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Fixing Microsoft Suspicious Connection blocked in Windows 10

Many of us depend on the Internet to get the information we need or get tasks done. So, it can be frustrating when something is preventing you from accessing what you want. Perhaps, you discovered this article because you wanted to learn how to fix the ‘Microsoft Suspicious Connection Blocked by Anti-Virus’ issue. This problem can occur when you’re trying to access markets.books.microsoft.com based on an expired certificate. Of course, your anti-virus will block the connection to keep your browsing activities secure.

Worry no more because you can use this guide to learn how to fix the issue. We will teach you how to open a site if your connection is blocked by your anti-virus in Windows 10.

Solution 1: Making Some Changes to Microsoft Edge’s Settings

One of the ways to fix the problem on your PC is by changing some settings on Microsoft Edge. Here are the steps:

  1. Launch your Microsoft Edge browser.
  2. Go to the top-right corner of the browser, then click the three-dot menu.
  3. Scroll through the options, then click Settings.
  4. Once you get to the Settings pane, go to the ‘Show definitions inline for’ section, then deselect the Books option.

After completing these steps, exit Microsoft Edge, then restart your computer. Once your PC boots, check if you can now access markets.books.microsoft.com without the error message bothering you.

Solution 2: Editing the Hosts File on Your PC

If you’re dealing with a problematic server, you can fix the issue by editing the hosts file on your computer. To do that, follow the instructions below:

  1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key+E to launch File Explorer.
  2. Once File Explorer is up, navigate to this path:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

  1. Look for the hosts file, then right-click it.
  2. Select Copy from the context menu.
  3. Now, you need to create a backup of the hosts file. To do this, you need to choose a secure folder on your PC. Once you’ve selected the right location, press Ctrl+V on your keyboard to paste the copy of the hosts file.
  4. Right-click the backup hosts file, then click Rename from the context menu.
  5. Use “hosts.org” (no quotes) as the name of the new file. In case something goes wrong, you can go back to this folder to recover the hosts file.
  6. Exit File Explorer, then go to Desktop.
  7. Once again, you need to press Ctrl+V to paste the hosts file on your desktop. You will begin editing this file. Then use it to replace the original hosts file.
  8. Double-click the hosts file on your desktop.
  9. Did you get a prompt that said, “How do you want to open this file?” If so, then double-click Notepad from the list. Once you’ve done this, the hosts file will load in Notepad.
  10. Paste the following lines in Notepad:

127.0.0.1 markets.books.microsoft.com

# Block access to Microsoft website that is corrupt.

# localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.

# 127.0.0.1 localhost

  1. Save the changes you’ve made by pressing Windows Key+S on your keyboard.
  2. Close Notepad.
  3. Go back to your desktop, then right-click the hosts file.
  4. Select Copy from the options.
  5. Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows Key+R on your keyboard.
  6. Type the following location:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

  1. Click OK to open the folder on File Explorer.
  2. Paste the hosts file by pressing Ctrl+V on your keyboard. Since you’re trying to replace the original hosts file, you will see a message asking you to either replace or skip the file.
  3. Select the ‘Replace the file in the destination’ option.

Exit File Explorer, then check if your anti-virus is still preventing you from accessing markets.books.microsoft.com.

Pro Tip: If your anti-virus keeps interfering with important work, we recommend that you switch to a more reliable program. There are many security apps out there, but Auslogics Anti-Malware is among the few that are fully compatible with Windows operating systems. It was designed by a certified Microsoft Silver Application Developer. So, you can be sure that it will give you adequate protection without coming into conflict with apps like Microsoft Edge.

Other Troubleshooting Steps for Ensuring Access to Websites

If you’ve tried the solutions above yet you still cannot access the website, you’re likely having problems with the built-in firewall on Windows 10. So, if you want to resolve the issue, your best bet is to fix all the firewall errors on your computer. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

Solution 1: Using the Windows Firewall Troubleshooter

  1. Go to the official website of Microsoft, then download the Windows Firewall Troubleshooter.
  2. Once you’ve downloaded the installer, run it.
  3. Click Next on the Windows Firewall Troubleshooter.
  4. Select the option that will allow you to fix the problem.

Let the troubleshooter identify and resolve the firewall issues. Now, if the tool couldn’t fix the problem, check the error report by clicking the ‘View detailed information’ link. You can use the information you find to search for an appropriate solution online.

Solution 2: Resetting the Windows Firewall Settings

If the Windows Firewall Troubleshooter did not discover any issue, then a particular firewall setting may be blocking your connection. This problem can occur if you recently made any changes to your system. You can get rid of the current configuration by restoring the default settings of Windows Firewall. To do that, you need to follow the steps below:

  1. Go to your taskbar, then click the Search icon.
  2. Type “Control Panel” (no quotes), then hit Enter.
  3. Select System and Security.
  4. On the right pane, click Windows Defender Firewall.
  5. Go to the left-pane menu, then click Restore Defaults.
  6. Click the Restore Defaults button to begin the process.
  7. Confirm the action by clicking Yes.

After completing these steps, the default rules and settings on your firewall will be restored. You should check if you’re still getting the error message when trying to access a particular website.

Solution 3: Allowing Microsoft Edge Through Your Firewall

One of the possible reasons why you cannot open sites on Microsoft Edge is because your firewall is blocking it. So, we recommend that you let the app through by making some changes to your built-in firewall. Here are the steps:

  1. Launch the Run dialog box by pressing Windows Key+R on your keyboard.
  2. Inside the Run dialog box, type “Control Panel” (no quotes), then hit Enter.
  3. Click System and Security, then go to the right pane and click Windows Defender Firewall.
  4. Click the ‘Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall’ link on the left pane.
  5. Click the Change Settings button.

Note: Make sure you are using an account with administrative privileges. Otherwise, you won’t be able to perform this action.

  1. Select Microsoft Edge from the list.
  2. You can either select Private or Public to let the Edge communicate via a local or public network.
  3. Click OK to save the changes you’ve made.

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