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The Domain Name System (DNS) is crucial for converting domain names into IP addresses, enabling browsers to load websites. Occasionally, you might encounter outdated or incorrect DNS information issues, leading to connectivity problems or errors when accessing certain websites. Flushing the DNS cache on your Windows computer can resolve these issues by clearing out old entries and forcing your system to fetch fresh DNS information. In HostingSpell, this article explains the simple command you can use to flush the local DNS cache on a Windows computer.
What is DNS Cache?
When you access a website, your computer saves its DNS information in a local cache. This cache helps speed up future requests to the same website by avoiding the need to resolve the domain name each time. However, this cached data can become outdated or corrupted, leading to various issues, such as the inability to access specific sites or loading obsolete versions of web pages.

Command to Flush DNS Cache
Flushing the DNS cache on Windows is a straightforward process involving the command prompt. Use the following steps to clear the cache:
Open Command Prompt:
- Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type `cmd` and hit Enter to launch the Command Prompt.
Run the Flush DNS Command:
- ipconfig /flushdns
- In the Command Prompt window, enter the following command and press Enter to execute it.
Verify Success:
- You should see a confirmation message that is about successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
- This message indicates that the DNS cache has been cleared successfully.

When to Flush the DNS Cache?
Flushing the DNS cache is an essential task to ensure your computer uses the most up-to-date information from the DNS servers. It helps resolve issues like incorrect website loading or DNS-related errors. Here’s when you should flush your DNS cache:
When Websites Aren’t Loading Properly
If a website is not loading correctly or shows outdated content, flushing the DNS cache can resolve this issue.
After Changing DNS Settings
If you’ve changed your DNS settings (e.g., switched to a different DNS provider), flushing the cache ensures the new settings take effect.
When You Encounter DNS Errors
If you’re experiencing errors like “DNS server not found,” clearing the cache may help resolve these connectivity issues
Conclusion
Clearing the local cache on your Windows computer is an effective and straightforward method to resolve connectivity issues and ensure you have access to the most up-to-date website information. The cache stores records of recent domain name lookups to speed up access to websites you’ve visited before. However, this cache can become outdated or corrupted, leading to problems such as incorrect website loading or network errors. By using the ipconfig /flushdns
command in an elevated Command Prompt, you instruct your system to clear these old or erroneous DNS records and fetch fresh information from DNS servers.
This process is particularly valuable if you’re managing your own hosting with Hosting Spell or have recently made changes to your DNS settings, ensuring seamless access via a private DNS on your cell phone.
FAQs:
Q1: What is the purpose of flushing the DNS cache?
Flushing the cache clears outdated or incorrect DNS information stored on your computer. This can resolve issues like trouble accessing specific websites or seeing outdated content by forcing your system to retrieve fresh DNS data.
Q2: How do I open Command Prompt to flush the cache?
To open Command Prompt, press Windows Key + R,Type `cmd` and press Enter. This will open the Command Prompt window, where you can enter your commands.
Q3: What is the command to flush the cache on Windows?
The command to flush the DNS cache is:
Enter this command into the Command Prompt and press Enter to run it.
Q4: How can I tell if the DNS cache has been successfully flushed?
After running the ipconfig /flushdns command, you should see a message that says:
This message confirms that the DNS cache has been cleared.
Q5: When should I flush the DNS cache?
You should flush the DNS cache if you experience issues accessing specific websites, encounter outdated website information, or have general network connectivity problems that might be related to DNS resolution.
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