When your website’s DNS cannot resolve a website URL into an IP address, an error is displayed. It is called DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN. It prevents the web browser from accessing it. ‘NXDOMAIN’ in this error syntax indicates that the domain does not exist.
How to Fix This Error – Step-By-Step Guide?
1. Flush the DNS Cache
To resolve the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error, flush the computer’s DNS cache and follow the first step by using the command line. For Windows, admins can access the Command Prompt by opening it and typing ipconfig/flushdns, then pressing Enter. For macOS admins, open the Terminal and enter the following commands: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
Then, press the Return key after entering the command and the password. If the error is specific to Google Chrome, you can clear its separate cache by typing chrome://net-internals/#dns into the address bar and clicking the Clear Host Cache button. Flushing these caches removes outdated website IP addresses, helping your computer find the correct website.
2. Release and Renew the IP Address
If the flushing DNS is not working, this is an in-depth clearing of the DNS cache. It troubleshoots network connection issues by giving up the lease to your computer’s old IP address and requesting a new one.
To release and renew an IP address, helping to resolve the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error. The process differs between Windows and Mac. For Windows, in the command Prompt, you have to enter commands: ipconfig /release, followed by ipconfig /renew. Moreover, you reset your DNS and Winsock settings by running the netsh int ip set dns and netsh winsock reset commands. Then, restart your system after executing these commands.
In macOS, the steps are graphical: Go to System Preferences > Network. Select your active internet connection, then go to ‘Advanced’…> ‘TCP/IP’ tab and click Renew DHCP Lease. After you accept it, restart your Mac to complete the tasks and see if the error is gone.
3. Change the DNS Server
Next, we will change the DNS server. It can be an effective solution to fix the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error. Public DNS servers like those of Google, Cloudflare, or OpenDNS usually gives you a faster and more secure connection. In this example, we will show you how to change your DNS in Windows. In the Control Panel, select Network and Sharing Center, then select Change adapter settings.
Right-click on your Internet connection and in the right-click menu select ‘Properties’. Next, double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6). In the new window, select Use the following DNS server address and list the DNS addresses you want to use. For Google’s public DNS, you would use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for IPv4, or 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844 for IPv6. Save your changes, and you should be good to go. Restart your browser and enjoy.
For macOS users, the process is similar.
Go to the System Preferences>Network> Connections, and click the ‘Advanced button’.
In the DNS section, press the plus (+) button to add your new DNS server addresses (such as Google), then press OK. You can also change Google Chrome’s DNS settings (if the issue is specific to it) via chrome://settings/security, by scrolling down to ‘Advanced’ in the security tab, and click on ‘with custom’ for choosing a different DNS provider like Cloudflare or Google using the dropdown. Restart your browser after making these changes to see if the error is resolved.
4. Restart the DNS client service
You can reconfigure the DNS settings by restarting the DNS client service. The program functions to resolve and save IP addresses in the DNS cache. To restart the DNS client service on Windows, press Windows+R. Then type msconfig, go to the Services tab, find DNS Client, untick the box to disable it, click OK, and restart your computer.
After restarting the DNS client, follow the previous process again, but this time check the box to re-enable it and restart once more. Alternatively, you can use the Services Manager: open the Services app, scroll down to find DNS Client, and click the ‘Restart Service’ button. Alternatively, you can use the Command Prompt: open it, enter net stop dnscache to stop the service, and then net start dnscache to start it again. Once you have completed any of the methods above, restart your computer to see if the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error has disappeared.
5. Check the Local Host Files
When a computer’s local hosts file maps domain names to IP address blocks, a website causes the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error. Windows users can open Notepad as admin. Then, navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\. Open the host file by changing the file type filter to “All Files.”
On the macOS operating system, open the Terminal and use the command sudo nano /private/etc/hosts, and then provide your password. In either case, look for any instances of the target website’s domain name or IP address below the last line with the symbol: 1 localhost. If you find one, delete that line. After you make the changes, save the file and restart your browser to see if the issues are resolved
6. Reset Chrome Flags
Misconfiguration in the Google Chrome backend also causes an error. To resolve this, type chrome://flags into the Chrome address bar. From here, you can see all active experimental features.
You can either manually switch any Enabled flags to Disabled or, for a more comprehensive solution, click the ‘Reset All’ button at the top of the page. This action will restore all settings to their default configuration, potentially fixing the error.
7. Disable antivirus or VPN
You can either deactivate the VPN software or the antivirus software installed on your system.
However, the tools can unintentionally block some websites, even if they are completely secure.
If you receive DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN errors, check whether either program is causing them.
Here are the instructions for deactivating a VPN connection:
Windows
- Open Settings -> Network & Internet -> VPN.
- Select the VPN service you’re using and click Disconnect.
- Disconnecting from a VPN on Windows.
- To complete the process, restart the computer. Check if the problem has been resolved by opening the website.
macOS
- Open System Preferences -> Network.
- Select the VPN connection you want to disable on the left side of the window.
- Click Disconnect and Apply to save changes.
8. Temporarily disable your CDN
For other website owners, another way to determine whether the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error occurs on the site side is to disable your CDN configuration.
CDNs help to distribute web content to visitors more quickly by storing cached versions of the website content on many global servers. Once a user opens the site, the CDN will send that cached content from the closest server.
Disabling your CDN essentially disables the cached versions of the site. Users accessing the site through their browsers will now need to retrieve it from your origin server.
If the website cannot be accessed without the CDN, it may have cached outdated content, or there may be a DNS configuration issue.
If your website is pointing to Cloudflare’s nameservers, visit the Cloudflare dashboard and scroll down to the button labeled “Pause Cloudflare on Site.”
9. Reboot Internet Connection
If none of the above methods work, reboot your internet router and modem connection. Here is how you can do it:
- You will need to unplug both the router and the modem. Leave them off for around 30 seconds.
- Reconnect the modem and wait for a minute.
- Wait two minutes before turning on the router.
- Open the browser to see if the error code is still showing.
If nothing works, contact your internet service provider. Ask if there are any issues on their end or if they can come up with a solution for you.
The DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error may look intimidating, but it’s usually easy to fix with the right troubleshooting steps. By applying these nine methods, you can quickly restore smooth website access and ensure a seamless browsing experience.
