DNS flushing is one of the basic operations available on different operating systems and browsers. It may be needed if the user followed unsafe or incorrect links, and corrupted results were cached. As a result, flushing DNS helps:
- To solve the problem with accessing a website (if it is up, but not achievable just for you);
- To prevent DNS spoofing;
- To solve the problem with 404 error on a website you visit (in case if the DNS information wasn’t updated right away);
- To keep the search behavior private.
As most OS cache IP addresses and other DNS records are cached by default, you should flush DNS by yourself due to the instructions.
By the way, DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is cached for various reasons, but first of all for processing future requests faster.
How to flush DNS?
To resolve security, internet connectivity, and other issues, you should flush DNS on a used browser or OS. To do this you have to clear an IP address or another DNS record from your cache.
Flush DNS Windows 11
To clear DNS cache on Windows 11 computer, use the command Windows key + R and type the “ipconfig /flushdns” command. All you have to do then is to press “Enter”, and you’re done.
Flush DNS Windows 10
To flush the DNS cache for Windows 10, you should click the “Start” button and go to Command Prompt. However, you can also use the command Win + R at the same time and enter “cmd”. After these actions you will see a popup with the question whether you want to allow Command Prompt to make changes to your computer or not. If you do, select the “Yes” option. In the command prompt window, the user should also type “ipconfig /flushdns” and press the “Enter” button.
Flushing the DNS cache it may also require an administrative login. Be ready to enter it or contact your system administrator to proceed.
When everything is ready you must see a message confirming that the DNS Resolver Cache was successfully flushed.
Flush DNS Windows 8
You should read the instructions on how to flush DNS Windows 10, as it is the same for both versions of the OS.
Flush DNS Windows 7
Like in a previous manual you should find and open the Command Prompt. To do this, click the “Start” button, select the “All Programs” and go to the “Accessories”. To launch the Command Prompt, right-click it and choose “Run as administrator”. In the next step you should click on the button “Yes”, allowing the program to make changes to your computer. Well done, now you should log in as administrator if needed, type “ipconfig /flushdns” in the command prompt window and press “Enter”.
When the DNS Resolver Cache is successfully flushed, you will see a message confirming about it.
Flush DNS Windows XP or Vista
DNS flushing for these OS is almost identical, so you can follow this general instruction:
- Click the “Start” button.
- Select “All Programs” and “Accessories” after that.
- Select Command Prompt.
- Type “ipconfig /flushdns” and press “Enter”.
Sometimes the message “Action Requires Elevation” may be sent, so the user will also need an administrative login.
Flush DNS Mac
Here is the instruction on how to flush DNS for MacOS X, although the process on all software versions of Mac computers is similar, no matter what software version it’s running. The only difference is the exact command prompt that may vary.
First of all, you need the “Finder”. Open it and click the “Applications”. Then you should scroll down to the “Utilities” folder to click it. Now you need the “Terminal” which will be opened if you type “Terminal” in the search bar.
On this stage you should type in the one of the following commands based on the version of the OS:
- 10.7-10.9, 10.11-10.14 (Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave): sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
- 10.10 (Yosemite): sudo discoveryutil mdnsflushcache.
- 10.5-10.6 (Leopard, Snow Leopard): sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
- 10.4 (Tiger): lookupd -flushcache
To confirm the action, press “Enter”. A message confirming that the DNS cache has been reset will be shown if you’ve done everything correctly.
Flush DNS Linux
Unlike Windows and Mac, OS Linux doesn’t have a DNS cache by default, but users still can restart the DNS services which store DNS records locally or clear it.
Firstly, Press Ctrl + Alt + T at the same time. It will launch a terminal window. Then you have to type in one of the following commands:
- NCSD: sudo /etc/init.d/nscd restart
- Dnsmasq: sudo /etc/init.d/dnsmasq restart
- BIND: You may have to try multiple commands:
- sudo /etc/init.d/named restart
- sudo rndc restart
- sudo rndc exec
Needed command must be chosen depending on the service your Linux system is running. When the cache is successfully reset, you will get a confirmation message. Before it, the service may stop and restart.
Flush DNS Ubuntu
First of all, open the Terminal with the help of the “Ctrl + Alt + T” shortcut. To clear the DNS cache you need to enter the following command: $ sudo /etc/init.d/dns-clean start.
Flush DNS Google Chrome
Although Google Chrome is not an operating system, it has its own DNS cache, so it must be cleared separately. Even if you don’t use this browser but it is set as yours by default, you’ll need to flush DNS Chrome.
How to Flush Chrome DNS:
- Type in chrome://net-internals/#dns into the browser’s address bar.
- Click the “Clear host cache” button.
That’s all, you’ve flushed Google DNS.
Now you know how to flush DNS, but what if you still have some questions. Then we would be welcome if you’re leaving a comment.