How to Flush DNS Cache in Windows and macOS

The DNS cache usually stores the locations of web servers that also contain web pages that visitors have recently viewed. If the location of the web server changes before the DNS cache, access to the website is not possible at that moment.

If you are experiencing a large number of HTML 404 errors, we recommend that you flush your DNS cache. Once you clear the cache, your device will obtain the latest version of DNS records.

Below, we will describe how you can flush the DNS cache on different operating systems.

WINDOWS 11

1. In the taskbar at the bottom of the screen, click on the Windows icon (Start).
2. In the search box, type cmd.
3. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
4. In the command prompt, type the command ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
5. If the operation is successful, the following message will appear: Windows IP Configuration / Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

WINDOWS 10 and 8

1. Press the flag key (Win) and X to open the “WinX Menu”.
2. Right-click and select “Command Prompt” and the option Run as Administrator.
3. Run the following command: ipconfig /flushdns.
4. If the command was executed correctly, you should receive the message “Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache”.

WINDOWS 7

1. Press “Start” -> Command Prompt -> right-click and select Run as Administrator.
2. Enter the command ipconfig /flushdns and confirm with the Enter key.
3. If the command was executed correctly, you should receive the message “Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache”.

MacOS 10.7

1. Open Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal.
2. Enter the following command and confirm it:

• MacOS 10.10.4: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
• MacOS 10.10.1, 10.10.2 and 10.10.3: sudo discoveryutil mdnsflushcache
• MacOS 10.7, 10.8 and 10.9: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
• MacOS 10.5 and 10.6: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache

For additional assistance, please call us at +386 59 335 000 or email us at info@neoserv.com.