The DNS Probe Finished NXDOMAIN is another one of the most encountered errors in Google Chrome. So today we will have a look at why users face this error and how the error can be resolved to get back to error-free and stress-free web surfing. So without further ado, let’s dive in.
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What is the DNS Probe Finished NXDOMAIN error?
The DNS Probe Finished NXDOMAIN is encountered while trying to access certain websites. The error occurs because the DNS lookup fails when you (Chrome Browser) try to access those certain websites. And thus, in turn, displays an error message that reads “The Webpage is not available”.
DNS stands for Domain Name Servers and as mentioned above loads webpages by looking them up from the host. When we type in a website in the address bar and click enter, the browser with the help of the DNS server translates the website name (domain name) to its corresponding IP address and then displays it on the screen. The IP address in simple terms lets the browser know where on the internet the website is located. So the error occurs because DNS failed to provide the browser with the correct location of the website.
How to Fix DNS Probe Finished NXDOMAIN Error?
The DNS_Probe_Finished_NXDOMAIN error in Windows 10 is a pretty simple one to solve. Solutions include clearing cache files, restarting DNS service, resetting Google Chrome and more. Below is a list of all the possible methods that can be employed to solve the Error. So go ahead and try them out one by one to access the site that turned up with the error.
Method 1: Clean Chrome Cache
Cache data are files and images stored on your computer from the previous time you loaded a particular website. Most times clearing this cache data from the Chrome browser is known to resolve the DNS error. It’s the best-known solution to the error and also helps resolve a lot of other chrome related problems. So you might try clearing cache data and we recommend doing it on a periodic basis. Anyways, here is how to do it:
Step 1: Open the Google Chrome Browser on your personal computer by clicking on the shortcut icon on your desktop.
Step 2: To access the Chrome options menu, click on the three vertical dots next to your profile icon on the top right corner.
Step 3: From the list of options, look for More Tools and hover your mouse on it to see its submenu.
Step 4: The More Tools submenu would have the Clear Browsing Data option in the second block. Click on it.
Step 5: We will need to erase cache files from the start of time, so from the following screen click on the down arrow symbol next to Obliterate the following items from (Time Range in newer chrome versions)
Step 6: Select From the Beginning of Time. Also from the below list of items, select the data items to delete. To solve the DNS error, you will need to select Cached images & files but if you would like to delete any other item then go ahead and select it too.
Step 7: Finally click on Clear browsing data (or Clear Data in newer versions) to deleted cached content. Restart Chrome to see if the error still persists
Method 2: Restart DNS client
Nothing like the old ‘Restart something if it doesn’t seem to work’ trick. So let’s try and restart the DNS client in an attempt to solve the DNS error. The procedure is quite simple and straight forward. Find the steps with images below:
Step 1: Open Run prompt by pressing Windows Key and R on the keyboard at the same time.
Step 2: Type services.msc
Step 3: From the list of displayed services, right-click on DNS client.
Step 4: Now the from the list of options, select Restart. Simple ain’t it?
Method 3: Flush DNS cache
The first method had us deleting the cached data from the browser. And in this one, we will be deleting the cache data of the DNS. Clearing or more accurately flushing DNS will help you reach the desired website without Chrome throwing up the DNS error.
Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator (By right-clicking on Windows icon on the taskbar and selecting Command Prompt Admin or Simply search for command prompt, right-click on it and choose Run As Administrator)
Step 2: Now in the command prompt window, type
ipconfig/flushdns
and press enter.
That’s it. Just wait for the command to be executed, restart PC and try opening the website that encountered the DNS error previously.
Method 4: Restore Chrome To Default Settings
Restoring Chrome can be one of the best things to do when you start encountering a lot of errors. Be careful before restoring as it will reset any changes you may have made to the browser and will have to start fresh. To restore chrome to default settings :
Step 1: In the address bar of Chrome, type chrome://flags/ and hit enter
Step 2: On the top right corner, you should see a Reset to Default button. Click on it to revert Chrome to its default state.
Method 5: Reset Network Adapter
Maybe the DNS error had something to do with the network adapter. Try resetting the network adapter and then accessing the website. To do so follow the two steps below:
Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Check step 1 of method 3 on how to do it.
Step 2: Type
netsh winsock reset
and press the enter.
Method 6: Switch To Google DNS
At last, if the DNS Probe Finished NXDOMAIN error still persists after trying out the above methods then maybe you should consider changing from the current DNS to Google’s public DNS. Google’s DNS is highly reliable than the DNS from your local ISP.
Step 1: Open Network & Internet Settings by right-clicking on the WiFi icon on the taskbar and selecting the same.
Step 2: On the next screen, click on the Network & Sharing Center. (On older versions this is directly available when you right-click on WiFi icon)
Step 4: The pop-up screen shows the WiFi status. Click on the Properties option.
Step 5: On Properties screen, highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) by clicking on it once and then head to its Properties.
Step 6: In the following screen, first change from Obtain DNS server address automatically to Use the following DNS server addresses. This should unlock the Preferred DNS Server and Alternate DNS Server boxes.
Step 7: In the box next to or front of the Preferred DNS Server enter 8.8.8.8 and enter 8.8.4.4 in the box next to Alternate DNS Server boxes.
Conclusion
Other methods that are often used to solve the DNS Probe error are to Use a VPN, disable antivirus/security software temporarily and update network drivers. Although the above mentioned six methods are more than likely to solve the error for you and most users. Anyhoo if you are still facing any error let us know in the comments below and we will get back to ASAP. And if you have other problems related to chrome, do read all the articles written by us on it.