Sometimes, you need to edit the Host file of your computer either to have more control on your network or play pranks on your buddies. Whatever be it, you need to know how to edit host files in Windows.

The host file has been a controlling factor of network since the invention of internet. And, it is going on as it was.

Many malwares are there that targets host file. They alter host files to redirect particular websites to their own. On such occasions, we need to revert the host file back to the original state.

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Edit Host Files in Windows

Editing host files in Windows is no brainer. You need to have administrative privileges though.

Step 1: The very first step to edit host files in Windows is opening the file itself. It can be done in two ways.

First Way- Click Start button and search for Notepad. Then, right click followed by Run as administrator. When you are showed a prompt, choose Yes.

Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc. Open Hosts File from there.

Second Way: Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc. And, you can see a file called Hosts there. Double click and choose Notepad to open that file.

Step 2: Now, you can see a Notepad window like the one given below. You can add as many websites as you want to block the access.

As you know, once you put a URL there. You can’t get access to that site from your PC unless and until it is removed from the Hosts file.

Alternatively, you can use software to edit hosts files in Windows. Hostsman is one such tool. In Hostsman, you can do a lot of actions related to hosts file. It comes with a default hosts file editor using which you can edit hosts file without opening another app or window.

Hostsman provides third-party hosts list that contains malicious URLs. You can also add and delete entries without sweating much by using this tool.

Another important feature of Hostsman is its hosts file scanner. It checks for errors, hijacks and duplicates. You can always add an exclusion list to avoid important sites being blocked.

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If you think your hosts file may be hijacked, you can back up the initial file for future use. With Hostsman, you can also flush DNS cache that in term get rid of occasional network issues.

I hope you now know how to edit hosts file in Windows. If you still have any doubt, feel free to ask via the comment form down below.

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