Your phone loads the site. Your PC claims it does not exist. The internet is fine. Every other app works. But this one website refuses to appear. That is the signature of a stale Windows DNS cache-and it takes under a minute to fix.

Quick Answer

ipconfig /flushdns

Run that in an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell window. Look for Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache. No restart required.

What You Will Learn

How the Windows DNS resolver cache works and why it breaks
Multiple ways to flush DNS, from fastest to most thorough
How to verify the flush actually worked
Real-world scenarios where flushing is the right fix
A decision tree for stubborn DNS issues
How flushing compares to restarting, changing DNS, or clearing browser data

What Is the DNS Cache and Why It Breaks

Every website lives at an IP address, but humans type names like google.com. When you visit a site, Windows asks a DNS server for the matching IP, then stores that answer in a local resolver cache so it does not have to ask again on your next visit. That cache respects a time-to-live (TTL) value set by the domain owner. Under normal conditions, this speeds up browsing and reduces network traffic.

Problems start when a website changes servers, a DNS record updates, or a lookup fails and Windows caches that failure. Your PC keeps using the old information until the TTL expires. Meanwhile, your phone may use a different DNS resolver or simply have not cached the bad result yet, which explains why the same site works on mobile but not on your desktop.

Why One Site Fails While Others Work

A DNS cache issue is almost always site-specific. YouTube, Reddit, and Google continue loading because their cached records are still valid. The problem site moved to a new host, changed its IP, or had a temporary outage while your PC happened to look it up. Windows stored that negative or stale result, and now your browser keeps hitting a dead end.

Why Your Phone Works But Your PC Doesn’t

Smartphones and computers often use different DNS resolvers. Your phone may be using your carrier’s DNS or have a fresher cache. Your Windows machine, especially if it has been running for days, may be clinging to an old resolver entry. Flushing forces both devices back onto equal footing.

How to Flush DNS Cache on Windows 11 and 10

There are two built-in ways to clear the cache. Both require administrator rights because you are modifying a system network component.

Method 1: Command Prompt

Press Windows + S.
Type cmd.
Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

ipconfig /flushdns

Look for this confirmation:

Windows IP Configuration
Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

The change is immediate. You do not need to restart.

Method 2: PowerShell

Press Windows + S.
Type powershell.
Right-click Windows PowerShell (or Terminal on Windows 11) and select Run as administrator.

Clear-DnsClientCache

This cmdlet produces no output when successful. That is normal. You can verify it worked with the check below.

Tip

If you are writing a deployment script or managing multiple machines remotely, Clear-DnsClientCache is the better choice because it integrates cleanly with PowerShell’s pipeline and error handling.

How to Verify the Flush Worked

To inspect your current resolver cache, run:

ipconfig /displaydns

Before flushing, this lists dozens or hundreds of records. After a successful flush, the list should shrink dramatically. PowerShell users can also run:

Get-DnsClientCache

If only a handful of system entries remain, your flush succeeded. A few records will remain immediately after flushing-Windows pulls entries from your hosts file, and some system services instantly repopulate the cache for active connections. If the specific broken domain is gone, the flush worked. Do not expect absolute zero entries.

Should You Restart Windows After Flushing?

No. A restart is unnecessary for a simple flush. You only need to reboot if you perform deeper network resets like netsh winsock reset, which modify core networking drivers.

Real-World Scenarios Where Flushing Helps

Windows DNS troubleshooting is not abstract. It shows up in everyday situations that frustrate home users, students, remote workers, and gamers.

Scenario	What Is Happening	Why Flushing Helps
Site works on phone but not PC	PC cached a failed lookup while the site was briefly down	Removes the bad memory and lets you connect
`DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN`	Windows cached a negative result from an earlier outage	Forces a fresh lookup instead of repeating the cached failure
Changed Wi-Fi and sites stopped loading	Old network’s cached records conflict with the new DNS environment	Clears the slate for the new network
VPN disconnect causes broken sites	System still queries unreachable VPN DNS servers or holds private suffixes	Standard best practice after disconnecting from any VPN
Gaming server won’t resolve	Studio migrated backend; cache holds old IP	Restores access without reinstalling the launcher
New router installed	New local DNS forwarder conflicts with old cache entries	Avoids ghost entries pointing to the previous resolver
Switched to Google or Cloudflare DNS	Old cached data from previous resolver persists	Ensures you are actually using the new DNS
Local NAS or printer hostname fails	Device changed its IP; Windows cached the old one	Refreshes local name resolution
Windows Update caused DNS issues	Update reset adapters or modified DNS client behavior	Prevents resolution mismatches after major updates
Active Directory authentication fails	Domain controller IP changed; stale cache blocks Group Policy	Ensures workstations query current records

Windows DNS Troubleshooting Workflow

When a site fails to load, follow this decision tree before assuming your internet is broken.

Can other websites open? If no, check your Wi-Fi or ethernet connection first.
Does the site work on another device on the same network? If yes, the problem is likely isolated to your PC.
Flush the Windows DNS cache. Run ipconfig /flushdns or Clear-DnsClientCache.
Still broken? Close and restart your browser completely.
Still broken? Restart your router to clear its own DNS forwarder cache.
Still broken? Change your DNS server to a public resolver like Cloudflare or Google.
Still broken? Run deeper commands: ipconfig /release, ipconfig /renew, netsh winsock reset, and netsh int ip reset. Reboot afterward.
Still broken? Contact your ISP or the website owner. The issue is upstream.

Why Support Reps Recommend Flushing First

Microsoft Support and ISP technicians start with DNS flushing because it is safe, fast, and fixes a surprising percentage of single-site resolution issues. It costs nothing to try and eliminates the most common local variable before moving on to router diagnostics or network resets.

When Flushing Works Sometimes But Not Always

Flushing DNS is not magic. It only removes local cached entries. If the problem lives elsewhere, the symptom will return or never leave.

Why Changing DNS Did Not Fix It

Switching from your ISP to Google DNS tells Windows where to ask for future lookups. It does not erase existing cached answers. You must flush after changing DNS or the old bad data persists.

When to Restart the Router Instead

Restart your router when multiple devices in your home cannot reach the same site, or when the issue affects every website. Consumer routers run their own DNS forwarder cache. A power cycle clears that layer. If only one PC is affected, flush that PC first.

Can Flushing DNS Break Anything?

No. You are only deleting temporary resolver data. Your browsing history, passwords, bookmarks, and files remain untouched. Windows rebuilds the cache automatically as you visit sites. It is entirely safe to do regularly, though most users only need it when problems appear.

Flush DNS vs. Other Fixes

Users often wonder whether they should restart the computer, clear the browser, or change DNS servers. Here is how flushing compares to the alternatives.

Action	What It Does	When to Use It
Flush DNS	Clears local Windows resolver cache	One site fails, phone works, or after VPN changes
Restart Computer	Clears RAM, resets adapters, flushes cache	Multiple system issues or after driver updates
Restart Router	Clears router DNS forwarder cache	All devices affected or after router config changes
Clear Chrome Cache	Removes stored pages, cookies, images	Site loads but looks wrong or shows old content
Change DNS Server	Switches to a different resolver IP	ISP DNS is slow, down, or filtering results
Reset Network	Restores all network settings to default	Multiple protocols broken or after malware
Renew IP Address	Gets a new DHCP lease and local config	IP conflicts or local network changes

Flushing is the lightest touch. Restarting the computer does flush the cache too, but it also interrupts everything else. Clearing Chrome cache fixes display issues, not name resolution. Changing DNS servers helps future lookups but does not fix existing cached data unless paired with a flush.

Advanced Commands for Stubborn Issues

If flushing alone does not solve your case, escalate through these commands in an elevated Command Prompt.

Refresh Dynamic DNS Registration

ipconfig /registerdns

Renew Your IP Lease

This briefly disconnects you from the network.

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Reset the Network Stack

These require a reboot.

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Warning

Both netsh winsock reset and netsh int ip reset require a restart to take full effect. Save your work before running them. If you use static IP configurations, back them up first-they may need to be re-entered.

Quick Batch Script

Save this as a .bat file to flush and register in one click:

@echo off
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns

PowerShell One-Liner

Clear-DnsClientCache; Get-DnsClientCache

Public DNS Options

If you suspect your ISP’s resolver is caching outdated records, switch temporarily to a public DNS service.

Provider	Primary	Secondary	Best For
Cloudflare	1.1.1.1	1.0.0.1	Speed and privacy
Google	8.8.8.8	8.8.4.4	Reliability and global reach
Quad9	9.9.9.9	149.112.112.112	Malware blocking

Remember: changing your DNS server does not automatically wipe the old cache. Flush immediately after switching to ensure you are actually using the new resolver.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does flushing DNS fix some sites but not others?

Flushing only repairs issues caused by stale data on your PC. If the website’s authoritative DNS is wrong, the domain is actually down, or your router cache is polluted, flushing your local machine will not help.

Why does my phone work but my PC doesn’t?

Your phone likely uses a different DNS resolver or has a fresher cache. It may also be on mobile data instead of Wi-Fi. Your Windows machine is holding a bad entry that needs clearing.

Does flushing DNS improve internet speed?

Not directly. It restores access to sites that were unreachable due to stale records. Your download and upload speeds remain unchanged. In fact, the first visit to a site after flushing may be marginally slower because Windows must perform a full DNS lookup rather than reading from cache.

Will I lose my browsing history?

No. The DNS resolver cache contains no record of pages visited or searches performed. It only stores IP addresses your system looked up. Your browser history, cookies, saved passwords, and bookmarks are completely unaffected.

Do I need to restart after flushing?

No. The effect is instant. Restart only if you also reset Winsock or TCP/IP.

Is it safe to flush DNS regularly?

Yes, but there is no performance benefit to flushing on a schedule if everything works. The cache exists to speed up browsing. Clearing it unnecessarily forces your system to repeat lookups, which adds a few milliseconds to each new site visit. Flush when troubleshooting, not as routine maintenance.

Command Reference

Command	Purpose	Requires Admin	Restart Needed
`ipconfig /flushdns`	Clear Windows DNS cache	Yes	No
`Clear-DnsClientCache`	Clear Windows DNS cache (PowerShell)	Yes	No
`ipconfig /displaydns`	View cached DNS entries	No	No
`Get-DnsClientCache`	View cached DNS entries (PowerShell)	No	No
`ipconfig /registerdns`	Refresh dynamic DNS registration	Yes	No
`ipconfig /release`	Release current IP address	Yes	No
`ipconfig /renew`	Obtain new IP from DHCP	Yes	No
`netsh winsock reset`	Reset Windows Sockets catalog	Yes	Yes
`netsh int ip reset`	Reset TCP/IP stack	Yes	Yes
`nslookup example.com`	Query DNS for domain IP	No	No
`ping example.com`	Test connectivity to domain	No	No

Final Notes

Knowing how to flush DNS cache on Windows is one of the most practical troubleshooting skills for everyday users. A single command can resurrect a website that works everywhere else except your PC. Start with ipconfig /flushdns or Clear-DnsClientCache, verify with ipconfig /displaydns, and work through the decision tree before escalating to router restarts or network resets.

It is safe, fast, and fixes the exact scenario where your phone loads the site but your browser claims it does not exist. The key is not memorizing every command. It is knowing where to look when a domain refuses to behave.

Sources: Microsoft ipconfig documentation · Microsoft DNS troubleshooting guidance

Related: our guide to changing DNS servers on Windows · Google DNS vs. Cloudflare DNS performance comparison · How to edit the Windows hosts file

Was this article helpful?

Yes0No0

How to Flush DNS Cache on Windows: A Complete Troubleshooting Guide

Learn how to flush the Windows DNS cache, verify it, and troubleshoot DNS issues when sites work on your phone but not your PC.

Quick Summary

Key Topics

Key Takeaways

Conclusion