How do you save changes to the host file after adding entries to block? Notepad just wants to save as a text file but it won’t save to the original directory, can there be multiple so that one in a writable folder can be used too? Or do I just need a different text edit for it?

 

in my limited experience, you need to open the original host file as an administrator in order to save over it.

 

Try to copy the Host file to somewhere. Rename the original file. Then copy the modified file back.

 

Here's a protip that I could gatekeep: get PowerToys for Windows. It has a hosts editor that is super easy to use and manage your hosts.

 

Will check it, I already have it installed so I just have to check the editor that way

 

Just copy it to the Desktop, make your changes, save it, and copy it back to its original location.

 

Just run notepad as admin.

 

That won't allow you to save the file if the permissions don't also align. Microsoft isn't big on automatically assigning full privileges to the system folders. There are extra measures their not present elsewhere. If you don't already have access to it you might also need to claim ownership of the file (the owner isn't guaranteed to be your admin). After that you still might need to enable write access with elevated command to get the target unlocked, as being the admin and the owner doesn't guarantee write access to a file that was locked prior to privilege changes.

 

1) If you are using a firewall such as Tinywall, Make sure you uncheck 'prevent modifications to hosts file' and remember to put it back afterwards

2) go here https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ (it is a free programme - no viruses I've used it for years)

3) Once installed, run and then go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc open up the hosts file in Notepadd ++

4) Make your changes- when it comes to saving, it''ll say you cannot save in this mode, do you want to open/save in Admin mode.

5) choose yes and then save

6) Confirm your changes

 

Useful tool: https://hostsfileeditor.com/

 

like others have said, there are multiple tools to achieve this. i would suggest not touching hosts and use tinywall with some common sense, you don't need anything else.
at any rate, if you can't overwrite it by saving it with notepad, you can just save it to desktop and THEN move it in the folder.

 

host file editor all the way

 

lol need a tool to edit a hosts file...

try sudo nano /etc/hosts, edit and save it.

That's how hard it is in a certain OS other than Windows that everyone claims is so hard to manage it will drive you bonkers. That thing happened to me with Windows actually.

It used to be as simple as opening Notepad with admin privileges, opening system32/drivers/etc/hosts, editing it and saving it. That's not possible anymore?? TBH Nothing can surprise me anymore when it comes to MS.

What Windows are we talking about anyway? 10, 11, 12? It is possible to do it with Notepad in W10 as far as I remember.

Maybe this could help (Sysinternals Powertoys is a tool for all kinds of useful things): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/hosts-file-editor

 

Last edited: Jun 17, 2025

BlueLife Hosts Editor

 

I love BlueLife / Sordum stuff, and many of their utilities are part of Easy Context Menu
.

 

There are probably plenty of ways to do it, the reason I said my way is then you don't have to bother with notepad any more

 

One more for completeness' sake:

Right click the 'hosts' file, go to the 'Security' tab, 'Advanced', 'Add', 'Select a principal' (not principle), your username, 'Allow' -> 'Full control'

 

Still works exactly like that unless people are messing with their installations trying to "optimize" stuff.

In fact, I think you can still use this that is just as simple as doing it on Linux: echo 0.0.0.0 websitename.com >> %WINDIR%\System32\Drivers\Etc\Hosts

 

You can just add 'open host files as administrator' to the register and whenever you right click on it, the hosts file you will now have the option: " open hosts file as administrator"

paste hte code below in a .reg file , restart computer (or explorer.exe if you know how that works) and everytime you need it you can just right click it and open as admin....super easy, barely an inconvenience...


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]
@="Open with Notepad as Administrator"
"HasLUAShield"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas\command]
@="powershell -Command \"Start-Process notepad.exe -ArgumentList '%1' -Verb RunAs\""

 

Notepad++ as administrator. I always use that for the hosts file.