How To Manually Block A Website In Windows XP
I originally posted this article on my blog in Experts Columns dated May 11, 2015.
The procedure is somewhat similar to Windows 7 since their system files locations are mostly identical.
Basically the principle is also the same since there is no much changes in the system file that we are going to manipulate or edit in order to do it. The system file that I am talking about is the “hosts” file. This “hosts” file is used by the windows as a loopback device for networking purposes just like adding a loopback adapter in windows.
Loopback adapter are useful if you are going to add a printer or use a printer that is connected in the computer via USB cable. If you have a DOS based program in your computer and you want to print an output but the only available printer in your computer is the one that is physically connected in your computer via USB cable then you can’t print on it. Because DOS based program don’t have a capability to print in USB interfaced printer. That’s when a loopback adapter is important.
Well before we are going too far. Here’s how are you going to do it. Just open “Notepad” then go to “File” menu then choose “Open” then click “My Computer” at the left corner of the window after that find your Drive C (the one with a C: on it). Just double click it to open it. After that also double click “Windows” folder then followed by “System32” then “drivers” folder. And after that double click “etc” to open it.
If ever there are no files being shown after you double clicked the folder “etc” what are you going to do is change your “files of type” look at the lower right corner of the open window just beside (left side) Cancel button you should see “Text Documents (*.txt)” click it then choose “All files” some files should appear then choose “hosts”.At the bottom portion of the file you should see something like this…
127.0.0.1 localhost
What are you going to do is increment or add 1 to 127.0.0.* (ex: 127.0.0.2, 127.0.0.3….)
So immediately after 127.0.0.1 localhost just right to next row add this
127.0.0.2 www.msn.com
127.0.0.3 www.bbc.com
127.0.0.4 www.cnn.com
127.0.0.5 www.nba.com
www.msn.com www.bbc.com www.cnn.com www.nba.com represents the websites that you want to block. After you have done adding the websites that want to block just save it and then close it. Then try to browse for the website that you have blocked if it is now working.
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Image source Pixabay
Hahaha... I wonder if someone still uses Windows XP or even Windows 7. I was in college back in 2011 and I remember using host files to block Facebook and other websites to annoy people.
I think about 1% of the Windows population.
I actually used WinXP until 2016.
I didn't have the hardware strong enough to run even Win7 and was afraid of reinstalling everything anyway.
I used to have several reinstall issues in the past and I wanted to avoid it at all cost.
Yes, that's the most common issue why some are still using Windows XP.
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