CPU and slows everything to a crawl. It gets so bad the system must be rebooted into safe mode just so the hosts file can be deleted.
I've heard of this problem in earlier versions of Windows, but I have fully updated Windows 10.
Any help would be appreciated.
networking windows-10 dns hosts-file
I don't get why my Android device handles a large hosts file just fine, but if I try to use a similarly-sized file in Windows 10, the DNS Service starts using a massive amount of CPU and slows everything to a crawl. It gets so bad the system must be rebooted into safe mode just so the hosts file can be deleted.
I've heard of this problem in earlier versions of Windows, but I have fully updated Windows 10.
Any help would be appreciated.
networking windows-10 dns hosts-file
networking windows-10 dns hosts-file
asked Dec 19 '18 at 2:56
Jesse
215
215
1
How big, is “large?”
– Appleoddity
Dec 19 '18 at 4:28
~5 - 6 MB or so...
– Jesse
Dec 19 '18 at 5:18
Why are you using such a large hosts file?
– DavidPostill♦
Dec 19 '18 at 13:35
Assuming you're using it for ad-blocking, consider setting up a personal DNS server instead. Technitium DNS Server or MaraDNS can do this for you.
– shawn
Dec 23 '18 at 10:25
Thanks for the suggestion. My VPN application connects to their private DNS that is supposed to block ads and trackers, but there's no way I know of to see what or how much they are blocking. I suppose maybe there is a way to monitor the traffic on the VPN's virtual adapter to see what is getting through, but I'm not an expert in that.
– Jesse
Dec 29 '18 at 20:32
add a comment |
1
How big, is “large?”
– Appleoddity
Dec 19 '18 at 4:28
~5 - 6 MB or so...
– Jesse
Dec 19 '18 at 5:18
Why are you using such a large hosts file?
– DavidPostill♦
Dec 19 '18 at 13:35
Assuming you're using it for ad-blocking, consider setting up a personal DNS server instead. Technitium DNS Server or MaraDNS can do this for you.
– shawn
Dec 23 '18 at 10:25
Thanks for the suggestion. My VPN application connects to their private DNS that is supposed to block ads and trackers, but there's no way I know of to see what or how much they are blocking. I suppose maybe there is a way to monitor the traffic on the VPN's virtual adapter to see what is getting through, but I'm not an expert in that.
– Jesse
Dec 29 '18 at 20:32
1
1
How big, is “large?”
– Appleoddity
Dec 19 '18 at 4:28
How big, is “large?”
– Appleoddity
Dec 19 '18 at 4:28
~5 - 6 MB or so...
– Jesse
Dec 19 '18 at 5:18
~5 - 6 MB or so...
– Jesse
Dec 19 '18 at 5:18
Why are you using such a large hosts file?
– DavidPostill♦
Dec 19 '18 at 13:35
Why are you using such a large hosts file?
– DavidPostill♦
Dec 19 '18 at 13:35
Assuming you're using it for ad-blocking, consider setting up a personal DNS server instead. Technitium DNS Server or MaraDNS can do this for you.
– shawn
Dec 23 '18 at 10:25
Assuming you're using it for ad-blocking, consider setting up a personal DNS server instead. Technitium DNS Server or MaraDNS can do this for you.
– shawn
Dec 23 '18 at 10:25
Thanks for the suggestion. My VPN application connects to their private DNS that is supposed to block ads and trackers, but there's no way I know of to see what or how much they are blocking. I suppose maybe there is a way to monitor the traffic on the VPN's virtual adapter to see what is getting through, but I'm not an expert in that.
– Jesse
Dec 29 '18 at 20:32
Thanks for the suggestion. My VPN application connects to their private DNS that is supposed to block ads and trackers, but there's no way I know of to see what or how much they are blocking. I suppose maybe there is a way to monitor the traffic on the VPN's virtual adapter to see what is getting through, but I'm not an expert in that.
– Jesse
Dec 29 '18 at 20:32
add a comment |
active
oldest
votes
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "3"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: true,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: 10,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fsuperuser.com%2fquestions%2f1385762%2fdns-service-crashing-in-windows-10-with-large-hosts-file%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Thanks for contributing an answer to Super User!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.
Please pay close attention to the following guidance:
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fsuperuser.com%2fquestions%2f1385762%2fdns-service-crashing-in-windows-10-with-large-hosts-file%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
1
How big, is “large?”
– Appleoddity
Dec 19 '18 at 4:28
~5 - 6 MB or so...
– Jesse
Dec 19 '18 at 5:18
Why are you using such a large hosts file?
– DavidPostill♦
Dec 19 '18 at 13:35
Assuming you're using it for ad-blocking, consider setting up a personal DNS server instead. Technitium DNS Server or MaraDNS can do this for you.
– shawn
Dec 23 '18 at 10:25
Thanks for the suggestion. My VPN application connects to their private DNS that is supposed to block ads and trackers, but there's no way I know of to see what or how much they are blocking. I suppose maybe there is a way to monitor the traffic on the VPN's virtual adapter to see what is getting through, but I'm not an expert in that.
– Jesse
Dec 29 '18 at 20:32