Because Microsoft Windows allows you to block malicious or dangerous websites to protect your computer and personal information, if you can't access a website using Google Chrome, it might be blocked. Unblocking a website takes just a few seconds; however, keep in mind that the website in question might indeed be dangerous and may harm your computer or data. If you can't find the website in the Restricted Sites list, it may be blocked from the Hosts file.
Launch Google Chrome, click the Chrome menu button -- marked with three horizontal lines -- and then choose "Settings" from the menu to open the Settings page.
Click the "Show advanced settings..." link, and then click the "Change proxy settings..." button in the Network section.
Click the "Security" tab, select the "Restricted sites" zone, and then click the "Sites" button to open the Restricted Sites window.
Select the blocked website from the Websites list, and then click the "Remove" button to unblock it. Click "Close" to close the Restricted Sites window, and then click "OK" to close the Internet Properties window.
Press "Windows-X" to expand the Windows Power User menu, and then click "File Explorer" to launch the app.
Select the drive that contains the Windows operating system, and then open the "Windows\System32\drivers\etc" folder.
Double-click the "Hosts" file, choose "Notepad" from the list of installed programs, and then click "OK" to open the file using Notepad.
Locate the URL of the blocked website in the Hosts file, select the entire line that contains the URL, and press "Delete" to erase it.
Press "Ctrl-S" to save the changes, and then close Notepad. You may need to restart Google Chrome before the changes take effect.
Nick Peers has been writing technology-related articles since 2003. His articles have appeared in dozens of technical publications, including MSN UK, CNET, BBC Who Do You Think You Are, LifeHacker UK and TechRadar. He holds a Masters in information technology degree from the University of East London.
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