I have received a lot of emails from readers regarding this strange issue in the Windows operating system. Many readers have reported that they cannot access Bing, MSN, Outlook, or other Microsoft websites on their computers. Most of the readers were using Windows 10 operating system, and some readers were using Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 operating system.
Today in this tutorial, I will share the same solution, so if you are also facing the same problem, you can fix it with simple methods:
DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM:
Sometimes Windows 7, 8 / 8.1, or Windows 10 users cannot open Microsoft websites like Bing.com, MSN.com, Outlook.com, etc., in their web browser. Whenever they try to access these websites, they get a “ This page can’t be displayed ” error message as shown in the following screenshot:
Reasons for the problem:
This problem occurs when users try to prevent or disable remote and data collection features in the Windows operating system. Many people are worried about their privacy in Windows 10 and previous Windows versions like Windows 7 and 8 / 8.1. As mentioned by Microsoft a few times, Windows 10 regularly collects some people. Use personalized data and automatically send it to Microsoft to help them improve windows functionality and user experience.
Check out the following article to read more about it:
Microsoft has also released several updates for Windows 7 and 8 / 8.1 that add similar data collection and remote functionality to Windows versions as mentioned in the following article:
That is why many users are taking the help of some 3rd party software that tweaks the remote disabling feature and prevents Windows from collecting and sending any data to Microsoft. The software adds some entries of the IP addresses and URLs associated with Microsoft servers in the Windows Firewall list of rules and the Hosts file. Items that block IPs and URLs to connect to Microsoft servers.
But IPs and URLs also block Bing and other Microsoft sites, and that is why people face problems when accessing websites in their web browsers.
SOLUTION:
I would never suggest anyone use any Microsoft IP or URL blocking software to stop some other websites like Bing, Outlook, etc. And again, prevent Windows Update from loading and Install updates in your computer that could be harmful to your computer as Microsoft regularly releases security updates for Windows to fix security risks.
If you have used any such software, you will need to restore default settings in Firewall and file servers to access all websites without any problem. Just follow these easy steps to fix this problem:
Step 1: Reset the file server to the default
First of all, reset the Hosts file to default. The host’s file is an important file system that maps the hostname to the IP address. It’s a simple text file stored in the folder ” C: Windows System32 drivers etc “.
You can restore the default hosts file with the help of the following instructions or free software:
Now try to open Bing or other Microsoft websites, and they should open well. If there are still some websites that won’t open, follow step 2.
Step 2: Restore default settings and Policy in Windows Firewall
Now we will need to restore default settings and policies/rules in the Windows Firewall.
First of all, open the Windows Firewall from Control Panel. You can also directly launch it using the following command in the RUN or Start search box:
explorer shell ::: {4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}
Now click on the ” Restore defaults ” link that appears in the left sidebar.
It will show another page; click on the ” Restore defaults ” button. It will ask for confirmation; click the Yes button to make the change.
Now click on the ” Advanced settings ” link that appears in the left sidebar.
It will open the ” Windows Firewall with Advanced Security ” window. Click on the button ” Restore Default Policy ” link present right sidebar.
It will also ask for confirmation; click the Yes button.
That’s it. Now try to open Bing or other Microsoft websites, and they should open fine now.
