HowTo: Block Adobe Activation using the Hosts file

HowTo: Block Adobe Activation using the Hosts file

Adobe applications includes an activation mechanism since version 8.0 (CS) and later.
You can prevent the application from calling-home by manipulating the system's Hosts file.

After we update the host file, when the application will try to contact the activation server it will be redirected to the loop-back address 127.0.0.1 and therefore will be blocked.

The Hosts file is a static name-resolution table that overrides the system's DNS server settings.
it can be edited using any text-editor such as Notepad. the file is located at:

%systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
Please note that the file has no extension. 

To find the file manually:
1. Open "My Computer"
2. Open Drive C
3. Open Windows folder
4. Open System32 folder
5. Open Drivers folder
6. Open Etc folder
7. Double-click the hosts file and choose to open using Notepad when you're asked.
** if you get "access denied" errors when trying to save the file, try openning the file using "Run as Administrator". this issue happens usually when you're working on Win Vista/7 with UAC turned on.
*** on Win8 you can't just edit the file and save it on it's original location. instead, edit the file and save it on the Desktop. later replace the original file with the new one you saved on the desktop using the file explorer's Copy-Paste. You will probably be asked to confirm the action using Administrator account.

At the end of the file add the following list and save:


127.0.0.1 3dns.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 3dns-1.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 3dns-2.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 3dns-3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 3dns-4.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 3dns-5.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate.wip1.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate.wip2.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate.wip3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate.wip4.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate-sea.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate-sjc0.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-1.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-2.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-4.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobeereg.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.wip.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.wip1.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.wip2.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.wip3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.wip4.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 hl2rcv.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe
127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.ipp
127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.newoa
127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.ntp
127.0.0.1 wip.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wip1.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wip2.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wip3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wip4.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip100.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip101.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip102.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip103.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip104.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip105.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip106.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip107.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip108.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip109.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip110.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip111.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip112.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip113.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip114.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip115.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip116.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip117.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip118.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip119.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip120.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip121.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip122.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip123.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip124.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip125.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip30.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip31.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip32.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip33.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip34.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip35.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip36.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip37.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip38.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip39.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip40.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip41.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip42.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip43.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip44.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip45.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip46.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip47.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip48.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip49.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip50.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip51.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip52.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip53.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip54.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip55.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip56.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip57.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip58.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip59.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip60.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip60.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip60.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip61.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip62.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip63.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip64.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip65.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip66.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip67.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip68.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip69.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip70.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip71.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip72.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip73.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip74.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip75.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip76.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip77.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip78.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip79.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip80.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip81.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip82.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip83.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip84.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip85.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip86.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip87.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip88.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip89.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip90.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip91.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip92.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip93.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip94.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip95.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip96.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip97.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip98.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip99.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 crl.versign.net
127.0.0.1 ood.opsource.net

source : http://blog.yaronmaor.net/2010/04/howto-block-adobe-activation-using.html