How do I view my Website before I take it Live?
To view your website before you take it live, you can change your 'hosts' file on your computer to make it check the server instead of looking to see where the site is live.
Hosts File in Windows
To edit the Hosts file, navigate to the following folder location:
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\
Here you will see the Hosts file. Right-click on it and select 'Open With', then select Notepad.
You will need to add the following line (Updated to match your hosting account):
123.123.123.123 yourwebsite.com.au www.yourwebsite.com.au
You will need to replace '123.123.123.123' with the IP of your hosting account and yourwebsite.com.au & www.yourwebsite.com.au with your domain name (with and without www). You can find both of these details in the 'Welcome' email for your hosting package.
But sometimes, even when you are logged on with administrative credentials, you may recieve the following error message:
Access to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\ hosts was denied
Or
Cannot create the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file. Make sure that the path and file name are correct.
In this case, type Notepad in start search and righ-click on the Notepad result. Selecet Run as administrator. Open the Hosts file (File >> Open), make the necessary changes, and then click Save.
