How to Block a Specific Internet Website
The internet not only allows us to browse the web, but also to send emails, chat, listen to music, and watch videos. However, not all websites are safe to browse. Certain websites surreptitiously install malicious programs such as viruses and adwares on your PC, while certain others are not suitable to be viewed by children. As a result, it would be helpful to know how to block specific websites from your PC.
Step-by-Step Guide for Blocking Specific Websites
- Open your web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome)
- Go to the menu bar of the browser and click on "Tools"
- From "Tools," click on "Internet Options"
- On the "Privacy" tab, click on the "Sites" button
- Now type the URL of the site you want to block and then click on "OK"
The above-mentioned technique can block only one site at a time. If you want to block a list of sites, you would be required to install parental control software programs, filtering software, or application blockers. These programs will not only block sites, but also prohibit website content, games, chat rooms, and multi-media content from appearing on your search engine results.
Blocking a Website in all Web Browsers
In this alternative method, you are required to edit your host file, which stores information on how to find a particular node on a computer network. Follow the steps mentioned below for a problem-free browsing experience.
- Go to Start → All Programs → Accessories → Command Prompt
- In the command prompt, type the command “notepad C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc/hosts”
- Now, locate the line containing the following text: 127.0.0.1 localhost
- To block a website (say yahoo.com) just type this text near to 127.0.0.1 local host as follows:
127.0.0.1 somebadsite.com
127.0.0.1 www.somebadsite.com
Now you can specify the number of sites you want to block by just prefixing it with "127.0.0.1".
- Save the file now. This is one of the easiest methods to simultaneously block several sites.
