Internet & Network / DNS

How to Flush DNS Cache in Windows

Quick answer

Flushing DNS tells Windows to forget the short list of website names it recently looked up. Open Command Prompt or Terminal, run ipconfig /flushdns, then close and reopen the browser before testing the site again. It does not delete files or passwords. It will not create internet if the router is offline, and it is not a general speed boost.

Practical PC editorial teamUpdated November 2, 202612 min readBeginner-friendlyAbout 5 to 15 minutes

Quick diagnosis

If several of these match what you see, you are in the right guide.

One website will not open, but others will
A site moved or changed address and your PC still goes to the old place
Windows is connected, yet names fail until you wait a long time
You were sent here from a Wi-Fi or DNS troubleshooting guide

Possible causes

Windows stored an outdated website address in its short-term DNS cache
A site's real address changed and your PC has not asked again yet
A brief glitch left a bad cache entry
The problem is not DNS at all, the router, Wi-Fi, or the site is down

What you need

Command Prompt or Windows Terminal

What this problem usually means

DNS is the internet's phone book. Your PC asks a DNS server, "What number (address) goes with this website name?" Windows keeps some of those answers in a temporary DNS cache so it does not have to ask every time. That cache is useful until an answer is wrong or stale.

Clearing the cache is like tearing out a few outdated phone-book notes, not like canceling your internet. The next time you visit a site, Windows asks again. If the DNS server itself is failing, flushing helps only briefly or not at all. That situation belongs in DNS server not responding.

If Wi-Fi says connected and nothing loads, start with Wi-Fi connected but no internet. Flushing DNS is one step there, not the whole diagnosis.

Before you start

You usually do not need administrator rights for a simple flush. If Windows asks for elevation, you can approve it or run Terminal as administrator once.
This does not reset Wi-Fi passwords. If you wanted that broader hammer, that is Network reset, a different, heavier tool.
Do not download a "DNS booster" program. The built-in command is the whole procedure.
If you are not sure whether the issue is DNS or the whole connection, use the Internet Connection Troubleshooter first.

Quick fixes

1. Flush the cache with one command

Click Start, type cmd or Terminal, and open Command Prompt or Windows Terminal.
Type the command below exactly, including the space before /flushdns.
Press Enter.
Try the website again, or try two sites if several were failing.

ipconfig /flushdns

What this does: Deletes the local DNS resolver cache.
Why run it: A stale cached address can send you to the wrong place or fail to open a name that now has a new address.
What you should see: A line similar to "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache."
If it fails: Check the spelling: ipconfig, a space, a slash, flushdns with no extra spaces. If you see that the operation requires elevation, right-click Command Prompt or Terminal and choose Run as administrator, then try once more. If ipconfig is not recognized, you are not in a Windows command environment, use cmd or Terminal, not a random third-party console.

2. Close the browser and try again

Browsers keep their own short-term data. After a flush, fully exit Chrome or Edge (menu → Exit) and reopen. That avoids looking at a tab that still believes the old address. Clearing the whole browser cache is optional and is not the same as flushing Windows DNS; if you do it, keep passwords checked off, see the Chrome guide if you use Chrome.

Step-by-step troubleshooting

When flushing is likely to help

One hostname fails and others work.
A site you use for work changed servers recently.
You just switched networks (home to phone hotspot) and a few names misbehave.

Flushing is a cheap experiment. If it helps, you are done. If it does nothing, you have not made the PC worse, continue with connection checks rather than flushing ten times.

When flushing will not help

No device in the house has internet.
The network icon says disconnected or airplane mode.
Every site fails, including ones you never visited (more likely the path to the internet, not a cache of names).
Only one site fails for everyone worldwide, the site may be down.

Optional: confirm DNS is in the picture

If names fail but you already know flushing did not fix it, look up which DNS servers Windows is using. That is information for the next guide, not a reason to change numbers yet.

nslookup example.com

What this does: Asks your configured DNS server for the address of a test domain.
Why run it: A failed lookup after a successful flush suggests the DNS server or network path is still the problem, not only a stale local cache.
What you should see: A server name or address, followed by one or more addresses for example.com.
If it fails: Try another known domain. If several names fail, use the DNS server not responding guide. If only one domain fails, the site or a filter may be the issue.

ipconfig /all

What this does: Shows detailed adapter information, including DNS servers.
Why run it: You can see whether the PC has DNS server addresses at all. Empty or odd values support a DNS configuration problem rather than a simple stale cache.
What you should see: A long listing. Under your active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, "DNS Servers" should show one or more addresses. On a home router they often look like 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, or your provider's servers.
If it fails: Scroll carefully, the command prints a lot. If DNS Servers is missing on the adapter you are using, reconnect Wi-Fi or Ethernet and see the DNS server not responding article before you type random public DNS numbers.

Is this a cache problem?

Choose an answer. The next question appears below, no account or download required.

Can a phone on the same Wi-Fi open the same website?Yes, only this PC struggles with the nameNo, the phone fails tooSome sites work on the PC, one does not

Flush DNS, restart the browser, and retry. If it still fails, the PC's DNS settings or a VPN may be involved, continue to the DNS server not responding guide.

This is probably not a Windows cache issue. Check whether the site is down, or whether the whole network is failing. Flushing DNS on the PC will not repair the router.

A flush is a good first try. If that one site still fails everywhere, the site or your filter (school/work) may be blocking it.

How to know the problem is fixed

The command reported a successful flush.
After closing and reopening the browser, the website that was stuck now opens, or you get a clear new error (such as the site truly being down).
If you ran nslookup, it returns an address for a normal domain.
Other sites still work, flushing should not take the whole internet away.

If the problem continues

If flushing succeeds as a command but sites still fail to resolve, treat it as a DNS server or path problem: DNS server not responding. If nothing loads at all, return to Wi-Fi or Ethernet troubleshooting. If nslookup works but the browser still fails, look at browser cache, extensions, or some websites won't load. Repeating flushdns in a loop does not substitute for diagnosis.

When this may be hardware failure

A DNS cache lives in software. Flushing cannot fail because a cable is bad, though a bad connection can make you think DNS is at fault. Hardware enters the story only when adapters drop, which you would troubleshoot as Wi-Fi or Ethernet, not as DNS.

Common mistakes to avoid

Paying for or installing a DNS "optimizer."
Confusing flush DNS with Network reset or with resetting the router.
Changing DNS servers to a random address from social media as the first step.
Assuming a flush will speed up video streaming. It does not add bandwidth.

Frequently asked questions

Is ipconfig /flushdns safe?

Yes. It clears a temporary list of name lookups. Windows will look names up again. It does not uninstall apps or erase the browser's saved passwords.

Do I have to flush DNS after every Windows update?

No. Use it when a name problem appeared, or when another guide in this cluster asks for it.

What is the difference between flushing DNS and clearing Chrome cache?

Windows DNS cache is for website names at the system level. Chrome's cached files are copies of page images and scripts. They solve different stalls. You can do both; they are not substitutes.

PowerShell versus Command Prompt?

Either works for ipconfig /flushdns on a normal Windows 11 PC. In older Command Prompt, type the command and press Enter the same way.

Written by Practical PC editorial team. We write practical Windows and PC troubleshooting guides for home users, students, and office workers. Guides are researched from official documentation and widely observed support patterns, then reviewed for safety and plain language. We do not invent lab tests, certifications, or first-hand repair experience we do not have.