How To Fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN Error [Guide]

Many times while accessing a website, it fails to load. And, on the page, it appears “ERROR: DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN”. This message appears in the Chrome browser. Different browsers display different statements for the same error.

I hereby presume that you must have encountered this error. And, that’s why you are here! Or, in case you are here for knowledge; then that’s great!

So, let’s get started without any further delay.

What Is DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN?

DNS acronym for Domain Name System is a standard protocol to help internet users discover websites using human-readable addresses.

It translates the human-readable domain name e.g. ‘www.skillsaps.com’ to a machine-readable IP address e.g. 625.169.64.4.

Every website has an IP address that looks something like ‘256.125.16.1’. For the user’s convenience DNS protocol allow them not to memorize such lengthy strings of numbers. Rather they can enter a very easy-to-remember ‘domain name’ or what we say as ‘URL’.

Whenever you enter a domain name in the browser, it communicates a request to the webserver to lookup for the IP address corresponding to the domain name.

Once the browser and webserver are connected; you are allowed to access the site. However, amidst the process, if something goes wrong, the message that reads ” DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” is reflected.

This “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” message can be broken up into pieces to interpret as ‘ The attempt to locate the domain name (which user searched for) has been finished. And the domain is found to be non-existent (NXDOMAIN).

How To Fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN Error

This is a very common Google Chrome error that occurs in Android, Mac OS, Windows. It most often results owing to a poor Internet connection or a misconfigured network.

Other possible reasons include an unresponsive DNS server or firewall preventing Google Chrome from accessing the site.

However, it is not so that other browsers don’t exhibit such errors. They too do but display a different message:

1. Mozilla Firefox: ‘Hmm.We’re having trouble finding that site’
2. MS Edge: ‘Hmmm…can’t reach this page’
3. Safari: ‘Safari Can’t Find the Server.’

Although in all such cases, if the site exists; then there’s no need to bewilder. The site is more likely to be working fine. The problem is that your computer is not able to connect to the site.

Just hold on! We will be discussing the causes and elaborate on the solutions in detail.

But before proceeding, we suggest you try on this cliche technique. Turn off your PC and then turn it on. If it does not work, then try turning on/off your internet.

This helps to resolve network issues and clear the DNS cache.

However, if the error “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” is still persistent, then try out the detailed guide to fix the errors

1. Restart DNS Client Service

To restart DNS client service, walk down the steps laid below:

1. Open Run panel by pressing the Windows logo key and R key together.
2. Type “services.msc” in the Run panel. Then press Enter.
3. On the page that appears, search for “DNS Client“.
4. Right-click over there. Choose the option to restart.

Also, as per your Windows OS versions, another alternative can be employed for the same.

1. Type ‘cmd’ or ‘command prompt’ in the Run panel.
2. Right-click and choose ‘Run as Administrator’. 
3. Type the following commands one after another, pressing Enter after each:

net stop dnscache

net start dnscache

However, you might encounter an error. It is likely to happen as it requires running CMD as a network service to use these commands.

So, if you happen to encounter this error, we suggest engaging with other methods.

2. Clear Browser Cache

Follow the instructions to clear the cache:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click on the 3-dots in the top right corner.
3. Go to Menu >> Settings.
4. Under the Privacy and Security section, select Clear Browsing Data.
5. Select all i.e. browsing history, cookies, cached image & files, etc.
6. Click on the Clear Data button.

Note: You can deselect whatever you want to retain.

3. Flush DNS

DNS cache stores IP addresses of recently visited sites. Clearing the cache might solve the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error. Since an outdated IP address might be causing the problem.

Below is the step-by-step guide to Flush DNS cache.

On Android:

If you are using an Android smartphone with a removable battery. Then remove the battery first and wait for a minute. Put the battery back to place and restart the device. Now check out if the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error has gone.

For a smartphone with a non-removable battery, follow the instructions:

1. Open Chrome browser.
2. Enter “chrome://net-internals/#DNS”
3. Click DNS in the left menu.
4. Click on the Clear Host Cache button.
5. At the right top corner, click on the Black arrow.
6. Click on Clear Cache and Flush Sockets option in the pop-up window.

Restart Chrome and try accessing the site.

On Windows:

The instructions for Windows are quite simpler:

1. Open Command Prompt. Run it as Administrator.
2. Enter the following command:

ipconfig/flushdns

3. Press Enter.

When it’s done, you will see a message “Successfully Flushed the DNS resolver Server Cache”.

Restart the browser and visit the site again. Most possibly, you won’t be seeing the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error.                                   

On Mac OS:     

Follow the guide below to flush the DNS in Mac OS:

1. Go to Applications >> Utilities Folder.
2. Look out for the Terminal app and Open it.
3. Enter this command then:dscacheutil-flushcache
4. Press Return.

Mac OS won’t reflect such a message. Once you are done; restart your browser and visit the site. It is more likely that you will not see the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error.

4. Change DNS Server 

Your system by default uses the DNS server provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). But you can change it temporarily.

Some prefer to switch it to Google’s reliable public DNS (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare’s secure and fast DNS (1.1.1.1 or 1.0.0.1) or OpenDNS (208.67.222.222 or 208.67.220.220).

However, if you are already using a public DNS and have some issues. Then, get back to the default DNS provided by your ISP to fix these issues.

Now, let’s walk down the steps to change the DNS server (to Google’s DNS specifically) separately for Mac OS and Windows.

On Windows:

1. Open Run panel.
2. Type ‘control panel‘ and click OK.
3. Go to ‘Network and Internet’ >> ‘Network & Sharing Center’.
4. On the left, select ‘Change Adapter Settings’.
5. Right-click on the connection you are currently using. Select Properties.
6. In the windows that open, scroll down and select ‘Internet Protocol Version 4 ( TCP/IPv4).
7. Then click on the Properties button.
8. Under the General tab. Go for the “Use the following DNS server addresses”.
9. For the given fields, enter the following values:

Preferred DNS Server: 8.8.8.8

Alternate DNS Server: 8.8.4.4

Select OK and restart your browser to see if the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error is resolved.

On Mac OS:

1. Click on the Apple icon at the top left corner.
2. Go to System Preferences >> Network.
3. Select the network connection you are currently connected to.
4. Click on the Advanced button.
5. Under the DNS tab, click on the (+) icon next to IPv4 or IPv6 addresses.
6. Type 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4
7. Select OK >> Close.

Restart your browser and check out if the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error is repaired.

In case you need to connect to Cloudflare’s DNS server instead of Google’s. Then try typing:

For IPv4: 1.1.1.1 or 1.0.0.1

For IPv6: 2606:4700:4700:1111 or 2606:4700:4700:1001

5. Reset Chrome Flags

Sometimes to fix the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error, the solution is as simple as resetting few Chrome settings. 

This happens sometimes that Chrome settings or experimental features get messed up. This modification is caused by the apps and extensions without your prior permission or knowledge.

This can interfere with DNS settings too, causing you to see the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error.

To reset Chrome flags, use the instructions below:

1. Type chrome://flags in the address bar. Press Enter.
2. The “Experiment” screen will open. Click on the “Reset all” button.
3. Restart the browser to access the website again.

Check whether you can access the site or the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” is still persistent.

Note:- Google Chrome allows users to try out the experimental feature. Since they are under development, not all of them run smoothly on every device.

So it might even mess up your connection. Therefore, be careful while using it. 

6. Disable VPN & Antivirus Temporarily

If all the above-mentioned methods couldn’t help you get rid of the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error, then you might have to disable your Antivirus or VPN temporarily.

Sometimes antivirus tracks web browsers and VPN add-ons prevent browsing certain sites.

However, it should be kept in mind that security software blocks some sites for a reason. Accessing sites by disabling them exposes your system to various threats like malware attacks or phishing.

So, make sure that the site you are accessing is secure and gets blocked by antivirus software by mistake.

Follow these step-by-step guides to disable Antivirus and VPN on Windows:

For AntiVirus

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll down in the “Apps & Features” submenu to find out the antivirus software
3. Click on it and uninstall.

Restart your PC and look whether the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” has been rectified. If not, then reinstall the antivirus and move on to the next method.

For VPN:

1. Go to Settings      
2. Go to Network & Internet in the Setting window.
3. Click on VPN in the next window.
4. Click Disconnect underneath it. 

Now open your browser and try accessing the site. This would have probably resolved the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error.

7. Released and Renew IP Address

In the end, we recommend you renew your system IP address on the internet.

To do that, follow the instructions:

On Windows:

1. Open Command Prompt. Run it as Administrator.
2. To release your current IP address. Enter the command lines:

ipconfig/release

3. To display full IP configuration for all adapters, type:

ipconfig/all

4. To reset the DNS cache, use:

ipconfig/flushdns

5. Now use the command below to reset the IP settings of your previously stored IP and reinstate the Winsock catalog.

netsh int up set dns

netsh Winsock reset

Note: Resetting Winsock is useful for it controls requests from Internet applications.

Restart your system and attempt to access the website.

On Mac OS:

1. Go to System Preferences >> Network.
2. Select the connection you are using and click on Advanced.
3. Navigate to TCP/IP tab and click Renew DHCP Lease.
4. Click OK and restart your PC.

Conclusion

The above-enlisted solutions if employed properly can help sort out the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error quite easily. This is a very common error faced by users while surfing through the internet.

Through this article, we tried to enlighten you about possible causes of this problem and elucidated the effective and easy-to-employ methods.

We would like to recommend you to regularly clean your recycle bin, temporary files, etc. Clearing the cache is also a good measure to prevent such glitches.

With positive hope of rendering our services at your demand, we leave here. 

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