Is Google Chrome blocking your website with a DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error? Learn how to diagnose the domain and flush your Windows 11 DNS cache to get your connection back online instantly.
If you are trying to visit a website and your browser suddenly displays the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error, your computer is failing to connect to the internet's directory.
NXDOMAIN stands for "Non-Existent Domain." It means your browser asked the Domain Name System (DNS) for the IP address of the website, but the DNS server could not find it. This is usually caused by a corrupted local DNS cache on your Windows 11 PC or a faulty DNS server from your Internet Service Provider.
Here is the exact step-by-step checklist to diagnose the domain and flush your network settings.
Step 1: Check if the Website is Actually Down
Before you start changing settings on your Windows 11 machine, you must verify if the website's DNS records are actually broken globally. If the website owner made a mistake with their domain registration, no amount of troubleshooting on your PC will fix it.
- Copy the URL of the broken website.
- Go to the TraceMyIPOnline DNS Check Tool.
- Paste the domain name and run an A Record scan.
If the tool returns a valid IP address, the website is perfectly fine, and the problem is entirely within your computer. If the tool returns no records, the website itself is offline.
[Insert Your Data Here: Provide a split-screen screenshot. On the left, show the Chrome browser displaying the NXDOMAIN error. On the right, show a successful A Record scan on TraceMyIPOnline, proving the issue is local.]
Step 2: Flush the Windows 11 DNS Cache
If the website is online but your PC cannot load it, your local DNS cache is likely corrupted. You need to flush it using the Windows Command Prompt.
- Click the Windows Start button and type cmd.
- Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- Type the following command exactly: ipconfig /flushdns
- Press Enter.
You should immediately see a message saying: Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
Next, reset your network socket by typing netsh winsock reset and pressing Enter. Restart your computer and try loading the website again.
Step 3: Change Your IPv4 DNS Servers
If flushing the cache did not work, your Internet Service Provider's default DNS servers might be experiencing an outage. You should switch to a faster, more reliable public DNS provider like Google or Cloudflare.
- Press Win + I to open Windows Settings.
- Navigate to Network & internet.
- Click on your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
- Look for DNS server assignment and click the Edit button.
- Change the setting from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual.
- Toggle IPv4 to the ON position.
- To use Google's servers, enter 8.8.8.8 in the Preferred DNS field, and 8.8.4.4 in the Alternate DNS field.
- Click Save.
Open your browser, press Ctrl + F5 to hard refresh the page, and the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error should be completely resolved.