Hosts file editor not making backups and losing my file

[Bokkeman]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.88.0

Installation method

Microsoft Store

Running as admin

Yes

Area(s) with issue?

Hosts File Editor

Steps to reproduce

I don't know - just run it for a while I guess

✔️ Expected Behavior

The documentation says that every time hosts is edited in PT, that a backup is made with date-time suffix in the name - no such files exist.
I expect my hosts file contents to persist, and backups to be made.
I don't see any settings in PT to control backup behaviour so I'm expecting it to be always on.

❌ Actual Behavior

After returning to my hosts file (I only ever use PT for editing) after a couple of weeks, I found it reset to just the default entries.
There must be some script/process on Windows that resets it which, while annoying, wouldn't be the end of the world if PT makes backups as promised.

Other Software

No response

[davidegiacometti]

Hi @Bokkeman

As the creator of the Hosts File Editor I am sorry to hear that you lost the hosts file content 😿
It's true that the editor backups the file at the first change for every run, but unfortunately, the backups are deleted after 15 days.
There is no UI in settings to control this and that logic probably requires an improvement.
Besides this, I am not sure what may have reset your file.

PowerToys/src/modules/Hosts/HostsUILib/Helpers/HostsService.cs

Lines 234 to 241 in 8a2d474

	public void CleanupBackup()
	{
	Directory.GetFiles(Path.GetDirectoryName(HostsFilePath), $"*{_backupSuffix}*")
	.Select(f => new FileInfo(f))
	.Where(f => f.CreationTime < DateTime.Now.AddDays(-15))
	.ToList()
	.ForEach(f => f.Delete());
	}

[Bokkeman]

Hi David,

Thanks for responding, and thanks for a great tool.

Is the reason for deleting older backup files to prevent clutter?
I often go more than 2 weeks before touching the hosts file.

Safer would be to keep at least the most recent backup (no matter how old) and then delete others older than 15 days?
e.g.

Also, if you don't mind: why is there a limit on the number of host name aliases that can be added on one entry - is that a Windows limitation?

[htcfreek]

@davidegiacometti
I think a minimum of kept versions makes sense. Maybe a minimum of 1 and changeable with a setting.

@Bokkeman
As I have in mind the limit is defined by the operating system.