Facing an issue loading any specific website? Clear DNS cache on Windows 10 is one of option for us to make sure we are requesting to the correct IP address. Here in this guide, we will discuss what is DNS cache and how it is helpful to load web pages faster and a step wise guide to Flush DNS cache in Windows 10.
In this guide, we will show you how to clear or reset DNS cache in Windows 10. This is a very useful trick if you are having problems with your internet connection, or if websites are not loading correctly. The steps involved are very simple, and we will walk you through them step-by-step. So don’t hesitate any longer, and follow along with us now!
What is DNS cache?
DNS cache is a temporary storage area that stores the IP addresses of webpages that you have recently visited. This can speed up the process of loading websites, as your computer will not need to look up the IP address for each page that you visit. It will directly look up for an IP address in the cache and directly connects to IP to fetch the data.
If you are opening a website for the first time, it will fetch domain to IP address mapping from DNS servers and store them at different layers like Browser cache, OS cache, Router cache, ISP cache. From the next request onwards, this mapping will be fetched from any of the above layers.
Why clear DNS cache?
There are a few reasons why you might want to clear or reset your DNS cache. One common reason is if you are having problems with your internet connection, as it can sometimes be caused by incorrect information in the DNS cache. Another reason is if websites are not loading correctly for you, as this could be an indication that the DNS cache needs to be cleared.
However, sometimes the DNS cache can become corrupted, which can lead to problems with loading websites. There is a possibility that website owner can change the server and cash records might point to old IP address. Clearing DNS cache will be helpful in such cases to access the website. In this article, we will show you how to clear or flush DNS cache in Windows 10.
How to Flush DNS cache in Windows 10
Now that we know what DNS cache is and some of the reasons why you might want to clear it, let’s take a look at how to do so in Windows! The steps involved are very simple, and we will walk you through them step-by-step:
- Step 1: Open the Command Prompt: The first thing you need to do is open the Command Prompt. This can be done by pressing Windows Key + R, then typing “cmd” and pressing Enter.
- Step 2: Type “ipconfig /flushdns” : Once the Command Prompt has opened, type “ipconfig /flushdns” and press Enter. This will clear or reset your DNS cache.
- Step 3: Restart your computer
The final step is to restart your computer. Once it has restarted, you should now be able to load websites correctly!
What are the different levels DNS information is cached?
DNS caching can be done on a number of different levels, which are listed below:
- User Level DNS Caching
- Machine Level DNS Caching
- Operating System-Level DNS Caching
Each level caches a different type of information. The user-level caches the addresses of websites that have been visited by the current user. The machine-level caches the addresses of websites that have been visited by any user on the computer. And finally, the operating system level caches the addresses of websites that have been visited by any user on any computer.
How to clear or reset individual levels of DNS cache?
There may be times when you only want to clear or reset a specific level of DNS cache, rather than clearing or resetting the entire cache. In this section, we will show you how to clear or reset each level of DNS cache individually.
Clearing or Resetting User Level DNS Cache
To clear or reset the user level DNS cache, you can use either of the following methods:
– Method One: Via Command Prompt
– Method Two: Via Settings Menu
Let’s take a look at each method in more detail:
Method 1: Via Command Prompt
Open the Command Prompt as described earlier, then type “ipconfig /flushdns” and press Enter. This will clear or reset the user level DNS cache.
Method 2: Via Settings Menu
You can clear or reset the user level DNS cache by following these steps:
- Go to Settings
- Click on Network and Internet
- Click on Status
- Underneath “DNS Cache”, click on Clear Now
This will clear or reset the user level DNS cache. Clearing or Resetting Machine Level DNS Cache: To clear or reset the machine level DNS cache, you can follow the same methods as mentioned above.
And that’s all there is to it! Flushing or resetting your DNS cache in Windows is a very simple process, and it can be helpful in fixing internet connection issues or websites that are not loading correctly.
If you are still having any queries after following this steps to flush DNS cache in Windows 10, do let us know through the comment box below. For more such updates, follow cult.technology!!
