Fix: DNS Server Not Responding (Windows)

The short answer

The fastest fixes, in order, are to restart your router, flush the DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns), and change your DNS server to a public one such as Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 or Google's 8.8.8.8. One of those three clears the vast majority of "DNS server not responding" errors. If they do not, reset the TCP/IP stack and Winsock, then check your network driver.

"DNS server not responding" appears in the Windows Network Diagnostics results when your PC can reach the network but the server that turns website names into addresses does not answer. Because the fault is almost always in the DNS configuration or the connection rather than the website, this guide works through the checks from quickest to most thorough.

What the error means

Windows managed to talk to the network, but the DNS server it was configured to use did not reply to the request to look up a name. That points at the DNS server, your router, or your adapter settings — not at the site you were visiting.

1. Quick checks first

Before changing any settings, rule out the simple causes — they account for a surprising share of these errors:

Try another device. If your phone or another PC on the same network also cannot load sites, the problem is your router or internet provider, not this PC. If only this PC is affected, continue with the Windows fixes below.
Try a second browser. If pages load in a different browser, the fault is in the first browser, not DNS.
Restart your router. Power it off, wait about 30 seconds, and power it back on. This clears the router's own DNS cache and re-establishes its connection to your provider, and it fixes the error more often than any single Windows setting.
Restart the PC. A reboot clears transient network state and restarts the DNS Client service cleanly.

2. Flush the DNS cache

A stale or poisoned resolver cache can produce this error even when everything upstream is healthy. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

ipconfig /flushdns

Microsoft's ipconfig command reference describes /flushdns as flushing and resetting the DNS client resolver cache, and specifically recommends it when troubleshooting DNS name resolution. If the connection itself looks unstable, renew your address at the same time from an administrator prompt (/renew works only on adapters set to obtain an address automatically):

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

For the full picture of what the cache is and how to inspect it, see our companion guide, how to flush the DNS cache in Windows.

3. Change your DNS server

If your provider's DNS server is slow or down, switching to a reliable public resolver usually fixes the error instantly. The two most common are Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 — the pair published in Cloudflare's own resolver IP address list) and Google (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).

Open Settings > Network & internet.
Select your connection — Wi-Fi or Ethernet — then open its properties.
Find DNS server assignment and choose Edit.
Switch from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual, turn on IPv4, and enter a Preferred DNS of 1.1.1.1 and an Alternate DNS of 8.8.8.8 (or both Cloudflare, or both Google — pair them however you like).
Save, then run ipconfig /flushdns so the change takes effect immediately.

To undo this later, set DNS server assignment back to Automatic (DHCP), which returns you to your provider's default servers.

Tip — set it on the router instead

Changing DNS on the router applies the fix to every device on the network at once, which is tidier than repeating it on each PC. The setting is usually under the router's WAN or Internet section; enter the same 1.1.1.1 / 8.8.8.8 addresses there.

4. Restart the DNS Client service

The DNS Client service (internal name Dnscache) manages name resolution and the resolver cache. You can view it in the Services console:

Press Win+R, type services.msc and press Enter.
Scroll to DNS Client and select it.

On current versions of Windows the DNS Client is a protected service, so its Stop and Restart controls are frequently greyed out and a net stop dnscache command may be refused. That is expected. In practice you rarely need to restart it directly: ipconfig /flushdns clears its cache, and a full PC restart restarts the service cleanly. Treat this step as "confirm the service is running and set to start automatically" rather than a routine restart.

5. Reset the TCP/IP stack and Winsock

When name resolution stays broken after the steps above, the networking stack itself may be corrupt. Two netsh commands rebuild it to defaults. Open an administrator Command Prompt and run them in turn:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

The first rebuilds the Winsock catalog, which handles how programs access network services; the second resets the TCP/IP stack. Restart your PC afterwards for the reset to complete — Microsoft's Reset TCP/IP by using the NetShell utility article confirms the command must be run from a Command Prompt opened with Run as administrator, that it overwrites the Tcpip and DHCP registry keys with "the same effect as removing and reinstalling TCP/IP", and that you then restart the computer. These are safe for your files, but they clear custom network settings and can remove hooks added by VPN or security software, so you may need to reconnect a VPN or reapply custom settings once you are back.

Reconnect anything custom afterwards

A Winsock and TCP/IP reset returns networking to a clean, default state. If you use a VPN, a proxy, or software that installs network filters, expect to sign in or reinstall those after the reboot.

6. Update the network adapter driver

An out-of-date or faulty network driver can cause intermittent DNS failures. Refresh it:

Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
Expand Network adapters, right-click your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, and choose Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
If Windows finds nothing newer, download the latest driver from your PC or adapter maker's support site and install it, then restart.

If the trouble began right after a driver update, use Roll Back Driver on the Driver tab of the adapter's properties to return to the previous version.

7. Disable extra network adapters

Virtual adapters left behind by VPNs, virtualization tools or old software can confuse name resolution. Turn off the ones you are not using:

Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings.
Review the list of network adapters. For any virtual or unused adapter that is not your active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, choose Disable.
Leave your active connection enabled, then test again.

If disabling an adapter makes no difference, you can safely re-enable it. The goal is simply to remove interference from adapters competing to resolve names.

Read the answer yourself: nslookup message decoder

Rather than guessing which step you need, ask the resolver directly. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and query a name against your current DNS server:

nslookup windows-now.com

The message it returns narrows the fault down immediately. These are the failure messages nslookup itself produces, with the meanings given in Microsoft's nslookup command reference; the last column is where to go in this guide.

Message	What it means	Where to go
timed out	The server didn't respond to a request after a certain amount of time and a certain number of retries.	This is the classic "not responding". Restart the router (step 1), then switch resolver (step 3).
No response from server	No DNS name server is running on the server computer.	Nothing is listening at the address you're pointed at — change your DNS server (step 3).
Connection refused or Network is unreachable	The connection to the DNS name server couldn't be made.	The PC can't reach the resolver at all. Reset TCP/IP and Winsock (step 5), then check the adapter driver (step 6).
Server failure	The DNS name server found an internal inconsistency in its database and couldn't return a valid answer.	The fault is on the DNS server, not your PC — move to a public resolver (step 3).
Refused	The DNS name server refused to service the request.	The server is reachable but won't answer you. Use a resolver that will (step 3).
Nonexistent domain	The computer or DNS domain name doesn't exist.	Your DNS is working — it answered. Check the address you typed rather than changing settings.
No records	The DNS name server doesn't have resource records of the current query type for the computer, although the computer name is valid.	Also a working resolver. The name resolves; it just has no record of the type you asked for.

If nslookup answers correctly but your browser still fails, the problem isn't DNS at all — go back to the browser and connectivity checks in step 1.

Still stuck?

If none of these clear the error, the fault is likely with your internet provider or the DNS server itself. Contact your provider, or if you run your own resolver, check its configuration — our guide on setting up DNS on Windows Server covers how a DNS server should be configured to answer queries.

Frequently asked

What does DNS server not responding actually mean?

It means Windows could reach the network but the DNS server it was told to use did not answer its request to translate a website name into an IP address. The cause is usually the DNS server itself, your router, or the network adapter settings, rather than the website you were trying to reach. That is why the fixes focus on the connection and the DNS configuration.

Is it safe to change my DNS server to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8?

Yes. 1.1.1.1 is Cloudflare's public DNS resolver and 8.8.8.8 is Google's; both are free, widely used and reputable. Changing your DNS server only affects how names are looked up, not your connection speed or your data plan, and you can revert to Obtain DNS server address automatically at any time to go back to your provider's default.

Why can I not restart the DNS Client service from services.msc?

On current versions of Windows the DNS Client service, Dnscache, is a protected service, so the Stop and Restart controls are often greyed out in the Services console and net stop dnscache can be refused. In practice you rarely need to restart it: flushing the cache with ipconfig /flushdns clears its data, and a full PC restart restarts the service cleanly if that is truly necessary.

Will netsh winsock reset delete my files or settings?

No. netsh winsock reset and netsh int ip reset only rebuild Windows networking components to their defaults; they do not touch personal files. They can, however, remove custom network settings and third-party additions such as VPN or firewall hooks, so you may need to reconnect a VPN afterwards. Restart the PC after running them for the reset to complete.

Related networking guides

Clear stale records with how to flush the DNS cache in Windows, give a device a fixed address with set a static IP in Windows 11, run your own resolver with set up DNS on Windows Server, or browse all networking guides.