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How to Clear Your DNS Cache on Windows 10 and 11

Steven
May 17, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Sep 27

A website won't load, or it loads an old version of the page. Maybe ping or nslookup is pointing to the wrong IP address. When a site moves to a new server or something changes on your network, your computer can hold on to the old address. Clearing the DNS cache makes it look up the address fresh.


These steps work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.



What Is the DNS Cache?


Every time you visit a website, your computer asks a DNS server for the site's IP address, then saves the answer for a while so the next visit is faster. That saved list is the DNS cache. Usually it helps. But if an entry is out of date or corrupted, you end up at the wrong place, or nowhere at all.



Fix 1: Flush DNS With Command Prompt


  1. Click Start and type Command Prompt.

  2. Right-click it and choose Run as administrator.

  3. Type this command and press Enter:


ipconfig /flushdns

You should see "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache."


Running ipconfig /flushdns in Command Prompt
Flushing DNS in Command Prompt


Fix 2: Clear Your Browser's DNS Cache


Browsers keep their own DNS cache, so if one website still won't load, clear it there too.


Edge or Chrome:


  1. Type edge://net-internals/#dns in the address bar (in Chrome, use chrome://net-internals/#dns).

  2. Click Clear host cache.


Clear host cache button in Microsoft Edge
Clearing the host cache in Edge

Firefox:


  1. Type about:networking#dns in the address bar.

  2. Click Clear DNS Cache.


Clear DNS Cache button in Firefox
Clearing the DNS cache in Firefox


Fix 3: Use PowerShell


  1. Click Start, type PowerShell, right-click it and choose Run as administrator.

  2. Run this command:


Clear-DnsClientCache

Running Clear-DnsClientCache in PowerShell
Clearing DNS in PowerShell

It does the same thing as ipconfig /flushdns. It's handy if you're writing a script.



Still Not Loading?


If clearing the cache didn't help, try these:


  • Restart your router and modem. They keep a DNS cache too.

  • Renew your network connection by running ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew in Command Prompt.

  • Try the site on your phone using mobile data. If it doesn't load there either, the problem is with the website, not your computer.

  • Turn off any VPN and try again.



Still Stuck?


If you're still having trouble reaching a site or service, IT-Tech can connect remotely and track it down.


Book a remote support session and we'll get you sorted out.

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