When you are unable to connect to certain websites on a Windows computer, you may come across any of the following messages, depending on the type of web browser that you are using.
- Google Chrome – “This Site Can’t be reached”.
- Internet Explorer – “This Page cannot be displayed”.
- Firefox – “Firefox can’t establish connection to the server”.
There could be various reasons this problem, ranging from the browser cache being corrupted to the website being blocked by Windows firewall, Browser extensions or due to the Hosts File being modified.
Cannot to Connect to Certain Websites in Windows 11/10
In many cases, the problem of not being able to connect to certain websites can be fixed by clearing the browser cache on the computer.
If you are using Google Chrome, you can clear the browser cache by using steps as provided in this guide: How to Clear Browser Cache in Google Chrome.
If the issue persists, you should be able to fix the problem using other steps as provided below in this guide.
1. Power Flush Modem/Router
Power Flushing the Modem/Router is a commonly recommended troubleshooting step, which has the potential to fix many network connectivity issues.
1. Switch OFF the power supply to your Modem/Router.
2. After 60 seconds, switch ON the power supply to the Modem/Router unit.
After this, try to open the website that you were not able to access and see if the web browser on your computer is still coming up with “This site can’t be reached” errr message.
2. Flush DNS Cache
The next fix that you can try is to Flush the DNS Cache on your computer.
1. Right-click on Start button and click on Command Prompt (Admin).
2. On the Command Prompt screen, type ipconfig /flushdns and press the Enter Key.
3. Close the Command Prompt screen and see if you can access the blocked website.
3. Reset TCP/IP
Follow the steps below to reset your IP Address and see if this helps in fixing the problem.
1. Open the Command Prompt on your computer with Admin rights.
2. Type netsh int ip reset and press the enter key on the keyboard of your computer.
3. Restart the computer and see if you are able to access the blocked website.
4. Check Firewall Blocking
In certain cases, the problem is due to the website being blocked by Windows Defender Firewall or the Antivirus software program installed on the computer.
The steps to unblock websites in Windows Defender Firewall are practically the same as allowing apps or desktop programs through the Firewall, as provided in this guide: How to Allow Apps Through Firewall in Windows 10/11.
If you are using Norton or any other Antivirus program, you will have to go into Firewall Settings of the Antivirus Program to unblock the website.
5. Check If Hosts File has been Modified
As mentioned above, the problem could be due to the Hosts File being modified by malware or spyware programs.
1. Open the File Explorer on your computer.
2. From the File Explorer screen, navigate to C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc Folder.
3. In the etc Folder, double-click on Hosts File and select Notepad in “How do you want to open this file?” pop-up.
4. In the Hosts File, look for entries containing the names of websites that you can’t access and delete them.
In most cases, this File does not contain any entries. Hence, feel free to delete all the entries in this file containing reference to the websites that are being blocked by your computer.