Internet connection problems? DNS cache corrupted? Facing DNS issues or problems? Maybe you need to flush Windows DNS Cache. If your computer is finding it difficult to reach a certain website or server, the problem may be due to a corrupt local DNS cache. Sometimes bad results are cached, maybe due to DNS Cache Poisoning and Spoofing, and therefore need to be cleared from the cache to allow your Windows computer to communicate with the host correctly.
Typically, there are three types of caches in Windows which you can flush easily:
- Memory Cache
- DNS Cache
- Thumbnails Cache
Clearing the Memory Cache can free up some system memory while clearing the Thumbnail Cache can free up space in your hard disk. Clearing the DNS Cache can fix your internet connection problem. Here’s how you can flush the DNS cache in Windows 8 or Windows 7.
Flush Windows DNS Cache
You need to open an administrative command prompt windows. In Windows 8, to do so, Press Win+C in combination to bring up the ‘Charms bar’. In its search box, type cmd. Then, right-click on it and choose ‘Run as administrator’ option. Alternatively, you can also open an elevated command prompt from the WinX menu.
Next, type the following and hit enter:
ipconfig /flushdns
You should be able to see a confirmation dialog window:
Windows IP Configuration. Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
Our freeware FixWin for Windows, let you flush the DNS cache, etc., in a click.
Display DNS Cache
If you wish to confirm if the DNS cache has been cleared, you can type the following command and hit Enter:
ipconfig /displaydns
This will display the DNS cache entries if any.
Turn Off or Turn On DNS Cache
To turn off DNS caching for a particular session, type net stop dnscache and hit Enter.
To turn on DNS caching, type net start dnscache and hit Enter.
Of course, when you restart the computer, the DNC caching will, in any case, be turned on.
Disable DNS Cache
If for some reason you wish to disable DNS caching, type services in start search and hit Enter to open the Services Manager. Here locate the DNS Client service.
The DNS Client service (dnscache) caches Domain Name System (DNS) names and registers the full computer name for this computer. If the service is stopped, DNS names will continue to be resolved. However, the results of DNS name queries will not be cached and the computer’s name will not be registered. If the service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start.
Double-click on it to open its Properties box. Here change its startup type from Manual to Disabled. If you disable the DNS Client service, DNS Lookups may take longer.
These resources may also interest you:
- How to reset Winsock & reset TCP/IP
- How to reset WinHTTP Proxy Server Settings.
- How to change DNS settings in Windows
- Manage web browsing speed by changing DNS settings
- Check if your DNS settings have been compromised.
