How to Fix: DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

When you are trying to access any website using the Google Chrome web browser, you may encounter the “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” error message on the screen. This error can prevent the Chrome web browser from establishing a connection with the website. 

Sometimes, the error message says “This site can’t be reached” or “This webpage is not available”. To fix this error, you need to follow the next section. 

What is DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN?

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN is a prominent and rather common error in Chrome and you can face it anytime. When the DNS cannot find the IP address according to the domain name, you may receive this error message on Google Chrome and won’t be able to visit the website that you are trying to open. 

This error message appears if there is a problem with the DNS server. Other reasons include third-party security software or Windows firewall, poor internet connection, incorrect IP address, cache data in Google Chrome, wrong DNS settings, etc. 

How to Fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

Here, we are going to explain some of the easy and effective procedures that can help you solve the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error on your system. We have detailed the procedure of performing those fixes, below. So, follow and implement them one by one to resolve this error message on your computer. 

Procedure 1 – Restart the DNS Client Service

If the DNS Client Service has stopped working then you may find the “dns_probe_finished_nxdomain” error on Google Chrome. Therefore, you should restart it by following these steps:

1. Press the Windows Home button and R key together to launch the Run box. Type services.msc and then press the Enter button or click on the OK option. 
2. When you are in the Services window, scroll down the page and locate the DNS Client Service, right-click on it. 
3. Thereafter, select the Restart option to start the service. After restarting the service, try to access the website that you want. 

Procedure 2 – Change the DNS Server

If the DNS Server address is incorrect or wrong then it may fail to access the website and you might receive this error on the screen. So, you need to change it as soon as possible. To do that follow the directions given below:

1. Right-click on the Start button and select Control Panel. 
2. From the Control Panel window, go to the Network and Sharing Center section.
3. In that section, click on the Change adapter settings option from the left panel. 
4. Locate the Network that you are using, right-click on it and then click the Properties button. 
5. In the Properties window, find Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), select it and then click on the Properties option. 
6. When the Properties window opens, click on the “Use the following DNS server addresses” and then type the Preferred DNS Server as 8.8.8.8 and Alternate DNS server as 8.8.4.4. 
7. After performing these steps, click on the OK button to save the changes. 

Procedure 3 – Release and Renew IP Address

One of the easy ways in which you can fix the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error is to release and renew the IP address on the device. Go through these steps:

1. Press the Start button and X key at the same time to launch the WinX menu list and then select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Type the following commands one by one and then hit the Enter button after typing each.

• ipconfig /release
• ipconfig /flushdns
• ipconfig /renew

1. Once these commands finish executing, restart your computer and then try to access the website to check if the error still persists or not.  

Procedure 4 – Reset the IP Settings 

Resetting the IP settings can also solve this error message on Google Chrome. If you do not know how to do that then follow the steps given below:

1. Open the Command Prompt window.
2. Type netsh int ip set dns and then hit the Enter button. 
3. After the command finishes executing, reboot your device and then check if the problem still appears or not. 

Procedure 5 – Reset Winsock Program

Another effective procedure in which you can fix the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error message is to reset the Winsock program. The following steps will help you:

1. Launch the Command Prompt window.
2. Type netsh winsock reset and then press the Enter button. 
3. Wait for a few seconds till the command runs and reboot the PC. 

Procedure 6 – Disable Windows Firewall

Sometimes, the Windows firewall can also be responsible for this error. Therefore, you should turn it off at the earliest. Here are some steps that you can follow:

1. Launch Control Panel and double-click on the Windows Firewall section.
2. When you are in the Windows Firewall section, click on the Turn Windows Firewall On and Off button on the left panel.
3. In the right, mark the box next to the Turn Off Windows Firewall option from both Private Network Settings and Public Network Settings sections.
4. Once you are done with these steps, click on the Save Changes button to save the changes made. 

Procedure 7 – Uninstall the Security Software

The third-party security software you are using can block the browser from accessing a web page. Therefore, before accessing it, you should remove the security software from your system. Here’s how to do that:

1. Press the Windows Home key and I button to launch the Settings window.
2. Navigate to the Apps section and then select the Apps & Features tab. 
3. Scroll down the page until you find the security software, select it. 
4. After that, click on the Uninstall option to remove it.
5. Once the process is complete, restart the device and then try to visit the webpage that was showing the error.  

Procedure 8 – Clear Cache Data from Google Chrome

If you do not clear the cache data, cookies on Google Chrome from time to time then you may receive this error message on Google Chrome. Therefore, to fix the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error, you need to remove them immediately. Let’s take a look at the steps cited below:

1. Launch the Google Chrome application.
2. From the Google Chrome window, click on the menu icon at the top right corner to open the menu list. 
3. Select the More tools to open the side menu. Choose the Clear browsing data option.
4. In the Clear browsing data window, go to the Advanced tab and tick the box next to the “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files”. 
5. Afterward, click on the Clear Data option to remove them. 

Procedure 9 – Update the Google Chrome Web Browser

The DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error can be caused by an outdated version of Google Chrome. So, you must keep the browser up to date. To update it follow the undermentioned steps:

1. Go to the previous procedure and follow the 1st two steps.
2. From the menu list, select Help and then choose About Google Chrome. 
3. In that window, Chrome will be checking for updates. If an update is available then Chrome will automatically install it. 
4. Once the update process is complete, restart the computer and then check if the error is fixed or not.