When you attempt to visit a website, Windows 11 queries a DNS (Domain Name System) server to translate the human-readable URL (like google.com) into a machine-readable IP address. To speed up your browsing experience, Windows saves a local copy of this translation inside a hidden file called the DNS Cache.
The next time you visit that website, Windows simply reads the local cache instead of querying the server again. However, if a website recently changed its servers and updated its IP address, your Windows DNS cache will stubbornly point to the old, dead IP address, resulting in a “Page Not Found” error even if your internet connection is working perfectly.
To fix this specific network glitch, you must manually flush the cache and force Windows to fetch fresh IP addresses.
How to Flush the DNS Cache
You cannot clear this cache through the modern Settings app; you must use the command line.
- Click the Windows Start menu.
- Type cmd into the search bar.
- You do not need administrator privileges for this command. Simply press Enter to open the standard Command Prompt.
- Type the following exact command:
ipconfig /flushdns
- Press Enter.
The terminal will instantly reply with the message: “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.”
The Result
The change is immediate; you do not need to reboot your computer or restart your router.
Return to your web browser and refresh the page that was failing to load. Because the local cache is empty, Windows 11 will be forced to reach out to the global DNS servers, fetch the brand new, updated IP address for the website, and successfully load the page.