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Posted: **15 Mar 2024 04:31**

trying to read path of hosts file but it does not work in script

@echo off
for /f "tokens=1,3" %%a in ('
			reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters" /V "DataBasePath"
			') do (
			if "%%~a"=="DataBasePath" set "hostspath=%%b"
			)
if exist "%hostspath%\hosts" (echo yes) else (echo no)
echo "%hostspath%\hosts"
dir "%hostspath%\hosts"

it output

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no
"%SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts"
The system cannot find the path specified.

but when trying

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dir "%SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts"

on command line, it give me

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Directory of C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc

23/05/2021  16:13               895 hosts
               1 File(s)            895 bytes
               0 Dir(s)  42,341,171,200 bytes free

what am I doing wrong?

Posted: **15 Mar 2024 12:47**

%systemroot% is a variable which means you need double expansion.

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if "%%~a"=="DataBasePath" CALL set "hostspath=%%b"

Posted: **15 Mar 2024 12:48**

The hosts file on Windows is normally protected. Are you running as admin? Have you tried checking the attributes of the hosts file, is it ReadOnly, Hidden, System?

Posted: **16 Mar 2024 02:29**

Squashman wrote: ↑
15 Mar 2024 12:47
%systemroot% is a variable which means you need double expansion.
Code: Select all
if "%%~a"=="DataBasePath" CALL set "hostspath=%%b"

Thanks Sqashman, you are right, it does work with call.

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