How to Flush DNS on a Windows Machine

Flushing your DNS cache clears outdated or corrupted DNS records on your computer. This helps fix issues like some websites not loading, domain just migrated but still resolves to old server, or intermittent DNS errors.

Quick Summary

Windows 10/11 (Command Prompt): ipconfig /flushdns
Windows 10/11 (PowerShell): Clear-DnsClientCache
Renew IP (optional): ipconfig /release then ipconfig /renew
Restart DNS Client service (advanced): net stop dnscache then net start dnscache

Method A — Windows 10/11 via Command Prompt (Admin)

Press Win key, type cmd.
Right-click Command Prompt → Run as administrator.
Run:
```
ipconfig /flushdns
```
You should see: Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

Method B — Windows 10/11 via PowerShell (Admin)

Press Win key, type PowerShell.
Right-click Windows PowerShell → Run as administrator.
Run:
```
Clear-DnsClientCache
```
No news is good news—there’s no success message on this command.

Method C — Windows 7/8.1 (or Legacy)

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Run:
```
ipconfig /flushdns
```

Optional — Renew Your IP Address

This forces Windows to drop and request a fresh IP configuration from your router/DHCP.

Open an elevated Command Prompt.
Run:
```
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
```

Optional — Restart the DNS Client Service (Advanced)

If flushing didn’t help, restarting the DNS service can reset the resolver state.

Open an elevated Command Prompt.
Run:
```
net stop dnscache
net start dnscache
```

Verify the Cache Was Cleared

After flushing, you can display the cache to confirm it’s empty or repopulated with fresh entries:

ipconfig /displaydns

(Optional) Clear Browser DNS Cache

Some browsers keep their own DNS resolver cache. You may also try:

Chrome / Edge (if available): visit chrome://net-internals/#dns or edge://net-internals/#dns and click Clear host cache.
Or simply close all browser windows and reopen.

When should I flush DNS?

After moving a website to a new server or changing DNS records.
When a domain resolves to an old IP or you get intermittent DNS_PROBE errors.
When only your PC has trouble loading a site that others can access.

Troubleshooting

Access Denied / Requires Elevation: Make sure you Run as administrator.
No effect after flush: Try renewing IP or restarting DNS Client service. Also power-cycle your router.
Still seeing old server: Your ISP or router may cache DNS. Try a different resolver (e.g., 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8) in your adapter settings.
Winsock reset (last resort):
```
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
```
Reboot after running these commands.

Need Help?

If you’re flushing DNS to view your updated iCoreHosting website and still see the old server, please contact iCoreHosting Support. Provide your domain and a screenshot of any error messages for faster assistance.

Tags: DNS, Windows, Flush DNS, Troubleshooting, Network

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