How to Unblock a Website on Windows 11 (System Proxy and DNS)

Two settings on Windows 11 do the work: the system proxy, which most browsers follow, and DNS, which decides how names are resolved. They fail in different ways, and knowing which one you changed is the difference between a fix and an hour of retrying the same page.

The quick answer

For a name block: Settings, Network & internet, Wi-Fi or Ethernet, DNS server assignment, Edit, Manual, IPv4 on, preferred 1.1.1.1, alternate 1.0.0.1. For an address block: Settings, Network & internet, Proxy, Manual proxy setup, then enter the host and port.

DNS on Windows 11

• It is per adapter, not system-wide — set it on the adapter you actually use, or on both Wi-Fi and Ethernet.
• Windows caches lookups. Run ipconfig /flushdns after changing it, or you will be testing the old answer.
• Encrypted DNS is configured per adapter too, and "Automatic (DoH)" is usually the right choice once a provider is set.

The proxy, and why one app ignores it

The manual proxy under Settings is WinINET: Edge, Chrome and most desktop apps follow it. WinHTTP is a separate stack used by services and some installers, set from an elevated prompt with netsh winhttp set proxy. If a background updater still reaches the internet directly, that is why.

Firefox ignores WinINET by default and has its own proxy setting. On Firefox, change it there instead.

Verifying it worked

• Load a page that reports your address and country. If the country did not change, the traffic is not going through the proxy.
• Check for a DNS leak on the same page: a foreign exit with a local resolver still tells the network which site you asked for.
• If it works in one browser but not another, the setting is browser-level rather than system-level.

Where this stops, and what solves it

The Windows proxy setting is a convenience, not a filter-proof tunnel. A network that inspects traffic can still see where you are going, and a licence-restricted service will still refuse a country it does not serve.

A private address delivered as host, port, username and password drops into the Windows proxy field in under a minute, stays the same for 30 days, and is replaced free if it stops working.

Common questions

Why does my proxy work in Chrome but not in another app?

Chrome uses the Windows (WinINET) proxy. An app with its own network stack, or one using WinHTTP, needs its own setting.

Do I need to restart after changing DNS?

Not usually, but flush the cache. Windows keeps serving the old answer until the entry expires, which makes a correct change look broken.

Can I unblock a site on Windows without admin rights?

Yes, if you can open Settings and change the adapter or the proxy. WinHTTP changes and some VPN clients do require administrator rights.