How to ban access to certain websites from your computer (Windows)

Reasons for blocking certain websites on computer can be different.

In the office or at work system administrators can prohibit access to social networks or entertaining platforms.

At home parents can also ban popular game services. Moreover, with excluding usage of suspicious websites, you can protect computer from malware.

Simple and fast way to forbid opening website is making changes in hosts file.

For alternation host file you should know its location. In Windows 10, 8, and 7 (as well as in older OSs as XP, 2003, Vista) file HOSTS by default is placed in etc folder on part of the disk with OS, usually it is part C, full path is C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

If your system is on the other part of the disk, you should look for file there, for example on D: D:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc.

You can open the hosts file using Notepad in Windows.

In order to ban access to certain site it is necessary:

1. After the last line 127.0.0.1 localhost create another line with IP address and website address that you plan to ban.
2. IP may be left as 127.0.0.1 or simply 0.0.0.0

Hosts file inside

In attempt to enter this popular network browser will show error of Internet-connection.

Occasionally prohibited websites are opened in browser despite ban is hosts file. In this case just write two lines with websites address with www prefix and without it.