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Jan
Asked: 2011-01-13 14:26:58 +0800 CST

Changing Windows 'hosts' file in guest OS under Parallels Desktop 6

  • 772

I am running Win7 in a Parallels Desktop 6 on Mac.

I would like to modify my Windows hosts file.

When doing this through notepad it says "You don't have permission to save in this location..."

I am logged on as a regular windows user - not as 'local admin'.

  • How can I edit the file?
  • How can I grant my regular user 'local admin' rights?
  • How can change the Windows user to 'admin' ... this option seems to be missing in my windows install...

Does anybody recognize the issue?

Thank you! J.

mac-osx

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    The easiest thing to do is to open Parallels in windowed view, so you see a Windows desktop. Open notepad, then hold CTRL+SHIFT and click on the application icon in your task bar. It should open a new window of notepad with admin access that can edit lmhosts.

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  2. As an alternative to @Michael Lowman's answer, here a pure Windows solution for the problem. Not being able to edit a system protected file, like hosts, is a Windows security measure. In order to open and edit it, you require elevated permissions (administrator rights).

    1. Open Notepad.exe with elevated permissions (as admin)
    2. From Notepad, choose File > Open
    3. Select the C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file
    4. Edit as you please and save the file

    So there is no need to change your user rights. Just right-click the Notepad shortcut and choose "Run as administrator".

    Side effect: once you run an application as 'admin' you cannot simply drag files from Explorer into the application. Explorer will not run as admin and Windows won't allow this.

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