Your DNS cache stores the locations (IP addresses) of web servers that contain web pages which you have recently viewed. If the location of the web server changes before the entry in your DNS cache updates, you can no longer access the site.
If you encounter a large number of HTML 404 error codes, you may need to clear your DNS cache. After you clear your DNS cache, your computer will query nameservers for the new DNS information.
Windows 8
To clear your DNS cache if you use Windows 8, perform the following steps:
- On your keyboard, press Win+X to open the WinX Menu.
- Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
- Run the following command:
ipconfig /flushdns
If the command succeeds, the system returns the following message:
Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.Windows 7 & 10
To clear your DNS cache if you use Windows 7 or 10, perform the following steps:
- Click Start.
- Enter
cmdin the Start menu search text box. - Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
- Run the following command:
ipconfig /flushdns
If the command succeeds, the system returns the following message:
Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.Windows XP, 2000, or Vista
To clear your DNS cache if you use Windows XP, 2000, or Vista, perform the following steps:
- Click Start.
- On the Start menu, click Run.
- If you do not see the Run command in Vista, enter
runin the Search bar. - Run the following command in the Run text box:
ipconfig /flushdns
If the command succeeds, the system returns the following message:
Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.