Windows Hosts File Manager

Windows Hosts File Manager is a simple application that gives you the possibility to easily edit the Windows Hosts file, which contains the network configuration details.
It can be handled not only by expert users, such as web developers and IT administrators, but also by casual users who are curious enough to find out how the Hosts file works.

Simple setup and systray accessibility

Setting up this tool is a fast and easy task that shouldn't give you any trouble. The only noteworthy aspect about it is that it needs .NET Framework installed to be able to run.
At launch, it creates an icon in the system tray area and shows a notification message to alert you of its presence. The program gets sent there on close and you can exit it from the right-click menu.

View and edit the Hosts file

The main configuration panel has a classical appearance that doesn't put any emphasis on graphical elements. However, it's easy to tinker with. Windows Hosts File Manager lists the default location of the Hosts file and lets you change this path by opening any text file via the file browser.
You can check out the IP address, host name or URL, and description for each connection, and find out if it's enabled or disabled, as well as quickly toggle the status by checking or clearing the box next to each connection. Furthermore, you can edit all these fields.

Evaluation and conclusion

As we expected, it didn't put a strain on the overall performance of the computer in our tests. No error dialogs popped up and it didn't hang or crash.
Although it doesn't come equipped with richer configuration options, Windows Hosts File Manager offers a simple solution for swiftly viewing and editing the Windows Hosts file, and it can be handled with ease by anyone.