Flush the DNS Cache in Windows, Step by Step

What does flushing mean?

DNS works like a phone book for the internet. It changes a site name into a number, called an IP address. Windows saves these answers for a while so pages load faster. That saved list is the DNS cache. "Flushing" means emptying it. Windows then looks up fresh answers.

When you need it

You moved your website to a new server.
You changed nameservers or DNS records. Nameservers are the servers that hold the DNS records for your domain.
A site opens for other people but not for you.
You see errors like "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN".

Steps

Press the Windows key.
Type Command Prompt.
Right-click it and click Run as administrator.
Click Yes on the permission box.
Type the command below and press Enter:
```
ipconfig /flushdns
```
This command clears every saved DNS answer on your computer.
Wait for the message "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache."

Extra steps that sometimes help

Renew your network address and register your DNS again:

ipconfig /registerdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

These commands refresh your network settings. You may lose internet for a few seconds.

You can also restart the DNS Client service. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, find DNS Client, right-click it and pick Restart. On some Windows versions this option is greyed out. That is normal.

Clear your browser too

Browsers have their own DNS memory. In Chrome, type chrome://net-internals/#dns in the address bar and click Clear host cache. Or simply close and reopen the browser.

Tip: Flushing the cache is safe. It does not remove your files or settings.

Still stuck? Open a ticket with Hostvento support at https://secure.hostvento.com/submitticket.php.

Quick recap

The DNS cache is saved website addresses on your computer.
Run ipconfig /flushdns in an admin Command Prompt.
Restart your browser.
DNS changes can still take hours to spread.