How to Fix "DNS Server Not Responding" on Windows
Pages won't load, the network troubleshooter says "DNS server not responding," but you are clearly connected. That means your PC can reach the internet but cannot translate website names into addresses. This guide fixes the DNS layer directly — usually in under five minutes.
- ✓Switches you to fast, reliable public resolvers (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Google 8.8.8.8)
- ✓Flushes the poisoned DNS cache and re-registers your records
- ✓Restarts the DNS Client service and resolves IPv6/IPv4 ordering conflicts
Best when "ping 8.8.8.8" works but "ping google.com" fails, or only some sites load.
Main Troubleshooting Guide
How to Fix No Internet Connection →Complete symptoms, causes, and step-by-step solutions
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •Network troubleshooter reports "DNS server isn't responding" or "not responding"
- •Browser shows "This site can't be reached" / "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN"
- •ping by IP (8.8.8.8) succeeds but ping by name (google.com) fails
- •Some websites load while others time out
- •nslookup returns "Request timed out" or "Server failed"
- •Sites that were just visited load (cached) but new ones do not
- •DNS works on other devices on the same network but not this PC
- •It started after changing routers, VPNs, or running a "speed booster" app
The defining test for a DNS problem: "ping 8.8.8.8" succeeds (so the connection is fine) but "ping google.com" fails (so name resolution is broken). If that matches, every fix below applies directly.
What RescuePC checks for DNS failures
RescuePC verifies each layer of name resolution and applies the standard fixes in order, so you do not have to test resolvers and edit adapter properties by hand.
- →Confirms the failure is DNS (name) and not connectivity (IP) with a reachability test
- →Sets reliable public DNS resolvers and removes a dead or hijacked DNS entry
- →Flushes and re-registers the DNS resolver cache
- →Verifies the DNS Client (Dnscache) service is running and set to start automatically
- →Checks for an IPv6 route that Windows prefers but cannot resolve through
This is most useful when only this PC has the problem, or when DNS fails intermittently after a VPN, router change, or optimizer app.
When These Fixes Resolve It
- ✓"ping 8.8.8.8" works but "ping google.com" fails
- ✓Only this PC has the problem while other devices resolve names fine
- ✓DNS broke after a VPN, optimizer app, or router change
- ✓Some sites load and others time out
Every one of these is a name-resolution fault on the PC or router — exactly what switching resolvers, flushing the cache, and restarting the DNS Client service repair.
When It Is Not Really DNS
A couple of look-alikes are not DNS problems:
- ⚠Neither IP nor name pings work — that is a connectivity/IP problem, not DNS (see "No Internet")
- ⚠Every device on the network fails identically — likely an ISP or router outage
- ⚠Only one browser fails while others work — clear that browser's cache/extensions instead
Common Causes
- ⚠Your ISP's DNS resolver is down, overloaded, or slow to respond
- ⚠A poisoned or stale DNS resolver cache returning bad answers
- ⚠The DNS Client (Dnscache) service is stopped or set to manual
- ⚠A VPN, "optimizer," or malware changed your DNS server to a dead address
- ⚠A firewall or antivirus is blocking outbound DNS (port 53)
- ⚠An IPv6 DNS route Windows prefers but cannot actually resolve through
- ⚠A leftover entry in the Windows hosts file overriding specific domains
- ⚠Router firmware that has stopped forwarding DNS correctly
Solutions
Solution 1: Switch to Reliable Public DNS
- 1Open Network Connections (ncpa.cpl) and right-click your active adapter > Properties
- 2Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties
- 3Choose "Use the following DNS server addresses"
- 4Enter Preferred 1.1.1.1 and Alternate 8.8.8.8 (or 8.8.4.4)
- 5Click OK, then open Command Prompt and run: ipconfig /flushdns
- 6Test a site that was failing
Solution 2: Flush, Re-register, and Reset the Resolver
- 1Open Command Prompt as Administrator
- 2Run: ipconfig /flushdns
- 3Run: ipconfig /registerdns
- 4Run: netsh winsock reset
- 5Restart your computer and test
Solution 3: Restart the DNS Client Service
- 1Press Windows + R, type services.msc, press Enter
- 2Find "DNS Client" (Dnscache) in the list
- 3If it is stopped, right-click > Start; set Startup type to Automatic
- 4If the controls are greyed out, restart the PC after the flush above
- 5Verify with: nslookup google.com (you should get an address, not a timeout)
Solution 4: Disable Conflicting IPv6 and Check the Hosts File
- 1In your adapter Properties (ncpa.cpl), temporarily uncheck "Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)" and click OK
- 2Test whether name resolution returns; if so, leave IPv6 off or set IPv6 DNS too
- 3Open Notepad as Administrator and open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
- 4Remove any lines pointing real domains (e.g. google.com) to odd IPs, then save
- 5Run: ipconfig /flushdns and test
Solution 5: Rule Out Firewall, Antivirus, and the Router
- 1Temporarily disable third-party antivirus/firewall and test a failing site (re-enable immediately after)
- 2If that fixes it, add an exception for DNS rather than leaving protection off
- 3Log into your router and set its DNS to 1.1.1.1 / 8.8.8.8 so every device benefits
- 4Power-cycle the router (unplug 30 seconds) if DNS fails for all devices
- 5Re-test from this PC
Fix "DNS server not responding" — the exact commands
This error means Windows cannot reach a working DNS resolver. These commands (elevated) flush the cache, reset the stack, and switch you to a reliable public DNS. Replace "Wi-Fi" with your adapter name from "netsh interface show interface".
ipconfig /flushdnsClears cached DNS lookups so Windows re-queries fresh records.
netsh winsock reset && netsh int ip resetResets the Winsock catalog and TCP/IP stack that a bad DNS state can corrupt. Reboot after.
netsh interface ipv4 set dnsservers "Wi-Fi" static 1.1.1.1 primarySwitches your DNS to Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 when your ISP resolver is the one failing.
netsh interface ipv4 add dnsservers "Wi-Fi" 8.8.8.8 index=2Adds Google 8.8.8.8 as a backup resolver so a single DNS outage cannot take you offline.
Run "ipconfig /flushdns" once more after changing DNS, then reboot. RescuePC applies a known-good DNS profile automatically and restores your original settings if you undo the fix.
Narrow Down Your DNS Failure
Every name fails on this PC only
Likely cause: A bad DNS server entry or stopped DNS Client service
DNS fails for everyone on the network
Likely cause: The router's upstream (ISP) DNS is down — change DNS on the router
Only certain sites fail, others work
Likely cause: A poisoned cache entry or a hosts-file override
Broke right after installing a VPN or "optimizer"
Likely cause: The app changed your DNS or left a proxy behind
Fix DNS Server Not Responding Automatically
RescuePC Toolkit includes 109+ automated repairs that fix this problem with one click. No command line knowledge required.
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Repair Name Resolution, Not Just the Symptom
DNS failures masquerade as "no internet," but the fix is targeted and fast once you confirm it is name resolution.
- →IP pings but names fail = DNS, every time
- →Public resolvers + cache flush fix the large majority of cases
- →Service + IPv6 + hosts checks catch the stubborn ones
- →RescuePC verifies each layer so the right fix lands first