How to Flush DNS Cache on Windows 11 (2026 Guide)

Windows 11 keeps a running list of every domain your PC recently looked up so it doesn't have to ask a DNS server again for a while. Most of the time this is invisible and helpful. When it's wrong — after you switch DNS providers, when a site moved to a new IP, or when Chrome throws DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN — you have to clear it manually. This guide covers every way to do that on Windows 11 in 2026.

Table of Contents

• What the Windows 11 DNS cache is
• When you should flush it
• Method 1 — Flush DNS with Command Prompt
• Method 2 — Flush DNS with PowerShell
• Method 3 — Flush DNS with the Run dialog
• Clearing Chrome's internal DNS cache
• Clearing Edge's internal DNS cache
• Verifying the cache is actually empty
• Benefits and non-benefits of flushing DNS
• Common mistakes and troubleshooting
• FAQ

What the Windows 11 DNS Cache Is

The DNS Client Service (dnscache) stores every recent name-to-IP mapping in memory. Each entry has a Time-To-Live (TTL) set by the domain's authoritative server — usually anywhere from 60 seconds to 24 hours. Until the TTL expires, Windows re-uses the cached IP instead of asking your resolver again.

That's a small speed win. But if the cached record is wrong — the site moved, your DNS server was misconfigured, or a bad NXDOMAIN got cached — the browser keeps using the wrong answer until you flush.

When You Should Flush It

• You just switched to a new DNS resolver (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Google 8.8.8.8, Quad9 9.9.9.9).
• You migrated a website to a new host and want to see the new server.
• You see DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED in Chrome or Edge.
• You suspect your DNS was hijacked (redirected to a phishing page).
• You changed the hosts file and the change doesn't seem to take effect.

Method 1 — Flush DNS with Command Prompt

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd.
2. Right-click Command Prompt in the results and choose Run as administrator.
3. Approve the UAC prompt.
4. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
5. You should see: 'Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.'

If it says 'Could not flush' you didn't run as administrator, or the DNS Client Service is disabled. Start it under Services (services.msc) and try again.

Method 2 — Flush DNS with PowerShell

1. Press the Windows key, type powershell.
2. Right-click Windows PowerShell, choose Run as administrator.
3. Run: Clear-DnsClientCache
4. There is no confirmation output — success is silence.
5. To view the current cache first (or after) run: Get-DnsClientCache

Get-DnsClientCache is useful for verifying the flush worked — an empty result confirms it. It's also handy for seeing what your PC has cached before you flush.

Method 3 — Flush DNS with the Run Dialog

Press Windows + R, type cmd /c "ipconfig /flushdns & pause" and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run it elevated. The pause keeps the window open long enough to read the result.

Clearing Chrome's Internal DNS Cache

Chrome maintains a separate DNS cache that survives the Windows flush. Skipping this step is the #1 reason people think 'flushing DNS didn't work'.

1. Open Chrome. In the address bar type chrome://net-internals/#dns and press Enter.
2. Click the 'Clear host cache' button.
3. Open a new tab and go to chrome://net-internals/#sockets.
4. Click 'Flush socket pools'.
5. Close every Chrome window and reopen the browser.

Clearing Edge's Internal DNS Cache

Microsoft Edge uses the same Chromium engine so the process is identical — just swap the URL prefix. Visit edge://net-internals/#dns, click Clear host cache, then edge://net-internals/#sockets → Flush socket pools, then restart Edge.

Verifying the Cache Is Actually Empty

In PowerShell (as admin), run Get-DnsClientCache. If the output is empty, the OS cache is clear. In Chrome, chrome://net-internals/#dns shows the 'Host resolver cache' — after a clear it should show 0 active entries.

Benefits and Non-Benefits of Flushing DNS

Real benefits

• Fixes 'site not found' errors after a domain moves servers.
• Forces Chrome and Edge to re-check DNS after you change DNS providers.
• Removes cached malicious or hijacked DNS answers.
• Helps developers see changes made to a domain's records without waiting for TTLs.

Not benefits (myths)

• It won't make your internet 'faster' in general use.
• It won't fix Wi-Fi problems, high latency, or slow downloads.
• It won't recover a hacked account or block phishing on its own.

Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting

• Forgetting to run as administrator — the flush silently fails.
• Flushing Windows cache but leaving Chrome or Edge open with a stale internal cache.
• Setting IPv4 DNS but leaving IPv6 pointed at the ISP's broken resolver.
• Assuming a DNS flush will fix a router or ISP outage. It won't.
• Running ipconfig /flushdns from a PowerShell window that isn't elevated — the same 'access denied' issue applies.