Mike DelGaudio

Vista has odd permissions when editing files, especially if the file is in a location that Windows thinks is sensititve.

If you try to modify your hosts file in Vista, it will not let you save it. It tells you that you don’t have permission, probably telling you the file is read only, even if the read-only bit is not set. To successfully modify the hosts file, run notepad.exe as an administrator and open the file.

• Browse to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories
• Right click “Notepad” and select “Run as administrator”
• Click “Continue” on the UAC prompt
• Click File -> Open
• Browse to “C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc”
• Change the file filter drop down box from “Text Documents (*.txt)” to “All Files (*.*)” Select “hosts” and click “Open”
• Make the needed changes and close Notepad. Save when prompted.

(Via)