How to block facebook permanently from my computer

How to Block a Work Computer From Accessing Facebook | Small Business

By Grant Updated June 03, 2019

When you find that Facebook or similar social media websites are interrupting your employees or negatively impacting your company’s productivity, blocking your work computers from accessing Facebook is a step in the right direction. The steps that you take to block FB can also be used to block other social media websites.

Blocking Facebook Through the Company Internet Router

One way to block Facebook on all work computers is by blocking the Facebook URL through the company router. To do this:

Identify the IP address for your router. In Windows, go to Start, type cmd in the search menu, type ipconfig in the command box and click enter. The number associated with the entry labeled gateway IP address is the IP address of the router. On a Mac, click Apple > System Preferences > Network > Advanced and locate the IP address in the TCP/IP tab.
Type the IP address of your router into your internet browser’s search bar to open to your router’s login page. If you don’t have the administrator password, your IT guy or systems admin who set up your company’s internet router has it.
Locate the content filter feature for your brand of router. It is usually found in the Firewall or Content sections, but if you can’t find it easily, look up your specific router on Google to get the exact directions.
In the content filter section, add the Facebook URL to the filter. This blocks all computers on the network from accessing Facebook.
To be thorough, block the mobile Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Messenger URLs as well.

If your business depends on Facebook ad spending, you may want to leave the Facebook Business URL open to access.

Blocking Facebook Through the Windows Host File

Another method that is a more tedious FB block than the router method is to block Facebook manually through an individual computer’s host files. Since this method is manual, you have to follow this process on each company computer instead of applying a network block. To do so, follow these steps:

Go to the Windows Start menu and search for the Notepad application.
Instead of opening it, right-click on it and select the option to Run as Administrator.
When the Notepad application opens, go to File > Open.
In the File Explorer window, navigate to the Local Disc (C:) drive.
Click open the Windows folder, followed by the System32 folder and the drivers folder. Select to open the etc folder and elect to see All Files instead of only .txt files.
Now you should see the hosts file. Right-click the file and select Properties to click the check box and enable Full Control mode from the Security tab. This allows you to open and edit the hosts file.
Open the hosts file in Notepad. Scroll to the bottom and add a new line.
Type 127.0.0.1, press Tab and type facebook.com.
To ensure that the FB block works on all web browsers, add the whole URL next to it, like so: 127.0.0.1 facebook.com https://www.facebook.com.
Block the mobile version by adding the mobile URL, m.facebook.com, on another line using the same formatting.
In Notepad, go to File > Save As and select the hosts file as you did before. Click Save and confirm you want to replace it by selecting Yes.
To confirm the changes, go back to the command prompt and type ipconfig /flushdns to flush the DNS cache, where saved browser information lives.
Close any open browsers, restart your computer and open a browser.
Type in the URL for Facebook. If you can’t access it, the FB block is finalized.

Repeat this process for every computer in the company where you want to block Facebook.

Blocking Facebook Through the Mac Host File

You can complete a similar version of the FB block method on Mac computers. To do so, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Terminal app, either by going to Finder > Applications > Utilities where the Terminal app is or by searching for it in Spotlight.
From the Terminal, open the hosts file by typing in the following command: sudo nano /etc/hosts. Press enter.
Enter your administrator password to continue and open the hosts file.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and start a new line.
Type out 127.0.0.1, press Tab, and then enter the facebook.com URL.
To confirm that all browsers block Facebook, add the https://www.facebook.com URL below it with the same formatting, like so: 127.0.0.1 https://www.facebook.com.
Add the m.facebook.com URL as well.
Save the editor and exit the hosts file.
Go back to the Terminal. To remove any saved browser information by flushing the DNS cache, type this command into the Terminal: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
Restart your computer and launch your internet browser. Try going to Facebook to confirm the FB block was successful. If you can’t load Facebook, then it worked.

Executing a FB Block via Third-Party Software

All kinds of third-party website blockers are out there, and most offer suitable solutions to keep your web browsers from accessing Facebook. Most good anti-virus protection programs come with built-in website filters, but some may be generalized for suspicious or inappropriate websites and not allow you to input individual website URLs. Check what your specific anti-virus software has as far as web-filtering capabilities on its website.

You can also find website-blocking extensions for your internet browser. For example, if you use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, there are plenty of third-party website-filtering extensions you can download and add. Keep in mind that if you use this option, and not any of the others on this list, your employees might use another web browser as a workaround, so it might be worth your while to apply a FB block that is more universal, like the router or hosts file solutions.

References

Gadgets 360: How to Block Any Website on Your Computer, Phone, or Network
VentureHarbour: 10 Best Website & App Blockers to Block Facebook, Instagram & More

Resources

Facebook: Factsheet

Writer Bio

Grant Harvey is a writer with experience in the tech and crowdfunding space.

How to Block Facebook Website on Personal Computer

Have you ever felt as if you can’t get away from Facebook?

That whenever you sit down in front of your computer, you end up signing into your Facebook account and forget all about the office, Blogging or academic work you were supposed to do? Not, to worry, as the same thing has happened to me and many of us. And I believe that it’s time that we put our foot down and block Facebook from our computers.

Read: Deactivate Facebook account for killing Facebook additction

Sometimes, I really feel sites like Facebook, Twitter and many others in the same category, are useful but hampers our productivity. As time spends on these sites are countless and probably using a Websites counter time extension, may give you a better idea about how much time you spent on different social networking sites including Facebook.

Staying in contact with other people and making new friends can be considered as a good thing as it allows us to socialize and get to know about other cultures, using Facebook for hours at a time can’t be considered healthy. That is why you should know how to block the Facebook website on a personal computer. Or if you are parents and find your child spending countless time on Facebook or app like airtime, it’s in the best interest to allow limited time to access Facebook.

According to recent reports, it has been seen that using Facebook too much can hurt a person’s self-esteem. People, who use Facebook, have a lot of interactions with other people through the internet, and that is why it can be said that they sometimes lack the skills necessary for interacting with different people in real life. Sometimes it also happens that people are so engrossed in using Facebook that they forget about the work they have to do, and they spend that time checking Facebook status updates and visiting their ‘walls’. So, knowing how to block Facebook on a personal computer is a good thing.

Read: 10 Facebook tips and tricks you should know

Learning how to block Facebook on your Personal Computer is easy enough. You can do this kind of block through software, or you can do this manually.

You can always buy software’s which let you set parental control or block access to certain sites or complete social networking sites group. Though, I prefer using manual way to block Facebook or similar sites. It may be little geeky for many, but I’m sure you might not like the idea to open your Windows hosts file regularly to play block and unblock game.

In the manual method, you will be making some changes to the ‘hosts’ file present in your computer system, by using a notepad.

These ‘hosts’ file is present in different locations depending on the OS your computer has;

For Windows NT/2000/2003/XP/Vita and 7, the file is in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\
If you have Unix or Linux, it is at /etc/hosts
Go to System Folder and then Preferences, if you have Mac OS 9
For the Mac OS X, the file is at /private/etc/hosts

Though the location of the ‘hosts’ file is different, the method of blocking a website on your PC is the same.

Open the host’s file in notepad and at the end of the script, simply add the lines:

127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com
127.0.0.1 facebook.com

Now, save the changes that you have made, and you will see that your computer won’t open Facebook when you try to access it.

If you have Windows 7, then you can’t edit the ‘hosts’ file, so just follow the method below;

Right-click the host’s file and go to the file properties and then move to the Security tab, select Users under Group or the user names and then select the ‘edit’ button. ‘Permission for Host Window’ will now open.
Select Users account and grant the permission in ‘Permission for SYSTEM’ by clicking all the checkboxes under ‘Allow’ Name and then press OK. Keep in mind that you are not to check any of the ‘Deny’ checkboxes you see.

I have told you two methods through which you can know how to block Facebook website on Personal Computer. Knowing these methods is a good way if you don’t want Facebook distracting you from your work or anyone else who might be using your computer system.

For Bloggers, I recommend to use this Chrome extension call Pomodoro, You can block all such sites like Facebook, Pinterest or any other which works as a distraction while you are working. Simply enable the extension and add list of sites you wish to block.

How to permanently delete a Facebook account?

What happens if you delete your Facebook account permanently?

You will not be able to reactivate your account.

Your profile, photos, posts, videos and other content will be permanently deleted.

You will no longer be able to use Facebook Messenger.

You won't be able to use Facebook Login with other apps and websites, such as Spotify and Pinterest. To recover your accounts, you may need to contact support for those apps and websites.

Some information, such as messages you send to your friends, may still be available even after you delete your account. Copies of the messages you send are stored in your friends' inbox.

If you use a Facebook account to sign in to your Oculus device, deleting your Oculus device will also delete information related to the Oculus platform, including your in-app purchases and achievements. In addition, you will no longer be able to return apps and will lose all Oculus store coupons.

Pages that only you manage will also be deleted. If you want to keep the Page, give someone else full control over it. This will only delete your account.

What if I want to stop using Facebook for a while without deleting all my content?

If you want to take a break from Facebook, you can temporarily deactivate your account. However:

People will not be able to see or open your Facebook profile.

Your photos, posts and videos will not be deleted.

You will not lose your ability to use Facebook Messenger. In conversations, your profile photo will be visible, and people who want to start a conversation with you will be able to find you by name. Your Facebook friends will still be able to send you messages.

You will not be able to use your Facebook account to access Oculus Products and view information related to the Oculus platform.

Pages that only you manage will also be deactivated. Other people will not be able to see or find deactivated Pages. If you want to keep the Page, give someone else full control over it. This will only deactivate your account.

You can return to Facebook at any time.

Learn more about how to temporarily deactivate an account.

How do I permanently delete an account?

Before deleting your account, we recommend that you sign in to your account and download a copy of your information (such as your photos and posts) from Facebook, as well as a copy of information related to the Oculus platform if you use a Facebook account to sign in to your Oculus device. Once you delete your account, you won't be able to restore the content it contains.

To permanently delete an account:

Classic Mobile Browser

Click the icon in the upper right corner of the Facebook window.

Scroll down and click Settings.

Scroll down to the ‎Your Facebook Information‎ section and select Manage Account.

Click Deactivate and delete and then click Delete account.

Select Continue with account deletion and select Delete account.

New version for mobile browser

Click the icon in the upper right corner of the Facebook window.

Scroll down and click Settings.

Scroll down to Your Facebook Information and select Manage Account.

Click Open.

Click Deactivate and delete and then click Delete account.

Select Continue with account deletion and select Delete account.

Can I cancel the account deletion?

You can restore your account within 30 days after deletion. After that, it and all information associated with it will be deleted without the possibility of recovery.

It may take up to 90 days for your content to be completely removed. While we delete this information, it will not be available to anyone on Facebook.

After this period, a copy of your information may be stored in backup storage, which we use to recover data lost in the event of a natural disaster, software error, etc. We may also retain your information to resolve legal issues, in case of violation of the terms use or for purposes intended to prevent harm. Learn more about the Privacy Policy.

To undo account deletion:

Click Cancel Delete.

How do I temporarily deactivate my Facebook account?

Help Center

Manage your account

Deactivate or delete your account

We're updating the mobile version of Facebook.com. More

You can temporarily deactivate your account and restore it at any time.

To deactivate your account:

Click the icon in the upper right corner of the Facebook window.

Scroll down and select Settings & Privacy and then Settings.

Select Personal and account information.

Click Account Management.

Click Deactivate and delete.

Select Deactivate account, click Proceed to deactivate account and follow the instructions to confirm the deactivation.

When your account is deactivated:

Your profile is hidden from other people.

Some information, such as messages you have sent to your friends, may still be available.

Friends can still see your name in their friends list (only your friends and only in the friends list).

Group admins can still see your posts and comments along with your name.

You will not be able to use your Facebook account to access Oculus Products and view information related to the Oculus platform.

If you do not choose to deactivate your Messenger account or are not logged into Messenger during the deactivation of your Facebook account, your Messenger account will remain active. Learn more about how to deactivate your Messenger account.

When your Facebook account is deactivated but you are still using Messenger:

You can still chat with your friends on Messenger.

Your Facebook profile photo will still be visible in Messenger conversations.

Other people may be looking for you to send a message.

Reactivating your account

You can restore a deactivated Facebook account at any time. To do this, sign in to Facebook or another site with your Facebook account. To complete the reactivation, you will need access to the email address or mobile phone number you use to sign in.

If you alone have full control of a deactivated Page, you can restore the Page after you reactivate your Facebook account.