Generally, machines do not understand human language and often need a translator to convert it into machine language. Ordinarily, websites are identified by their IP addresses. However, it is not possible to remember them by their numerical address. Hence, we denote them with URL which is understandable by us. For this, a DNS resolver is used. Let’s learn more about this.

What is a DNS Cache Resolver?

To begin with, computers or browsers are unable to understand any URL on their own. Thus, a DNS is used to translate the websites into its respective IP address. DNS stands for Domain Name System and is actively used by all the operating systems. Accordingly, DNS cache resolver refers to an in-built database that includes the IP addresses of the common websites that you visit. This is saved in the system to process the request faster than normal. 

Why you should Flush your DNS Cache? 

The most common reason for flushing your DNS cache is because of a changed IP address of a website. Once the IP address is stored in the DNS Cache resolver, it will not search for its IP address online. Therefore, it will return an error when it tries to access the old IP address. This is due to the fact that it is no longer in existence. 

Accordingly, incorrect or corrupted DNS cache resolver can cause DNS related problems. As a result, users are unable to visit any website. Also, it helps to clear memory space to an extent. Hence, you should always flush your DNS cache on a periodical basis. 

Methods to Flush your DNS Cache on Windows:

There are two different ways to flush the DNS cache on your Windows Operating system. We have discussed in detail both these methods in the following section. 

Method 1 – Through Command Prompt 

This is the most basic method used by the majority of the users. Go through the given instructions to flush the DNS cache with the help of Command Prompt. 

1. Press the Windows logo button on your keyboard to open the Start menu. Next, click on the text bar and type ‘cmd’. 
2. Then, right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and choose ‘Run as Administrator’. 
3. Now, click on the black terminal of the Command Prompt and type ‘ipconfig /flushdns’. Subsequently, press the Enter key to execute the command. The DNS cache resolver will be flushed from the system. 

Method 2 – Through Windows PowerShell 

Windows Powershell is an advanced terminal window that is much more powerful than Command Prompt. Although there is no difference in the execution of commands, you can try this method as well. 

1. Press the Windows logo button along with the letter ‘R’ from your keyboard. This will launch the Run dialog box. 
2. Here, click on the text field and type ‘powershell’. Subsequently, press the Enter key to launch the Powershell terminal window. 
3. In comparison to cmd, it can take a while for Powershell to fully load. Thereafter, click on the blue terminal screen and type ’Clear-DnsClientCache’. After that, press Enter to execute the command. The DNS cache resolver will be cleared from the system. 

Final Words 

In conclusion, you will be able to flush the DNS cache on Windows OS by following one of the above methods. Make sure that you go through these steps carefully. In case you’re still facing DNS issues, you need to contact your Internet Service Provider. It may indicate a problem with the DNS server of your internet settings. Therefore, your ISP will be able to fix it from their end. 

Accordingly, you can try to reset your IP address settings to resolve connectivity issues. To do this, simply type ‘ipconfig /release’ followed by ‘ipconfig /reset’ in the Command Prompt window.