The concept of easy Edit Hosts Files on Windows 10/11, 8.1, and 8 without the help of outsourcing system tools. In details of the host file, you must know it’s a most important system file which contains the history of host or site names with its IP addresses. The basic work of the host file is translating the IP addresses to hostname and hostname to IP addresses.
By this process, DNS server requests will be avoided. So that browsing sites and accessing different network addresses or sharing by ‘name’ will be smoother than previous.
For particular sites, DNS name and IP address can be personalized (set) manually by host file that will be helpful in various work in Windows OS or Mac OS X too. In one line we can say hosts files are those plain text files that are free from file extension and similar to windows 7 hosting files.
How to Edit Hosts File on Windows 10/11?
In previous Windows OS, we have used the ‘edit’ DOS command method to modify the host’s file. But the problem in Windows 10 and 8.1 is, there is no option of ‘editing’ DOS command. And if you will try to use this command you will receive the error msg given below.
Why DOS Command is not Editing Hosts File in Windows 10/11 and Windows 8.1?
How to Edit Hosts File? DOS command is not editing host files because Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 run on support of 32-bit and 64-bit versions but edit DOS command requires 16-bit QBASIC.EXE. This is the reason it will not work on the 32Bit and 64Bit versions of Windows 10 and 8.1. But our target is to edit the host files in windows 10 and 8.1. So how it’ll be possible? Yes, we will make it possible with the Notepad program. We will save the program as a “built-in Notepad” option. Explanations are given below.
How to Easily Edit Hosts File on Windows 10/11 and 8.1? When DOS command not Recognized.
This is the concept of an easy edit host file on Windows 10, 8.1, and 8 without the help of our source system tools. We are using Windows Operating System, you can get the hosts file here, by following the given Address:-
C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc.
In the above address “C“- is that disk drive where Windows Operating System was installed.
Now you must be sure that you have administrative authority to access or privilege on your computer where you are going to Edit hosts file before trying to modify it.
Awareness: Dear Windows OS user you must know that Microsoft Security Essential (Windows OS Defender) and some other Antivirus software will not permit to modify hosts file because of OS security precaution. As many harmful viruses including spyware attack at hosts file, this is a confidential area and fully protected by Antivirus. In the condition of getting such an issue or notification, you must temporarily disable the Antivirus. You also can exclude the targeted host’s file from the Antivirus protection.
Process-1: How to Instant Edit the Host File in Windows 10/11 or 8.1 without any difficulty?
Step.1) First click windows 10/8.1 start logo and search for ‘cmd.‘ Right-click over the first search result means ‘cmd’ logo and Run as Administrator. And click “Yes” to accept the access. As we showed you below image.
Step.2)
Now just type ‘cd drivers‘ On the cmd command prompt opened and press Enter key. Then in the next line type ‘cd etc’ and again press ENTER key. For more see the IMG given below. This is a unique method to find out the location of the host.
Step.3) Have you checked your folder path is correct or not? Make sure here – If ‘C’ drive is your system administrative drive then your folder path must be C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc. Now again open ‘search box‘ from ‘Start’ four flag windows logo and type over there ‘notepad hosts‘. By this step, you will be able to open the host’s file in a notepad.
Step.4) We are sure that you have full knowledge about the content of the file. Now it’s time to type the IP address of your wished domain(We mean the hostname you want to put), then type the name. To remove any confusion from your mind see the examples below.
Here are one more advantage note hosts. If you put the wrong IP address then you can block Facebook on your PC.
If you have fully modified the host file with Once you have modified the file with suitable settings, click on ‘File menu‘ and ‘Save‘ it. We are glad on prosperous modified the host’s file in Windows 10 and 8.1.
Awareness: In the condition of failure of opening the notepad host from the suggested command prompt ‘Run as Administrator. You can’t save the Hosts file as we have shown in the above example. But we should not leave our target to edit and save the Host File in Windows 10 and 8.1. Process 2 will work for you to Edit the Host File in Windows 10 and 8.1.
Process-2
This process is for those people who have are not command prompt experts (having less knowledge in command prompt). If you are also weak in command prompt, this handy process will be easy for you. We hope editing the host’s file via the ‘GU interface‘ will be easier for you.
Step.5) To check the location of the file once Browse it. If ‘C‘ drive is your system drive then you will get this path C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc. If you have got the same path once right click on the path and select the option to open it with notepad.
Step.6) After completely Modify the host’s file on your PC. Now, just click on the Save button to instantly apply the modification.
Steps.7) Regrettably you aren’t permitted to save this file at this time. Because if you’ll save it, it’ll overwrite the previous file and it’s not permitted. But still, you can save this changed file to another location. Before going to save it once confirm that have you selected ‘All Files‘ in file type and are you saving it as ‘hosts‘. For any difficulty take help from the below image.
As you can see above img I saved the new hosts file on the desktop.
Step.8) We are on the last step. In this step, you need to copy the previously saved file( you may cut) and paste it at the required location, I mean C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc.Â
To build as Windows 7 hosting file. At the time of going to paste the host file in the above location, you will need to accept replacing the existing host’s file because the same file is already available at that location.
Your work had done when you replaced the file.
And you are done editing the Hosts File in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1.
Hope this guide thought you How to Edit Hosts File on Windows 10/8.1 Computer. The same process will work in the earlier and current versions.
