Windows 10: What is hosts.ics file?

I recently saw a new file named hosts.ics located at "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc". I had never seen it before. When I open it using notepad its written-

# Copyright c 1993-2001 Microsoft Corp.

#

# This file has been automatically generated for use by Microsoft Internet

# Connection Sharing. It contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names

# for the home network. Please do not make changes to the HOSTS.ICS file.

# Any changes may result in a loss of connectivity between machines on the

# local network.

#

Can you explain me what it is?

:)

 

Hosts file editing

I have to jump in and say I use, and have used the host file for years. It's an easy way to take stress off of old name servers. I don't add everything, but major shares I do add to the host file. I've used the host file for some tunneling as well. I try to optimize my network as much as possible and I have a solid network. But Easy Rhino is right as well, you'll want to have everything he suggested as well. *Toast :toast:

 

Hopefully I Exported GMAIL Calendar Alerts To an ICS File, Now What?

I have about a hundred plus calendar alerts a day. I followed directions and ended up with a 1.2MB ics file. What I want to do is convert that ics file to either an HTML file or a PDF document so that I can see each individual Calendar Alert listed in an easily digestible order. I know I see them individually each day/ weekly when I get one but I would like to see them all nicely ordered in some kind of readable format. Any suggestions appreciated.

 

Browser /connection security, hosts file and DNS service

You're saying that Open DNS(and other services like it) house their own list of known 'bad' sites, and by using their DNS servers, it will filter out sites based on that list?

Would you believe I was already using Open DNS servers.
This means the hosts file is moot?

And furthering that, if there's any bespoke sites I want to manually add, I could do it through my router directly.

Thus I can empty my local hosts file and turn my DNS service back on?