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HostsMan Portable Changelog

What's new in HostsMan Portable 4.7.105

Jan 3, 2017
  • added: Update Manager dialog now has the option to open local update source files in editor;
  • added: "Dan Pollock's hosts file" source;
  • changed: more information is displayed when hosts file is in use by other applications (Vista and later);
  • changed: updated URLs for "Peter Lowe's AdServers List" and "Malware Domain List" sources;
  • fixed: control of DNS Client service is broken;
  • fixed: "Export Hosts" always exports to zip file under Vista and later;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.6.103 (Nov 20, 2015)

  • added: more settings to update sources;
  • added: Backup Manager is now accessible from HostsMan Editor (cannot restore backups);
  • changed: improved compatibility with Windows 10;
  • changed: minor UI improvements;
  • fixed: access violation when deleting multiple sources in source manager;
  • fixed: some dialogs in HostsMan Editor may not work under Windows Vista and later;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.5.102 (Sep 2, 2014)

  • added: import exclusion list by dropping file to the "Exclusion List" window;
  • changed: Exclusion List window is now resizable;
  • changed: "Import/Export..." menu item replaced with "Import Hosts..." and "Export Hosts..." items;
  • changed: other minor UI improvements;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.4.101 (Jun 16, 2014)

  • added: support for high contrast themes;
  • added: option to enable/disable automatic start for all users;
  • added: support for multiple file selection to Backup Manager;
  • changed: improved memory usage;
  • changed: if built-in decompressor can't decompress a specific zip file, 7z.dll is used instead (if available);
  • changed: improved exclusion list rule validation;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.3.100 (Mar 24, 2014)

  • fixed: regular expression rules in Exclusion List no longer work (broken in 4.3.99);
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.3.99 (Mar 3, 2014)

  • changed: code refactoring;
  • fixed: backup manager does not show backup files created in v3.2.73 and prior;
  • fixed: possible access violation in the text file parser with files of certain sizes;
  • fixed: import of compressed hosts files in "Import/Export" wizard is broken;
  • fixed: index out of bounds error when trying to import from a compressed file that doesn't contain a hosts file;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.3.98 (Nov 28, 2013)

  • changed: improved compatibility with Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2;
  • changed: improved custom exception handler;
  • changed: minor UI tweaks;
  • fixed: access violation when manually adding a source that already exists;
  • fixed: crash or hang when loading PNG resources with certain system locales;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.2.97 (Sep 27, 2013)

  • added: 'Run as Administrator' button to main window when running in user mode;
  • added: option to hide "Hosts Updater" panel in main window (a.k.a. compact mode);
  • added: configurable global hotkeys (disabled by default);
  • changed: non-admin accounts are now allowed to view updater source properties;
  • changed: moved "DNS Client Service" panel from main window to its own dialog window;
  • changed: other minor UI tweaks;
  • fixed: local update sources are flagged as new by the updater even when they are not;
  • fixed: custom exception handler does not work;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.1.96 (Aug 13, 2013)

  • added: update source manager allows custom hosts file name inside compressed files;
  • added: multiple selection in Exclusion List and Update Source Manager;
  • changed: Editor now allows file loading to be interrupted;
  • changed: improved memory usage;
  • changed: removed dependency on gdiplus.dll;
  • changed: updated Editor's UI;
  • changed: other minor UI tweaks;
  • changed: replaced XML parser;
  • fixed: file loading locks Editor's window until complete;
  • fixed: preview in Backup Manager becomes unreliable when preview generation is interrupted;
  • fixed: certain errors were not fixed during hosts file update;
  • fixed: fails to load legacy exclusion list files;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.95 (May 3, 2013)

  • added: hide taskbar button when main window is minimized can now be disabled;
  • added: read-only support for 7z files if 7-Zip (32-bit) is installed;
  • changed: minor performance improvement;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.94 RC2 (Apr 19, 2013)

  • changed: small DPI scaling improvements;
  • fixed: unexpected access violations on some systems;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.93 RC1 (Apr 9, 2013)

  • changed: display more information in Source Manager;
  • changed: other minor improvements;
  • fixed: HostsMan may not detect new updates in local sources;
  • fixed: menu "File" > "Save" and save button do not show save file dialog for a new hosts;
  • fixed: access violation in editor when adding new entries to a new hosts;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.91 Beta 12 (Mar 6, 2013)

  • added: workaround for issue specific to Windows Vista that prevents HostsMan from starting;
  • added: read support for 7-Zip archives (32-bit 7z.dll is required);
  • added: display warning when using some update features with DNS Client service enabled;
  • added: information about DNS Client service to the documentation;
  • changed: removed option to encrypt exported file in "Import/Export" wizard;
  • changed: improved DPI scaling;
  • changed: minor UI tweaks;
  • changed: improved error handling when downloading updates;
  • changed: "Notepad" as the optional hosts file editor replaced with "Default text editor";
  • changed: improved installer's upgrade method;
  • fixed: several minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.91 Beta 11 (Feb 8, 2013)

  • added: menu item to remove empty lines in HostsMan Editor;
  • changed: improved troubleshooting and bug reporting;
  • changed: improved update source management;
  • fixed: empty lines may be added to the hosts file when deleting duplicates;
  • fixed: potential access violation when adding a regular expression rule in an empty exclusion list;
  • fixed: several minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.90 Beta 10 (Dec 14, 2012)

  • added: detection of common issues in "Troubleshooting Information";
  • changed: main window redesigned;
  • changed: more code refactoring and UI tweaks;
  • changed: improved DPI scaling;
  • fixed: the installation of an update may fail if the corresponding cached file is not available;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.88 Beta 9 (Sep 6, 2012)

  • added: option to clear cache;
  • added: menu item to open hosts folder in Total Commander;
  • changed: minor UI tweaks;
  • fixed: fails to update hosts file with read-only attribute;
  • fixed: internal DNS resolver does not work after a first successful resolution.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.87 Beta 8 (Aug 25, 2012)

  • changed: improved support for multiple monitors;
  • changed: improved support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012;
  • fixed: overwrite mode does not work;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.86 Beta 7 (Jul 13, 2012)

  • added: Auto-Update is available again (admin privileges still required);
  • changed: wildcard matching in Exclusion List;
  • changed: more code refactoring;
  • changed: several UI tweaks;
  • fixed: updater keeps reporting a new local update is available;
  • fixed: some dialogs fail to show with classic theme;
  • fixed: AV when deleting comments in HostsMan Editor;
  • fixed: sorting in Backup Manager;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.85 Beta 6 (May 21, 2012)

  • added: "Malware Domain List" update source;
  • added: ability to change in which order updates are installed;
  • added: IDN support;
  • changed: more code refactoring and small UI tweaks;
  • changed: error detection improved;
  • changed: minor improvements when changing the DNS Client service startup type;
  • fixed: scan report doesn't show errors;
  • fixed: missing notification (tray) icon on some systems;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.84 Beta 5 (Apr 11, 2012)

  • changed: minor UI tweaks;
  • fixed: application cannot be launched without a debug library;
  • fixed: cannot control DNS Client service status.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.83 Beta 4 (Apr 10, 2012)

  • changed: improved performance when rearranging hosts file content;
  • changed: improved error handling when checking for hosts file updates;
  • changed: improved feedback when using import wizard;
  • changed: more code refactoring;
  • changed: minor accessibility improvements;
  • changed: minor UI tweaks;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.82 Beta 3 (Mar 5, 2012)

  • added: "Scan Hosts file" menu item is available again;
  • changed: more code refactoring;
  • changed: improved compatibility with Windows 8 and Windows Server "8"
  • changed: minor UI tweaks;
  • fixed: several import bugs;
  • fixed: "argument out of range" in systems that do not support IPv6;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.81 Beta 2 (Feb 27, 2012)

  • added: built-in hosts file optimization;
  • changed: more code refactoring;
  • changed: improved validation of IP addresses and host names;
  • changed: minor UI improvements;
  • changed: removed HostsOptimizer;
  • fixed: changes made by "Mark update as not installed" and "Mark all updates as not installed" are not saved to disk;
  • fixed: download progress is not reported correctly;
  • fixed: restoration of update information fails to erase previous information;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 4.0.80 Beta 1 (Feb 18, 2012)

  • changed: Windows versions prior to XP SP2 no longer supported;
  • added: HTTPS support;
  • added: option to automatically flush DNS cache when hosts file is imported, updated or a backup is restored (only if DNS Client service is running);
  • added: "Cameleon" update source;
  • added: ability to import and export list of update sources;
  • changed: major code refactoring;
  • changed: hosts file updater rewritten;
  • changed: removed AutoUpdate;
  • changed: backups created by Backup Manager are now compressed and include updater information;
  • changed: removed ability to create encrypted backups;
  • changed: improved unicode support;
  • changed: removed "ZipDll.dll" and "UnzDll.Dll" libraries;
  • changed: updated URLs for "MVPS Hosts" and all "hpHosts" sources;
  • changed: improved "Find Duplicates" algorithm;
  • changed: removed HostsServer (it's now a separate product; available here);
  • changed: updated HostsOptimizer to version 0.5;
  • changed: minor UI improvements done;
  • fixed: several bugs and memory leaks.

New in HostsMan Portable 3.2.73 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • added: Windows Server 2008 R2 support;
  • added: hosts file optimization (HostsOptimizer);
  • changed: HTTP connect and read timeout values to 10 seconds;
  • changed: URLs for 'hpHosts' and 'hpHosts (Partial)';
  • changed: HTTP maximum redirections value to 3;
  • changed: improved scheduling of automatic updates.

New in HostsMan Portable 3.2.72 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • fixed: window position when multiple monitors are present.

New in HostsMan Portable 3.2.71 Beta 7 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • added: Windows 7 support;
  • added: two update sources ("hpHosts (Partial)" and "hpHosts (Ad and tracking servers only)");
  • changed: comments, possible hijacks and disabled entries are drawn differently in HostsMan Editor;
  • fixed: cannot import some hosts files;
  • fixed: DPI scaling of some visual elements;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 3.2.70 Beta 6 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • fixed: Auto-Update may check for updates every 60 seconds under certain conditions;
  • fixed: may not run in certain Win98SE systems;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 3.2.66 Beta 2 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • added: HostsMan now preserves hosts file attributes;
  • added: Auto-Update can check for updates in restricted accounts;
  • added: option to supress confirmation dialog when new updates are available;
  • added: command-line parameter to restore original Windows hosts file;
  • added: HostsMan can now open hosts files encoded in UTF-8, UTF-16LE and UTF-16BE;
  • added: internal DNS resolver (experimental);
  • added: HostsServer now supports multiple IP-Port bindings;
  • added: filters to HostsMan Editor;
  • changed: 'Additional Information' improved;
  • changed: default value of http client's buffer size to 1024;
  • changed: improved bug reporting;
  • changed: minor interface improvements;
  • fixed: minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 3.2.61 Beta 1 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • added: unicode support to HostsServer;
  • added: HostsMan is terminated on heap corruption (Vista or higher);
  • added: search to HostsServer Log Viewer;
  • changed: improved OS identification;
  • changed: HostsMan no longer needs to be restarted to determine new hosts file location, when DatabasePath registry value is changed;
  • fixed: runtime error 216 on some systems;
  • fixed: program may fail to check for correct file access permissions;
  • fixed: HostsMan may flag local source updates as new by mistake;
  • fixed: HostsServer Log Viewer's thumbnail and Flip 3D preview not available in Windows Vista.

New in HostsMan Portable 3.0.45 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • fixed: Backup Manager displays wrong date for newly created backups;
  • fixed: HostsMan and HostsServer show two taskbar buttons for each main window under Windows 9x;
  • fixed: a small window is visible behind taskbar in Windows Vista;
  • fixed: fails to create exclusion.dat file;
  • fixed: HostsServer throws an error message on Windows shutdown under certain conditions.

New in HostsMan Portable 3.0.41 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • fixed: HostsMan freezes and prevents Windows shutting properly when Auto-Update is enabled;
  • fixed: HostsServer prevents Windows shutting down properly when close button minimizes window to notification area.

New in HostsMan Portable 3.0.40 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • added: tray icon to HostsServer;
  • added: "Peter Lowe's AdServers List" to update list;
  • added: sort by column in HostsServer Log Viewer;
  • added: "Run as Administrator" option when running with limited privileges under Vista;
  • added: NX flag;
  • added: ASLR flag (Vista only);
  • added: save Editor window size and position;
  • added: support for local sources to update engine;
  • changed: improved memory usage;
  • changed: detection of user privileges;
  • changed: update engine improved;
  • changed: a few GUI adjustments were made;
  • changed: HostsServer and the Control Panel run in the same process now;
  • changed: improved compatibility with Windows Vista;
  • changed: removed Windows error report dialog when program crashes;
  • changed: set MVPS Hosts the default update;
  • changed: detection of duplicates improved;
  • changed: Editor can now open other hosts files;
  • changed: logging "referer" is now optional in HostsServer;
  • changed: installer is now based on Windows Installer;
  • fixed: program crashes/freezes on exit when Auto-Update is enabled;
  • fixed: deleting an update site causes an "index out of bound" error;
  • fixed: HostsMan reports new updates even when there are no new updates;
  • fixed: HostsMan fails to recognize text files with certain characters;
  • fixed: all command-line parameters are now working;
  • fixed: other minor bugs.

New in HostsMan Portable 2.1 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • performance improved;
  • Hosts online update improved;
  • added exclusion list;
  • added command-line parameters;
  • fixed bug that prevented HostsMan from working properly with certain regional settings;

New in HostsMan Portable 2.0 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • 'Lock Hosts' feature improved;
  • added 2 new update sources (hpHosts and Block Adverts);
  • online update now works behind proxy;
  • added option to bypass proxy server for local addresses;
  • added backup manager;
  • added local HTTP server to speed up surfing when hostnames are blocked by hosts file;

New in HostsMan Portable 1.2 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • code improved;
  • added 'Find Duplicates';
  • added option to open editor not maximized;
  • added option to minimize program to system tray when close button is pressed;

New in HostsMan Portable 1.1.1 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • bug in the option to use a different editor fixed (thanks to grog);
  • program now saves configuration on Windows logoff/reboot/shutdown (thanks to JC);
  • user can now select additional commands to appear in the tray icon menu;

New in HostsMan Portable 1.1 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • lock Hosts file function rewritten;
  • bug in the import function fixed;
  • removed ballon tooltips;
  • added option to disable DNS Client warnings under General tab (Administrators only);

New in HostsMan Portable 1.0.1 (Feb 15, 2010)

  • application name changed to 'HostsMan';
  • buttons in main form reflect status of hosts file (enabled/disabled, locked/unlocked);
  • minor bugs fixed.