How do I clear my DNS cache?

Overview

Your DNS cache stores the locations (IP addresses) of web servers / websites that you have recently viewed / visited. If the location of the web server changes before the entry in your DNS cache updates, you will no longer be able to access the website.

If a large number of HTML error codes 404 occur, you may need to clear your DNS cache. Once you clear your DNS cache, your computer will query the website's name servers for new DNS information.

How do I clear my DNS cache?

Windows 10

1. Click on the start button.
2. Type "cmd" in the menu bar field of view.
3. Right click on Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator".
4. Type the following command and then press Enter: "ipconfig /flushdns".
5. If the command was successful, you will receive the following message:

The DNS resolution cache has been cleared.

Windows® 8

1. Press "WIN + X" to open the menu.
2. Select the menu item "Command Prompt (Administrator)".
3. Type the following command and then press Enter: "ipconfig /flushdns".
4. If the command was successful, you will receive the following message:

The DNS resolution cache has been cleared.

Windows 7

1. Click on the start button.
2. Type "cmd" in the menu bar field of view.
3. Right click on Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator".
4. Type the following command and then press Enter: "ipconfig /flushdns".
5. If the command was successful, you will receive the following message:

The DNS resolution cache has been cleared.

Windows XP, 2000, or Vista®

1. Click on the start button.
2. Now click on "Run" in the start menu.
3. If you don't see the Run command in Windows Vista, type Run in the search bar.
4. Enter the following command in the text field that appears after invoking Run: "ipconfig /flushdns".

MacOS® 10.7 and 10.8

1. Click on Applications / Applicitions.
2. Click on Utilities / Utilities.
3. Double-click the terminal application.
4. Enter the following command: "sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder".

Caution: To execute this command, you must know the password of the computer's administrator account.

MacOS 10.5 and 10.6

1. Click on Applications / Applicitions.
2. Click on Utilities / Utilities.
3. Double-click the terminal application.
4. Enter the following command: "sudo dscacheutil -flushcache".