You’re in the middle of something important, maybe catching up on work, checking your email, or just browsing, when suddenly, nothing loads. You check your WiFi icon in the corner of your screen, and it shows you’re connected.

Everything looks normal. But when you try to open a website, you’re hit with an error message:

“DNS server not responding” or “DNS server unavailable.”

This is incredibly frustrating because, as far as you can tell, your internet connection is working perfectly fine. Other devices in your home might be streaming videos without any issues. Your WiFi signal is strong. Yet here you are, staring at an error screen instead of the website you need.
This is one of the most common network problems Windows users face, and the confusing part is that it often has nothing to do with your actual internet connection. The problem lies somewhere in the translation process between the website address you type and the actual server that hosts that website.

In this comprehensive guide, we’re going to break down exactly what’s happening when you see this error, why it happens in the first place, and most importantly, how to fix it. We’ll walk you through proven troubleshooting methods step by step, starting with the simplest solutions and working our way up to more advanced fixes.

And if you’re not interested in typing commands or navigating through network settings, we’ll also show you an automated tool that handles all of this in about 60 seconds. By the end of this article, you’ll not only have your internet working again, but you’ll also understand enough about DNS to prevent this problem from happening in the future.

What is DNS and Why Does It Matter?

Before we dive into solutions, it’s important to understand what DNS actually is and why it’s such a critical part of how the internet works. DNS stands for Domain Name System, and while that might sound technical, the concept is actually quite simple. Think of DNS as the internet’s massive phone book, except instead of looking up people’s phone numbers, it’s looking up the addresses of websites.

Here’s the thing: computers don’t actually understand website names the way humans do. When you type “techmentorpro.com” or “google.com” into your browser, your computer has absolutely no idea what that means. What computers do understand are IP addresses, long strings of numbers like 172.217.16.142 or 104.26.5.116.
Every single website on the internet has an IP address, and that’s what your computer actually uses to connect to it. But let’s be honest, nobody wants to memorize a bunch of random numbers just to check their email or read the news.

That’s where DNS comes in.

When you type a web address into your browser and hit Enter, a surprisingly complex process happens in the background, and it all takes place in less than a second. Your browser first asks your computer’s operating system: “Hey, what’s the IP address for this website?” Your computer checks its DNS cache, which is basically a temporary storage area where it keeps a list of recent websites you’ve visited and their corresponding IP addresses. This is done for speed, if your computer already knows where a website is located, it doesn’t need to ask anyone else.

But if your computer doesn’t have that information saved (or if the saved information is outdated), it passes the request along to your router. Your router then asks your Internet Service Provider’s DNS server, which is a specialized computer whose entire job is to know where websites are located.

This DNS server either knows the answer directly or knows how to find it by asking other DNS servers across the internet. Once it finds the correct IP address, it sends that information back to your router, which sends it back to your computer, which finally sends it to your browser. Your browser then uses that IP address to connect directly to the website’s server, and boom, the page loads.

This entire chain of communication usually happens so fast that you never even notice it. But when any part of this chain breaks down, when your computer can’t reach the DNS server, when the DNS server doesn’t respond, or when the information being passed along is corrupted, that’s when you see the “DNS server not responding” error. Your browser is essentially saying: “I don’t know where this website is, and I can’t find anyone to tell me.”

Why You’re Getting “DNS Server Not Responding”

Now that you understand what DNS is and how it works, let’s talk about why it fails.
The “DNS server not responding” error is basically your computer’s way of telling you that somewhere in that chain of communication we just described, something went wrong. The request went out, but no answer came back.

There are several common reasons why this happens, and understanding them will help you figure out which solution is most likely to work for your specific situation.

One of the most common culprits is a corrupted DNS cache. Remember how we mentioned that your computer saves recent DNS lookups to speed things up?
Well, sometimes that saved information gets corrupted or becomes outdated.

Maybe a website changed its IP address, or maybe there was a glitch when the information was originally saved. Either way, your computer is now trying to use bad data, and it’s sending you to the wrong place or nowhere at all. It’s like having an old phone book where half the numbers have been changed but nobody updated the book.

Another frequent cause is problems with your Internet Service Provider’s DNS server. Your ISP provides you with default DNS servers as part of your internet service, and most people use these without even realizing it.

But these servers aren’t perfect. Sometimes they go down for maintenance. Sometimes they get overloaded with too many requests at once, especially during peak usage hours. Sometimes they’re just slow or unreliable. When your computer tries to reach your ISP’s DNS server and that server doesn’t respond (or responds too slowly), you get this error.

Router issues are also surprisingly common. Your router is the middleman between your computer and the internet, and it has its own DNS cache and settings. If your router has been running continuously for weeks or months without a restart, its cache can fill up with errors. If its settings somehow got misconfigured, maybe from a firmware update or a power surge it might not be passing DNS requests through properly. Sometimes the fix is as simple as unplugging it and plugging it back in, which we’ll cover in a moment.

Network adapter problems on your computer can also be to blame. Your network adapter (sometimes called a network card or WiFi card) is the hardware that connects your computer to your network. The software that tells your operating system how to use this hardware is called a driver. If this driver is outdated, corrupted, or incompatible with a recent Windows update, it can cause all sorts of connectivity issues, including DNS failures. This is especially common after major Windows updates, which sometimes don’t play nicely with older drivers.

Then there are the less obvious causes. Sometimes your firewall or antivirus software decides that DNS requests look suspicious and blocks them. This is rare, but it happens, especially with overly aggressive security software. Sometimes there are conflicts between IPv4 and IPv6, two different versions of the internet protocol that your computer uses. Most networks primarily use IPv4, but Windows has IPv6 enabled by default, and in some cases this causes compatibility problems. And occasionally, the problem isn’t even on your end at all, the website you’re trying to reach might have misconfigured its own DNS records, though this is much less common.

Quick Diagnosis: Is It Just You?

Before you start changing settings or running commands, it’s worth taking a couple of minutes to figure out exactly where the problem is. This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people spend an hour troubleshooting their computer when the actual problem is with their ISP or even with the website itself. Running these quick tests can save you a lot of time and help you focus on the right solution.

Test 1: Try another website
Open your browser and try to visit a few different major websites, google.com, bbc.com, youtube.com, whatever comes to mind. If these sites load perfectly fine but you’re still getting the DNS error on one specific website, then the problem almost certainly isn’t with your computer or your internet connection. It’s with that particular website’s DNS configuration. In that case, all you can really do is wait for the website’s owner or hosting company to fix it on their end. There’s nothing wrong with your system.

Test 2: Try another device
Grab your smartphone or tablet, anything else in your house that connects to the same WiFi network. Make sure you turn off mobile data on your phone so it’s actually using your WiFi. Now try to access the same website that’s giving you trouble on your computer. If the website loads fine on your phone but not on your computer, congratulations, you’ve just narrowed the problem down to your computer specifically. The issue is probably with your computer’s network settings, DNS cache, or drivers. But if your phone also can’t reach the website, then the problem is somewhere in your home network, either your router or your Internet Service Provider.

Test 3: Try another browser
If you normally use Chrome, try opening the same website in Microsoft Edge or Firefox. If the website works in a different browser, then the problem is isolated to your primary browser. In that case, the solution is usually to clear your browser’s cache and cookies, disable extensions (especially ad blockers or privacy extensions), or in extreme cases, uninstall and reinstall the browser. Browsers can develop their own issues with DNS, separate from your computer’s overall DNS settings.

These three simple tests should give you a much clearer picture of what’s actually broken. If the problem happens on all browsers, all devices, and all websites, then you’re looking at a router or ISP issue. If it’s just one browser or one computer, the problem is local to that device. If it’s just one website, the problem is with the website. Knowing this will save you from wasting time on solutions that don’t address the real issue.

How to Fix “DNS Server Not Responding” on Windows

Method 1: Restart Your Router

I know, I know, “have you tried turning it off and on again?” is the most cliché IT advice in existence.
But here’s the thing: it’s cliché because it actually works, especially with routers. Your router is essentially a small computer, and just like your laptop or desktop, it can get overwhelmed, develop memory leaks, or have its cache fill up with errors over time. When you restart it properly, you’re giving it a chance to clear all that accumulated junk and start fresh.

The key word there is “properly.” A lot of people think restarting the router just means unplugging it and immediately plugging it back in. That’s not quite enough. When you unplug a router, there’s still power stored in its capacitors for a few seconds. To truly reset it, you need to wait long enough for those capacitors to fully discharge, which clears the router’s volatile memory completely. This is why the 60 second wait is actually important, it’s not just arbitrary tech support theater.

Here’s the right way to restart your router:

1. Locate your router and modem. If you have a combined unit (a modem, router combo), you’ll only have one device to worry about. If they’re separate, you’ll need to restart both.
2. Unplug the power cable from the back of your router. If you have a separate modem, unplug that too.
3. Now here’s the important part: wait a full 60 seconds. I mean it, actually count to 60, or check the time on your phone. This isn’t optional.
4. After 60 seconds, plug your modem back in first (if you have a separate one). Don’t touch the router yet.
5. Wait about 2 minutes for your modem to fully boot up. You’ll know it’s ready when the lights on the front stabilize and stop blinking erratically.
6. Now plug your router back in and wait another 2 minutes for it to boot up completely.
7. Once your WiFi network appears again, reconnect your computer and test your internet connection.

What this does is force your router to clear its cache and obtain fresh DNS information from your Internet Service Provider. It’s also pulling a new IP address from your ISP and re-establishing all of its network connections from scratch.
In many cases, I’d estimate about 60% of the time, this alone will fix the “DNS server not responding” error.
It’s by far the simplest solution, and it takes all of five minutes. If you’re reading this article at two in the morning trying to fix your internet, start here. You might not need to read any further.

Method 2: Flush Your DNS Cache

If restarting your router didn’t solve the problem, the next most likely culprit is your computer’s DNS cache. We mentioned this earlier, but let’s dive deeper into what’s actually happening here. Your computer, in an effort to be efficient, stores a local copy of recent DNS lookups. Think of it like a notebook where your computer writes down “okay, google.com is at this IP address, facebook.com is at that IP address” and so on. The next time you try to visit one of those sites, your computer checks its notebook first instead of asking the DNS server. This makes websites load faster because it skips a step in the process.

But here’s where problems can arise. That notebook doesn’t last forever, the entries in it have expiration dates, usually anywhere from a few minutes to a few days depending on the website. But sometimes your computer doesn’t respect those expiration dates properly. Sometimes the information gets corrupted due to a software glitch, a Windows update, or even malware. Sometimes a website changes its IP address but your computer is still using the old one it has written down. When any of this happens, your computer is essentially trying to visit an address that no longer exists, or trying to use information that’s garbled and unreadable.

Flushing the DNS cache is like ripping out all the pages in that notebook and starting with fresh blank pages. It forces your computer to forget everything it thinks it knows about where websites are located and go ask the DNS server fresh for every single website you visit. This might sound like it would slow things down, but it doesn’t, the cache rebuilds itself naturally as you browse, and it only takes a fraction of a second. What it does do is guarantee that you’re working with current, accurate information instead of potentially corrupted or outdated data.

Here’s how to flush your DNS cache on Windows 10 or Windows 11:

1. Click the Start button in the bottom left corner of your screen. In the search box, type cmd and you’ll see “Command Prompt” appear in the results.
2. Don’t just click on it, right-click on “Command Prompt” and select “Run as administrator.” This is important because flushing the DNS cache requires administrator privileges. You might get a User Account Control popup asking if you want to allow this app to make changes to your device. Click “Yes.”
3. A black window with white text will open, this is the Command Prompt. At the cursor, type this command exactly as written: ipconfig /flushdns and then press Enter.
4. If you typed it correctly, you should see a message that says “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.”
   That’s it, the cache is now clear.
5. But we’re not done yet. While we’re here, let’s also release and renew your IP address, which often helps with DNS issues. Type this command and press Enter: ipconfig /release. You’ll see a bunch of text scroll by, don’t worry about what it says.
6. Now type this command and press Enter: ipconfig /renew. Again, you’ll see text appear. This is your computer getting a fresh IP address from your router.
7. Close the Command Prompt window and try accessing a website again.

What we just did was clear out all the potentially bad DNS information your computer was holding onto, and then we also gave your computer a fresh IP address in the process. These two things together solve a surprising number of network problems, not just DNS errors. If you’ve been having intermittent connection issues or websites that sometimes load and sometimes don’t, this is often the fix. It’s also completely safe, you’re not deleting any files or changing any permanent settings. You’re just clearing temporary data, the same way you might clear your browser’s cookies or cache.

Method 3: Change Your DNS Server

If flushing your DNS cache didn’t fix the problem, there’s a good chance the issue isn’t with your computer at all, it’s with the DNS server your computer is trying to use. By default, when you connect to the internet through your Internet Service Provider, your computer automatically uses DNS servers provided by that ISP. Most people don’t even realize this is happening because it’s all configured automatically in the background.

And most of the time, it works just fine. But ISP, provided DNS servers aren’t always reliable. They can be slow. They can go down for maintenance. They can get overloaded during peak hours when everyone in your neighborhood is streaming Netflix at the same time. And when they fail, you get the “DNS server not responding” error.

The good news is that you’re not stuck using your ISP’s DNS servers. There are several companies that provide free, public DNS servers that are often faster and more reliable than what your ISP offers. The most popular ones are run by Cloudflare, Google, and OpenDNS. These companies operate massive, globally distributed DNS networks with redundancy built in. If one server goes down, your request is automatically routed to another one. They’re also usually faster because they have servers located all over the world, which means your DNS request doesn’t have to travel as far.

Cloudflare’s DNS service, for example, uses the IP addresses 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1. These are intentionally easy to remember, which is nice. Cloudflare is known for being privacy-focused, they don’t log your DNS queries or sell your data to advertisers. They’re also extremely fast. Google’s DNS uses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, which are even easier to remember. Google’s DNS is known for being rock-solid reliable, though Google does collect some data about DNS queries for security and analytics purposes. OpenDNS offers 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220, and they have optional family friendly filtering if you want to block adult content at the DNS level.

Switching your DNS server is not complicated, and it’s completely reversible if you ever want to switch back. You’re not changing anything permanent about your computer or your internet service. You’re just telling your computer, “Hey, instead of asking my ISP where websites are located, go ask this other server instead.” Here’s how to do it on Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Recommended public DNS servers to try:

• Cloudflare DNS: Primary: 1.1.1.1 | Secondary: 1.0.0.1, Fastest speeds, strong privacy focus, no logging (Learn more)
• Google DNS: Primary: 8.8.8.8 | Secondary: 8.8.4.4, Rock-solid reliability, global coverage, slight data collection (Learn more)
• OpenDNS: Primary: 208.67.222.222 | Secondary: 208.67.220.220, Reliable with optional content filtering (Learn more)

Here’s how to change your DNS server on Windows 10 or Windows 11:

1. Press the Windows key and the R key at the same time. This opens the “Run” dialog box. In that box, type ncpa.cpl and press Enter. This is a shortcut that takes you directly to your Network Connections settings.
2. You’ll see a window showing all your network connections. Look for the one you’re currently using, it will be labeled “WiFi” if you’re on wireless, or “Ethernet” if you’re plugged in with a cable. Right-click on that connection and select “Properties.”
3. A new window will pop up showing a list of networking protocols and services. Scroll down until you see “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click on it once to highlight it. Then click the “Properties” button below the list.
4. Another window will open. At the bottom of this window, you’ll see two sections: one for IP address settings and one for DNS server settings. In the DNS section, you’ll see a radio button that says “Obtain DNS server address automatically”, this is currently selected, which means you’re using your ISP’s DNS. Click the radio button for “Use the following DNS server addresses” instead.
5. Two text boxes will become active: “Preferred DNS server” and “Alternate DNS server.” In the Preferred box, type 1.1.1.1 (for Cloudflare). In the Alternate box, type 1.0.0.1. Or if you prefer Google’s DNS, use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
6. Click OK to close that window, then click Close on the previous window.
7. Now here’s an important step: go back to Method 2 and flush your DNS cache again using the ipconfig /flushdns command. This ensures that your computer isn’t still trying to use old DNS information from your ISP’s server. The change will take effect immediately.

Once you’ve done this, try loading a website. You should notice that not only does the DNS error go away, but websites might actually load a bit faster than before, especially if your ISP’s DNS servers were particularly slow. This is one of those changes that, once you make it, you’ll probably never switch back. Public DNS servers are almost always better than ISP-provided ones, and there’s really no downside to using them. Some people worry that changing DNS settings is complicated or risky, but it’s neither, it’s one of the simplest and most effective network optimizations you can make.

Method 4: Disable IPv6

This solution is a bit more technical, but it’s still straightforward to implement and it solves a specific type of DNS problem that’s becoming less common but still crops up from time to time. To understand why this works, you need to know that there are two versions of the Internet Protocol currently in use: IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 has been around since the 1980s and uses those familiar IP addresses that look like 192.168.1.1, four numbers separated by dots. IPv6 is newer, introduced because we were literally running out of IPv4 addresses (there are only about 4.3 billion possible combinations, and with every phone, tablet, computer, and smart device needing an address, we were hitting the limit). IPv6 uses a much longer format that looks like 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334, which allows for trillions upon trillions of unique addresses.

The problem is that while Windows has IPv6 enabled by default, not all networks and not all DNS servers fully support it yet. Most residential internet connections still primarily use IPv4, and many ISPs haven’t fully implemented IPv6 on their infrastructure. When Windows tries to use IPv6 for DNS lookups but your network or ISP doesn’t properly support it, the request can fail or get confused. By disabling IPv6, you’re forcing your computer to only use IPv4, which is universally supported. This eliminates any potential compatibility issues. It’s worth noting that disabling IPv6 won’t cause any problems, you’re not losing any functionality that you were actually using, because again, most consumer internet connections aren’t even using IPv6 in practice yet despite it being enabled.

Here’s how to disable IPv6 on Windows:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, type ncpa.cpl and press Enter to open your Network Connections.
2. Right-click on your active network connection (WiFi or Ethernet) and select “Properties.”
3. In the list of items, you’ll see “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)” with a checkbox next to it.
   That checkbox is probably checked, meaning IPv6 is enabled. Uncheck that box.
4. Click OK to save the change.
5. Restart your computer to make sure the change takes effect properly.

After your computer restarts, try accessing websites again. If the DNS error was being caused by IPv6 conflicts, it should now be resolved. Your computer will exclusively use IPv4 for all network communication, which is perfectly fine for the vast majority of users and use cases.

Method 5: Update Your Network Drivers

Network drivers are the software that allows your operating system to communicate with your network hardware, your WiFi card or Ethernet port. These drivers are crucial because they act as translators between Windows and the physical components that connect you to the internet. When drivers are outdated, corrupted, or incompatible with your current version of Windows, all sorts of weird problems can happen. Websites might load slowly. Your connection might drop randomly. And yes, you might get DNS errors even when nothing is actually wrong with DNS itself, the problem is that your network adapter isn’t communicating properly with Windows, so DNS requests aren’t being sent or received correctly.

This is especially common after major Windows updates. Microsoft releases big feature updates twice a year, and sometimes these updates don’t play nicely with older driver versions. You might have been fine for months, then Windows updates overnight, and suddenly you’re getting network errors. The solution is to make sure you’re running the latest driver version that’s compatible with your current Windows build. Fortunately, Windows makes this fairly easy to do through the Device Manager, though it’s not always perfect at finding the absolute latest drivers, sometimes you need to visit your computer manufacturer’s website directly for those.

Here’s how to update your network drivers on Windows:

1. Right-click the Start button and select “Device Manager” from the menu that appears.
2. In Device Manager, find the section labeled “Network adapters” and click the arrow next to it to expand the list.
3. You’ll see one or more items listed here. If you use WiFi, look for an item that has “Wireless,” “WiFi,” or “802.11” in its name, that’s your wireless network adapter. If you’re using a wired connection, look for something with “Ethernet,” “LAN,” or your network card manufacturer’s name like “Intel” or “Realtek.”
4. Right-click on your network adapter and select “Update driver.”
5. Choose “Search automatically for drivers.” Windows will connect to the internet (assuming you still have some connectivity, even if it’s unstable) and check if there’s a newer driver available. If it finds one, it will download and install it automatically.
6. If Windows says you already have the best driver installed but you’re still having problems, you can try this: right-click on the adapter again, select “Uninstall device,” check the box that says “Delete the driver software for this device,” and click Uninstall. Then restart your computer. Windows will automatically reinstall the driver from scratch, which can fix corruption issues.

After updating or reinstalling the driver, restart your computer and test your connection.
If the DNS error was being caused by a driver problem, this should resolve it. You might also notice overall improvements in connection stability and speed, especially if your previous driver was several versions out of date.

Method 6: Reset Network Settings

If you’ve tried everything else and you’re still getting the DNS error, it might be time for the nuclear option, a complete network settings reset. This is Windows’ built-in way of returning all network configurations to their factory default state, essentially making your computer forget everything it knows about networking and start from scratch.

This will fix just about any software-based network problem, but it comes with a trade-off, you’ll lose all your saved WiFi networks, VPN connections, and any custom network settings you’ve configured. You’ll have to reconnect to your WiFi network afterward and re-enter your password, and if you use a VPN for work, you’ll need to set that up again too.

Despite these inconveniences, a network reset is incredibly effective for stubborn problems that won’t respond to any other solution. It’s particularly useful if you suspect your network settings have been corrupted by malware, if you’ve been tinkering with advanced settings and aren’t sure how to undo your changes, or if you’ve inherited a computer from someone else who configured it in strange ways. The reset essentially gives you a clean slate, as if you just installed Windows for the first time. All the default DNS settings, default network protocols, default everything gets restored.

Here’s how to reset network settings on Windows 10 or Windows 11:

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I, or by clicking Start and then the gear icon.
2. Go to “Network & Internet.” In Windows 11, you’ll find this in the left sidebar.
   In Windows 10, it’s one of the main categories on the Settings home page.
3. Scroll down and look for “Advanced network settings.” Click on that.
4. Under Advanced network settings, you’ll see an option for “Network reset.” Click on it.
5. You’ll see a warning explaining what will happen.
   Read it carefully to make sure you understand that you’ll need to reconnect to WiFi afterward.
   When you’re ready, click “Reset now.”
6. Confirm the action. Your computer will reset all network settings and then automatically restart.
7. After the restart, you’ll need to reconnect to your WiFi network.
   Click the WiFi icon in your system tray, select your network, and enter your password.

After reconnecting, test your internet connection. The DNS error should be gone. If you were using custom DNS servers (like Cloudflare or Google DNS), you’ll notice you’re back to your ISP’s default DNS, so you might want to go back to Method 3 and switch to public DNS again for better performance. But at this point, if your problem was software-related, it’s fixed. If the problem persists even after a complete network reset, you’re likely dealing with a hardware issue with your router, modem, or ISP, which we’ll discuss later in the article.

The Automated Solution: Fix DNS Issues in 60 Seconds

[Image suggestion: Screenshot of the DNS Network Reset Kit script running in Command Prompt with green checkmarks]

Now, let’s be honest for a moment. Everything we’ve just covered works, but it’s also a lot of steps. If you’re comfortable with technology and don’t mind opening Command Prompt or navigating through network settings, that’s great, you now have the knowledge to fix DNS errors yourself whenever they come up. But if you’re reading this at midnight because you desperately need to access something for work tomorrow, or if you’re helping a family member who barely knows how to right-click, or if you just want a solution that doesn’t require memorizing commands and settings menus, there’s a much simpler way to handle this.

We’ve automated the entire DNS repair process into a single script that does everything we just described, flushing the DNS cache, resetting the Winsock catalog, clearing IP routes, resetting TCP/IP settings, and renewing your IP address, all in the correct order, with the correct parameters, in about 60 seconds. You don’t need to type any commands. You don’t need to know what Winsock is or what TCP/IP stands for. You just right-click one file, select “Run as administrator,” wait a minute while it does its thing, restart your computer, and you’re done. Your network is back to working order.

This isn’t some sketchy third-party software that’s going to install toolbars or show you ads. It’s a batch script, a text file containing the same commands you’d type manually into Command Prompt, just automated so you don’t have to. The script is transparent (you can open it in Notepad and see exactly what it’s doing if you’re curious), it uses only native Windows commands (nothing is being installed or downloaded in the background), and it’s specifically designed to be safe even if you run it multiple times or on a system that doesn’t actually have DNS problems. The worst thing that can happen is that it does nothing, because nothing needed to be fixed.

Watch how it works in this demonstration video:

In the video, you can see the entire process from start to finish. We deliberately break DNS on a Windows computer (by corrupting the DNS cache and messing with network settings) so you can see the “DNS server not responding” error appear. Then we run the script, and you can watch in real-time as it executes each repair command with green checkmarks showing success. After a quick restart, the computer connects to the internet immediately, no errors, no problems, just a working network connection.

Here’s exactly what the DNS Network Reset Kit does when you run it:

• Flushes the DNS cache: Clears all saved DNS information so your computer starts fresh
• Releases your IP address: Disconnects from your current network configuration
• Removes broken routes: Deletes any corrupted routing table entries (this is especially common in virtual machines)
• Resets DNS to automatic: Returns your DNS settings to their default configuration
• Resets Winsock: Rebuilds the Windows Socket API, which is what programs use to access the network
• Resets the TCP/IP stack: Returns all TCP/IP settings to factory defaults
• Renews your IP address: Gets a fresh IP address from your router

These are the exact same steps that IT professionals follow when troubleshooting network problems, executed in the correct sequence with the correct syntax. The difference is that instead of taking fifteen minutes to type commands and explain what each one does, it takes sixty seconds and happens automatically. And unlike trying to remember or Google the right commands every time you have a problem, you just run the script. You can keep it saved on your desktop, on a USB drive, or in a support folder for your family members who call you every time their internet breaks.

How to use the DNS Network Reset Kit:

1. Download the kit and extract the files to a folder on your desktop or wherever is convenient
2. Locate the file named FIX.bat, this is the script
3. Right-click on FIX.bat and select “Run as administrator”
   from the menu (this is important, double,clicking won’t work because the script needs elevated permissions)
4. A Command Prompt window will open and you’ll see the script running.
   It will show you each step as it happens, with green checkmarks for successful operations
5. The whole process takes about 30-60 seconds depending on your computer’s speed
6. When it’s done, the script will prompt you to restart your computer.
   Press Y and Enter to restart immediately, or close the window and restart manually
7. After your computer restarts, connect to your WiFi network if it doesn’t connect automatically, and test your internet connection

That’s it. No technical knowledge required. No memorizing commands. No navigating through multiple settings menus. Just right-click, run, restart, and you’re back online. We’ve used this on hundreds of computers at this point, customer support calls, family members, office networks, virtual machines, you name it, and it works consistently. It’s particularly useful if you’re someone who travels a lot and connects to different WiFi networks frequently, because those transitions between networks sometimes cause DNS cache problems.
It’s also great for remote workers who don’t have an IT department to call when something goes wrong.

The kit includes not just the script itself but also a complete user guide (in PDF format) that walks you through every step with screenshots, a README file for quick reference, and email support if you run into any issues or have questions. It works on Windows 10 and Windows 11, on both Home and Pro editions, on desktops and laptops, and it doesn’t matter if you’re using WiFi or Ethernet, it fixes both. We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee because we’re confident it works, but also because we understand that not every network problem is a DNS problem, and if this doesn’t solve your specific issue, you shouldn’t have to pay for it.

Get the DNS Network Reset Kit →

When the Problem Isn’t Your Computer

We’ve covered a lot of troubleshooting steps, and if you’ve worked through them systematically, there’s a very good chance your DNS error is now fixed. But there’s an important reality to acknowledge here: sometimes, despite doing everything right on your end, the problem still persists. And when that happens, it’s almost certainly because the issue isn’t with your computer, your router, or your network settings at all. The problem is somewhere upstream, either with your Internet Service Provider or with the website you’re trying to reach. This can be frustrating because it means the solution is out of your hands, but it’s also important to recognize when you’ve reached that point so you don’t waste hours trying to fix something you have no control over.

ISP DNS server outages are more common than you might think. Your Internet Service Provider operates DNS servers as part of their infrastructure, and these servers handle millions of requests every day from all their customers. Sometimes they go down for scheduled maintenance. Sometimes they crash due to technical problems. Sometimes they get overwhelmed during peak usage hours, imagine everyone in your city trying to stream video and browse the web at the same time on a Friday night. When your ISP’s DNS servers fail, there’s nothing wrong with your computer, nothing wrong with your router, and nothing you can do except wait for them to fix it or switch to public DNS servers (which we covered in Method 3).

If you suspect your ISP’s DNS is the problem, the first thing to do is check if switching to public DNS resolves the issue. Go back to Method 3 and change your DNS servers to Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8). If websites suddenly start loading again after you make that change, congratulations, you’ve confirmed that your ISP’s DNS was the culprit, and you’ve also permanently improved your internet experience by using faster, more reliable DNS servers. If switching DNS doesn’t help, you might want to contact your ISP’s support line to ask if they’re experiencing any outages or technical difficulties in your area. They won’t always tell you the truth (some ISPs are hesitant to admit when they’re having problems), but it’s worth asking.

Website DNS misconfigurations are another common scenario, especially for smaller websites or websites that have recently changed hosting providers. Every website owner is responsible for configuring their domain’s DNS records correctly. These records tell the internet where their website actually lives, which server, which IP address. When a website migrates from one hosting company to another, or when a company updates their infrastructure, they have to update these DNS records. If they make a mistake, or if they update the records but those changes haven’t propagated across the internet yet (which can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours), their website becomes unreachable.

You can usually tell if this is the case because the DNS error only happens with one specific website, while all other websites work fine. If you can access Google, Facebook, YouTube, and a dozen other sites without any issues, but one particular site gives you a DNS error, the problem is almost certainly with that site’s DNS configuration, not with your computer. In this situation, all you can really do is wait and try again later, or contact the website’s owner if you have a way to reach them. There’s no troubleshooting you can do on your end that will fix someone else’s DNS records.

Network-wide problems are the most serious scenario and fortunately the least common for home users. If every device in your home, your computer, your phone, your tablet, your smart TV, is experiencing the same DNS errors on multiple different websites, and you’ve already tried restarting your router and checking your ISP’s status, you might have a hardware failure. This could be a failing router that needs to be replaced, a problem with your modem that requires your ISP to send a technician, or an issue with the physical line connecting your home to the internet. These aren’t things you can fix with software troubleshooting. At this point, you need to contact your ISP and potentially schedule a service call.

But before you do that, try one more thing: connect your computer directly to your modem with an Ethernet cable, bypassing your router entirely. If your internet works fine when you’re plugged straight into the modem, the problem is definitely your router, and you can replace it yourself without waiting for your ISP. If the problem persists even with a direct connection to the modem, that’s when you know it’s time to call your ISP and ask them to investigate on their end.

Frequently Asked Questions

After helping hundreds of people fix DNS errors, we’ve noticed that certain questions come up again and again. Here are the answers to the most common questions we receive about DNS problems, along with some clarifications about things people often misunderstand or worry about unnecessarily.

Can I use 8.8.8.8 as my DNS server?

Yes, absolutely. 8.8.8.8 is Google’s public DNS server, and it’s completely free, safe, and legal to use. Millions of people around the world use it as their primary DNS. We recommend pairing it with 8.8.4.4 as your secondary DNS server for redundancy. If you’re concerned about Google collecting data (they do log some information about DNS queries for security and analytics purposes, though not in a way that identifies you personally), consider using Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 instead, which has a stronger privacy focus and doesn’t log queries.

Will changing my DNS make my internet faster?

Yes and no. Changing to a faster DNS server won’t increase your actual download or upload speeds, those are determined by your internet plan and your ISP’s infrastructure. What it will do is make websites start loading faster because the initial DNS lookup happens more quickly. Think of it this way: your bandwidth (how fast you can download data) stays the same, but the time it takes to find where the data is located gets shorter. In practical terms, this means you’ll notice pages beginning to load a fraction of a second faster, which adds up over the course of a browsing session. Public DNS servers like Cloudflare and Google are usually significantly faster than ISP-provided DNS because they have massive global networks optimized specifically for speed.

Is it safe to flush DNS cache?

Completely safe, yes. Flushing your DNS cache doesn’t delete any files, doesn’t change any permanent settings, and doesn’t affect your programs or documents in any way. All it does is clear temporary data, specifically, the list of recent DNS lookups your computer has saved. After you flush the cache, your computer simply requests that information fresh the next time you visit a website. It’s similar to clearing your browser’s cookies or cache, which are also temporary files. The only minor inconvenience is that the very first time you visit each website after flushing DNS, it might take a split second longer to load because your computer has to look up the IP address again. But that’s it, there’s no risk involved.

What’s the difference between “DNS server not responding” and “DNS probe finished”?

These are two different error messages that indicate different problems, though they’re related. “DNS server not responding” means your computer tried to contact a DNS server but got no response at all – the server is either down, unreachable, or your connection to it is blocked. It’s like calling a phone number and nobody picks up. “DNS probe finished” (the full message is usually “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN”) means your computer successfully contacted the DNS server, but the server couldn’t find an IP address for the website you’re trying to visit. It’s like calling directory assistance and being told that the number you’re looking for doesn’t exist. The first is a connectivity problem; the second is a lookup failure. They require slightly different troubleshooting approaches, though many of the solutions in this article work for both.

Why does this error only happen on some websites?

If you’re getting DNS errors on specific websites but not others, the problem is almost certainly with those websites’ DNS configuration rather than with your computer or network. Each website has its own DNS records, managed by whoever owns that domain. If those records are misconfigured, outdated, or in the process of being updated (like during a server migration), anyone trying to visit that website will get DNS errors. This is actually pretty common with smaller websites or newly launched sites. There’s nothing you can do to fix it from your end – you just have to wait for the website owner or their hosting company to correct the DNS records. You can verify this is the issue by using a service like “Down For Everyone Or Just Me” (downforeveryoneorjustme.com) which checks if a website is accessible from multiple locations around the world.

Can a VPN cause DNS errors?

Absolutely, yes. When you connect to a VPN (Virtual Private Network), all of your internet traffic, including DNS requests, gets routed through the VPN’s servers instead of going directly through your ISP. If the VPN’s DNS servers are slow, overloaded, or experiencing technical problems, you’ll get DNS errors even though your underlying internet connection is fine. This is one of the reasons why VPN quality matters – cheap or free VPNs often have unreliable DNS infrastructure. If you suspect your VPN is causing DNS problems, disconnect from it and see if websites start loading normally. If they do, the VPN was the issue. You can either contact your VPN provider about the problem, try connecting to a different VPN server location, or switch to a more reliable VPN service.

Do I need to restart my computer after flushing DNS?

Technically, no, flushing the DNS cache takes effect immediately, and you should be able to browse normally right after running the command. However, we do recommend restarting your computer anyway, especially if you’re still having problems after flushing DNS. A restart ensures that all network-related services and processes reload cleanly with the cleared cache. Sometimes there are lingering connections or cached data in running programs (including your web browser) that don’t fully clear until you restart. Think of it as being extra thorough. It only takes a couple of minutes, and it eliminates variables that might otherwise complicate troubleshooting. If you’re in a hurry and can’t restart, at the very least close and reopen your web browser after flushing DNS.

What if none of these methods work?

If you’ve systematically worked through every method in this article – restarted your router, flushed DNS cache, changed to public DNS servers, disabled IPv6, updated your network drivers, and even performed a complete network reset, and you’re still getting DNS errors on all devices and all websites, then the problem is almost certainly not something you can fix on your own. At this point, you’re looking at one of three scenarios: your Internet Service Provider is experiencing a regional outage or technical problem with their infrastructure, your modem or router has a hardware failure that requires replacement, or there’s an issue with the physical line connecting your home to the internet.

You can contact your ISP’s technical support directly, explain what you’ve already tried so they don’t waste your time having you repeat steps you’ve already done, ask them to check for outages in your area, and request that they run diagnostics on your connection from their end. If necessary, schedule a technician visit to inspect your equipment and lines.

However, if you don’t want to spend hours on hold with your ISP or prefer to have someone handle the technical troubleshooting on your behalf, our remote IT support team can diagnose and fix the problem for you. We can remotely access your computer to investigate the issue, contact your ISP on your behalf if needed, configure router settings, perform advanced network diagnostics, and resolve DNS problems that require more than standard troubleshooting. We handle everything from simple DNS cache issues to complex network misconfigurations, and we work with clients worldwide.