ipconfig /flushdns

Steps

1. Confirm the symptom is related to hostname resolution rather than a missing network link or invalid IP configuration.
2. Open Windows Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator and run ipconfig /flushdns.
3. Read the confirmation, then retry the same hostname or DNS test that previously failed. If the problem remains, continue diagnosing the configured DNS servers, connectivity, Hosts file, VPN, proxy, or other name-resolution path instead of repeatedly flushing the cache.

Expected result

Windows reports that it successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache. That result confirms the local DNS client resolver cache was cleared; it does not prove that the configured DNS server, internet connection, or destination hostname is working.

What ipconfig /flushdns does

Microsoft documents /flushdns as flushing and resetting the contents of the DNS client resolver cache. During DNS troubleshooting, this can discard negative cache entries as well as other entries that were added dynamically.

Windows uses its DNS client cache so frequently requested names can be resolved without querying a configured DNS server every time. Clearing that cache removes the client-side cached answers; it does not change the DNS server addresses themselves.

How to flush the DNS cache in Windows

Use the command when the evidence points to cached name-resolution data. It is not necessary to perform a network reset just to clear the DNS client cache.

ipconfig /flushdns

1. Open Windows Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run ipconfig /flushdns.
3. Confirm that Windows reports the DNS Resolver Cache was successfully flushed.
4. Repeat the same hostname lookup or application test that failed before the flush.

Note: The success message means the cache operation completed. Always retest the original hostname problem separately.

When flushing DNS can help

A useful case is a DNS record that has changed but the Windows client is still using an older dynamically cached answer. Another is a failed lookup that produced a negative response which remains in the client cache. Microsoft DNS client troubleshooting guidance specifically uses ipconfig /displaydns to inspect the cache and ipconfig /flushdns to clear a cached negative response.

Flushing can also be useful before reproducing a DNS problem for diagnostic collection because it removes existing client cache entries and forces the next relevant lookup to proceed without relying on those dynamically cached answers.

What ipconfig /flushdns does not clear

The command is specific to the Windows DNS client resolver cache. It does not clear browser history, cookies, cached page files, router caches, or the cache of an upstream DNS resolver. It also does not release or renew the computer's IP address.

If a browser-specific problem remains while other applications resolve the same hostname correctly, investigate the browser or application path instead of repeatedly flushing Windows DNS.

If ipconfig /flushdns does not fix the problem

First verify the client has a valid IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and appropriate DNS servers. Microsoft DNS troubleshooting guidance recommends checking this configuration with ipconfig /all before moving deeper into DNS testing.

Then test the failing name deliberately. A persistent failure after the local cache has been cleared can point to the configured resolver, connectivity to that resolver, a Hosts-file entry, DNS suffix behavior, VPN or security filtering, or the authoritative DNS data rather than the local cache.

Note: Do not treat repeated cache flushing as a repair strategy. Once the cache is cleared, a reproducible failure is useful evidence for the next diagnostic step.

ipconfig /displaydns and /flushdns work together

ipconfig /displaydns displays the contents of the DNS client resolver cache, including entries preloaded from the local Hosts file and recently obtained resource records. This can help determine whether the name you are investigating has a cached entry before you clear it.

After ipconfig /flushdns, perform the failing lookup again and compare the result. This before-and-after approach preserves diagnostic value instead of using the flush command blindly.

ipconfig /displaydns

PowerShell equivalent

Microsoft documents Clear-DnsClientCache as deleting the contents of the DNS client cache and states that running it is equivalent to running ipconfig /flushdns. Use whichever interface fits the troubleshooting procedure; running both is unnecessary for the same client-cache clear.

Clear-DnsClientCache

Verify the result, not just the command

A successful flush only verifies that Windows cleared its local DNS client cache. The actual troubleshooting goal is whether the hostname now resolves to the expected address and whether the affected application can reach the intended service.

If the same failure returns immediately, preserve the hostname, resolver configuration, lookup result, and any exact error. Those observations are more useful than repeatedly resetting unrelated networking components.

DISM RestoreHealth FAQ

Limitations

• It does not change the DNS servers configured on the adapter, renew the DHCP lease, reset TCP/IP or Winsock, clear browser caches, or restart the router.
• A DNS server, forwarder, proxy, VPN, security product, or other intermediary can maintain its own cache independently of the Windows client, so clearing the client cache cannot remove stale data held elsewhere.