Have you ever experienced your network being unable to open a particular website? If you are a Windows 11/10 user, you have seen the “This website is not allowed” error pop-up.
Usually, users believe that it appears due to poor connectivity. However, the real reason behind it may be your device’s incompatibility. Sure, many websites share their limitations on geographical grounds, which are widely known.
But what to do if Windows is blocking websites? Yes, your operating system may be responsible for a few of your desired websites not opening. But how? Well, that is what we are going to discuss in this post.
Reasons Why Windows 11/10 Blocks Website – Understanding the Error
Recently, we have seen an extreme change in how the internet is perceived. Gone are the days when it was an open platform with no censorship. Today, multiple layers of restrictions and filters make it nothing less than a well-defined bracket of what can be accessed and what is out of limits.
Multiple factors lead to websites getting blocked on your Windows PC. However, the biggest of them is the restrictions imposed by the government and your ISP. While the government ensures citizens cannot access sensitive information remotely related to a crime, your internet service provider (ISP) often has an ulterior motive.
One of the biggest reasons you may be facing a website blocked error is the geolocation restriction criterion set by the respective website. Another exciting reason is to gain control over what you can access and what you can not. This usually is done by your ISP to leverage you for charging more connection premium.
Read Also: Understanding Geo-Blocking: What is it & How to Bypass
Not to mention, some websites are also banned by the government for good reasons. Hence it is better to leave them blocked. If you plan to access these websites just out of curiosity, the least you should do is install Systweak VPN on your PC. This keeps your connection private and ensures no harmful files or attacks affect your system.
Now that you are familiar with why websites are blocked on your PC, let’s look at some ways you can unblock them.
Ways to Unblock Websites on Windows 11
1. Start Network Troubleshooter
You can try running the network troubleshooting if you believe the error is due to your Windows operating system. Here’s how you do it –
Step 1 – Press Windows + I to open System settings.
Step 2 – Scroll down to find Troubleshoot options.
Step 3 – In the Troubleshoot option, find Other troubleshooters and click on it.
Step 4 – There, you may have a Network troubleshooter listed. Click on the run to initiate the process.
This troubleshooter will now look for all the possible errors on your system. It will also try to scan your network for errors, so you know the core reason behind these errors.
2. Use a VPN
Second, and probably the most effective way to handle Windows blocking websites is through a VPN. A website may be blocked at your region or IP, but it doesn’t need to be unavailable in a different country. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates a spoof IP address that becomes impossible for a website to identify. This means the website cannot know if you are accessing from a blocked location and grants you access.
It is easy to set up a VPN too. Simply –
Step 1 – Download Systweak VPN from the link below.
Step 2 – Create credentials by registering using your email address.
Step 3 – Select a server you want to connect to. Every location has a dedicated server.
Step 4 – Once you click on the server, you are connected to that location!
That’s it. It is also the best method to unlock all the content globally quickly.
3. Switch to a public DNS
DNS is another crucial component that may be causing the website blocked issue on your Windows. We use the directory of all the IP addresses related to the string of words known as websites to summon a particular domain. You can only access the websites it wants when using an ISP-provided DNS. Others are blocked. Hence switching to a public DNS is a better choice.
Check out how to change the DNS server on Windows in this dedicated guide.
4. Toggle the Windows Defender Firewall Off
Sometimes when the website is not opening, your security firewall is the culprit. This firewall is responsible for stopping unauthorized access to your PC. If any website online appears slightly risky or malicious, the firewall blocks it. Hence the issues appear. To solve the issue, you need to follow the given steps –
Step 1 – Press Windows + R on your keyboard to open the run search
Step 2 – In the run, type control and hit enter to open the control panel.
Step 3 – Find the Windows Defender Firewall option in the control panel. You can use the quick search bar to look it up.
Step 4 – Once you find the related result, click on it.
Step 5 – In the firewall settings, click on the Turn Windows Defender On/Off option available in the left panel of the screen.
Step 6 – Click Turn Off Firewall and try using the blocked website in that option.
Keep in mind that it is never recommended to turn off the protection. However, sometimes you have to do it to access a particular website. Once you are done, do not forget to toggle it ON again.
7. Flush Your DNS Cache
If it is recently that you have been experiencing issues with opening certain websites on your browser, chances are that the DNC cache is taking over. Usually, when a DNS is manipulated by the ISP, a few websites show an error message saying Website is blocked. Once you have faced the error, it is saved in the DNS cache. This needs to be cleared, else every time you try to open the website, the memory will fetch the cached record of the page being blocked.
There are multiple ways you can clear the DNS cache. All these can assist you in unblocking the websites that appear to be blocked.
These ways will help you unblock the websites you want to access without compromising your security. However, remember that none except VPN can assure 100% results. Hence, we recommend you go for Systweak VPN to skip all the hassle at once.
Access the Internet Like It Was Meant to Be – Free of Restrictions!
The internet was the only place that did no discrimination on any basis. But sadly, it WAS, as now website blocks, shadow bans, etc. have taken over the entire world wide web. Fortunately, there are way-around to handle unnecessary restrictions. Choose any shared ways to resolve your issue, and you will see effective changes.
The easiest and most impactful way is to use a VPN client to support your anonymity while unlocking all the restricted content. If you are confused about what software to choose, we highly insist you try Systweak VPN once, as it won’t disappoint.
Thanks for giving this a read! Good luck.
