How to Remove a Blocked Website Entry from the Hosts File

The hosts file located at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts is used to manually map domain names to IP addresses. If you wish to block or allow a specific domain, you can add or remove entries from this file.

This document explains the steps to remove a blocked website entry using an Endpoint Management (EM) job.

Example Scenario

• An entry was added in the hosts file:

  • IP Address: 192.168.1.1

  • Domain: example.com

Path is C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Steps to Remove the Entry

1. Navigate to EM Console:

   • Go to EM (Endpoint Management).

2. Create a New Action:

   • Click on Action > Network.

   • Create a new EM Job to remove the specific hosts file entry.

3. Execute the EM Job:

   • Deploy the job to the targeted device(s).

4. Check the Action Status:

5. After the job is executed, the status should show Success.

6. 

   • Verify the Hosts File:

     • Open the hosts file (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) on the device.

     • Confirm that the IP address and domain entry (e.g., 192.168.1.1 example.com) has been successfully removed.