How to Edit the Hosts File in Windows 11

Why Would You Edit the Hosts File?

The hosts file works like a local address book that Windows checks before it asks the internet. Editing it by hand lets you decide where a name points. People usually do it for one of three reasons:

• Block websitesStop your computer from reaching certain sites by redirecting their names to your own machine or to an address that goes nowhere.
• Test websitesWeb developers point a domain name at a test server or at their own computer. That lets them check a new site or design before it goes live.
• Fix network issuesLink a name to a specific IP address for convenient local access. It also works as a stopgap when DNS on your local network is giving you trouble.

Where is the Hosts File Located?

The hosts file lives in a protected system folder on your main drive. This is why a normal editor session cannot save changes to it. The location is shown below.

C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts

What Does the Hosts File Look Like?

The file is plain text. Each line holds an IP address followed by the website name it maps to, and each entry sits on its own line. Any line that starts with a hash symbol (#) is a comment. Windows ignores it, so it works as a note rather than an active rule. The default file is mostly comments like these:

# This is a comment - lines starting with # are ignored by your computer

127.0.0.1 localhost

# 127.0.0.1 example.com (this line is ignored because it starts with #)

When you add an entry, put at least one space or tab between the IP address and the website name. Without that separator, Windows can’t read the line properly. A wrong mapping can stop you from reaching the site you meant to change.

The file has no extension. It is called hosts, not hosts.txt, and you should keep it that way.

How to Edit the Hosts File: Step-by-Step

Step 1Open Notepad as Administrator

Windows 11 protects the system folder that holds the hosts file, so Notepad needs administrator rights to save changes. If you open Notepad normally, you can read the file but you get a permission error when you try to save. The trick is to start from an elevated Command Prompt, which is a Command Prompt window that runs with administrator rights.

1. Click the Start button or press the Win. The Start menu⊞ opens with the search🔍 box ready.
2. Type Command Prompt in the search🔍 box. Command Prompt appears in the results.
3. Right-click Command Prompt in the results and select Run as administrator.
4. Click Yes if User Account Control asks whether to allow the app to make changes. A Command Prompt window opens with Administrator in its title bar.

That’s it. You should now have an elevated Command Prompt, and anything you start from it runs with administrator rights.

If you don’t see Run as administrator, or you are asked for a password you don’t have, you are signed in with a standard account. Sign in with an administrator account and try again.

Step 2Open the Hosts File in Notepad

Because you started the Command Prompt as administrator, Notepad launched from it also runs with administrator rights. That is what lets you save changes to the hosts file later.

1. Type the following command in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.

Opening the Hosts file in Notepad with administrative permissions lets you edit and save changes. This is necessary because the Hosts file needs elevated privileges to prevent unauthorized changes.

Notepad opens with the hosts file loaded, and you should see the default comment lines starting with #. If the window comes up empty or asks to create a new file, the path was mistyped. Close Notepad and run the command again.

That’s it. You now have the hosts file open in an editor that is allowed to save it.

Step 3Add Your Changes

Before you change anything, save a copy of the original file somewhere safe, such as your Desktop. If a new entry causes trouble, you can restore it. The default file is only comments, so a backup also shows you what a clean file looks like.

1. Scroll to the bottom of the file, below the existing lines that start with #.
2. Click at the end of the last line and press Enter to start a new line.
3. Type your new entry. For example, to make your computer treat example.com as your own local computer, which is useful to block or test the site, add this line:

   💻Code

   Copy

   127.0.0.1    example.com

Keep one entry per line, with a space or tab between the IP address and the name. Add as many entries as you need. To leave yourself a note, start a line with # and write the reminder after it.

Step 4Save Your Changes

1. Click File in Notepad, then click Save. The title bar stays on hosts and no error appears.

That’s it. You should now have a saved hosts file with your new entry active.

If you get an error saying you don’t have permission, Notepad was not opened as administrator. Close it and start again from the elevated Command Prompt. Some security software also guards the hosts file and may block the save, so check its settings if the error persists.

Your changes take effect immediately, and you do not need to restart. If a site still behaves the old way, close and reopen your browser. Browsers keep their own cache of address lookups, so they can hold on to the old answer for a while.

To undo a change, open the file as administrator again. Then delete the line you added, or put a # at the start of it to turn it into a comment. Save the file, and the old behavior returns. If things go badly wrong, replace the file with the backup copy you made earlier.

Tips and Things to Remember

• Always run Notepad as administrator to make sure you can save the changes.
• Make a backup: Before you edit, copy the original Hosts file somewhere safe. This way, you can restore it if something goes wrong.
• Use # for comments: If you want to disable a line without deleting it, just put a # at the start of that line.
• Changes are instant: After saving, your computer immediately uses the new settings.

Summary

• The Hosts file lets you control how your computer finds websites.
• You can block websites or test your own sites locally.
• You must run Notepad as an administrator to edit and save the file.
• Always save a backup before making changes.

Editing the hosts file in Windows 11 gives you direct control over how your computer resolves website addresses for blocking or testing purposes. Success requires running Notepad as an administrator and saving a backup copy of the original document before making changes.