Hello, I am having a interesting problem. I have 8 servers running svr 03. One of the applications on one of the servers relies on the hosts file to reference device IP via hostnames throughout the site. The server is not even looking at the hosts file, it will say unable to find host xxxxxx, unless I do one of the following: 1. If I turn the DNS client service off, it will then obviously have to look at the hosts file which it does. But funny thing is, is will still resolve names that are not in the hosts file even after I flushed the DNS. 2. If I leave the DNS client service on and copy the contents of the hosts file into the lmhosts file it does actually look at the lmhosts file and resolve accordingly. Why? the hosts file is obviously configured correctly or else it would not read it when the service is off. I mean it is pretty cut and dry. Simply letting it work by making the entries in the lmhosts file will not work for me as the program has to read the host file. This is not how it should work however. My environment does not need to rely on the lmhosts file as all systems are in the same subnet. So I go to the server beside the one in question and make and entry in its hosts file and do not make any other modifications, and it works as it should. I am not using a Proxy. I checked the TCP/IP service provider priority in the registry and all is correct. Any help is greatly appreciated.

In your TCPIP properties are you still providing DNS server entries? Can you post a view of you computers ip? ipconfig /all-- :P Advice offered, If you need more help it is advised to seek the council and advice of paid professionals. The answer is always 42, or reboot.

No IP's are designated anywhere as everyone is on DHCP. I do not wish to post my Ip configuration as I know it is all correct as I am familiar with that area and everything is set correctly. I will be more than happy to answer any question if you can offer further assistance though. I am leaning towards a winsock problem but I am jsut now investigating it from this angle.

Okay so of course I have been having this problem for over two weeks and as soon as I post it on here, I figure it out. It was a winsock corruption. I just reset the winsock, rebooted the server, and it is now resolving the hosts file entries.

Well, at least you found the answer and if someone has a similar issue and comes accross this post, you may have just saved someone a whole bunch of hours of troubleshooting... Visit anITKB.com, an IT Knowledge Base. Follow me on Facebook.