Are you getting DNS Server Isn’t Responding message when you run the network troubleshooter on Windows 10? You may get the DNS server not responding error after a power outage, or just during normal usage.
If that happens, most Windows 10 users run the Windows Network Diagnostics tool to troubleshoot the issue. If the DNS is the issue, your troubleshooter will display the Your computer appears to be correctly configured, but the device or resource (DNS server) is not responding” error message.
Throughout this guide, you will learn what causes the DNS not to respond, as well as how to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
How Do You Fix DNS Server Isn’t Responding Error
Method 1:Update/Roll Back the Network Drivers
Outdated or faulty network drivers are known to cause the DNS server not responding Windows 8 problem or any other Windows version for that matter.
If you happen to be having old drivers that are no longer supported by the developer, you should consider updating them to the latest version.
If you started to get DNS failure error messages after an update to the network drivers, rolling back to a previous version may fix the errors. To do this, press the Windows key on your keyboard to display the Start menu. Now type ‘ Device Manager’ into the search field, and press Enter.
On the search results, click on Device Manager (usually the first search result) to open it, and then expand the “Network Adapters” category.
This operation will display all the network adapters currently installed on the computer. You may then use the following procedures to roll back or update the drivers:
How to Roll-Back Network Drivers
Right-click on the network adapter you were using when you started getting DNS failure error messages, and select properties. On the Properties, Windows that opens, navigate to the ‘Driver’ tab, and locate the ‘ Roll Back Driver’ option.
If the rollback option is grayed out, it means that the driver has not been updated in the recent past, hence cannot be rolled back. If the Roll Back option is available, just click on it, and then follow the on-screen prompts to roll the drivers back.
Once you are done, restart the computer and check to see whether the problem has been resolved.
How to Update Network Drivers
If the Roll Back option, in the above-described procedure is grayed out, the problem is probably an outdated network driver. In such a case, updating the drivers would be the perfect fix. From the list of network adapters on your device manager, right-click on the problematic network adapter.
From the context menu that pops up, select ‘Uninstall Device’, and follow the on-screen prompts that follow to remove the adapter from your computer. This operation will also uninstall the networking device. Thereafter, you should navigate to the Manufacturer’s website and select the appropriate network driver for your PC.
Ensure that you have selected the latest, and compatible version of your driver, then proceed to download it. Once the download is complete, open the download location on your computer and run the driver file you just downloaded. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the driver.
Method 2:Change the DNS Server Configuration Settings Manually
Some DNS problems will cause the computer to redirect you to the ISP’s DNS server when trying to access a different website. If your DNS server is not available, you will end up getting the DNS server is not responding error message when you try to access any website.
In both cases, switching to a different server, such as OpenDNS or Google DNS, will resolve the problem. The following procedure will help you change your server configuration settings:
Step 1:Open the Network Adapter
Press the Windows + X keys combination on your keyboard to open the control panel. You should the ‘Network Connections’ category. From the list of network adapters displayed, select the one you are currently using and right-click on it.
Now select Properties from the context menu that comes up.
Step 2:Open the Internet Protocol Properties Window
When the properties window opens, select the “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” option. You should then click on the Properties button to display the window where you can enter the DNS and IP addresses.
Step 3:Calibrate the Address Fields
On the DNS server addresses option, enter 8.8.8.8 into the ‘Preferred DNS Server’ field. For the Alternate DNS server field, enter 8.8.4.4. Alternatively, you may use 208.67.222.222 as the Preferred DNS server address, in which case you need to use 208.67.220.220 as the Alternate DNS server address.
Once you are done, click on the OK button at the bottom of the window, disconnect from the internet, and then connect again. Now check to see whether the DNS Isn’t responding error has cleared.
Method 3:Reset DNS Settings
To reset DNS settings on your computer, you need to run several commands. In this regard, you need to open a Command Prompt by pressing the Windows + R keys combination. On the company prompt that opens, type cmd.exe, and press enter.
Now type ipconfig /flushdns into the dialog box and press Enter. Once the process is done, type ipconfig /registerdns and press Enter. Once this command has been executed, type ipconfig /release into the same dialog box and press enter.
Wait for the command to be executed, after which you should type ipconfig /renew and press Enter. Finally, type netsh Winsock reset into the same command prompt, and press Enter. After the last command has been executed, exit the window and restart the computer.
What is the DNS?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is essentially a decentralized naming system for network systems and computers. Its primary role is to translate hostnames for various websites, and pages to IP addresses, that the computer can recognize.
Since humans tend to remember hostnames easier, as opposed to IP addresses, you only need to search for a specific hostname in your computer. The DNS, will then translate this hostname to the corresponding IP address, hence redirect you to the right page.
Therefore, the DNS server unavailable error will render it almost impossible for an ordinary user to surf the internet. The DNS not responding problem may be caused by a number of things, as discussed below.
What Causes the DNS Server Isn’t Responding Error?
Well, there are not so many things that can cause the DNS on your Windows 10 computer to malfunction. However, the key to resolving any DNS problem you may be having lies in knowing the actual cause.
In this regard, here are some of the common causes of the DNS Server Isn’t Responding problem:
Wrong IP, and Or DNS Addresses
If the IP address and the DNS address, on your computer, or just one of the two of not configured correctly, it will be impossible for the DNS to function as it should. In such a case, you will need to switch the settings to default to fix the error.
Alternatively, you may switch your DNS server to Google DNS servers to resolve the problem, as discussed later in this guide.
Outdated/Faulty Network Drivers
Outdated or outdated network drivers are the leading cause of DNS server failure. If this is the problem in your case, you should consider updating the drivers to the latest version to fix the problem. Keeping the network drivers on your computer updated at all times will also prevent the issue from recurring later on.
Network Issues
A simple network connection issue can also cause the DNS to malfunction. This is more likely to occur when you are connecting wireless using a laptop. As such, it is advisable to check whether this is the problem, before trying the more advanced solutions discussed in this guide.
Just navigate to the “Network and Sharing Center” on your computer, and run the Troubleshooter. In other cases, the problem is in a server forming part of your network. To test for connectivity across your network, you should try to ‘ping’ other computers or routers sharing the DNS server.
To do this, open the Command Prompt, type ‘ping’ followed by an IP address (you may use”8.8.8.8″, which is the IP address to the Google DNS server) into the dialog box, and press enter. If you get a “Request timeout” error after running this command, the problem is your network or connection.
Internet Service Provider (ISP) DNS Problem
In most cases, users are assigned DNS servers by their ISP, which is an automated process. In this case, you may encounter DNS problems whenever the ISP’s server is malfunctioning or is overloaded. Such an issue may be fixed by changing your DNS server.
For instance, you may switch to the Google DNS server, or use the OpenDNS system instead of the automatically assigned DNS server. This is accomplished by manually configuring your router settings, as discussed later on in this guide
TCP/IP Software Issues
A problem on the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)—a system that assigns IP addresses, and handles DNS server addresses—can result in DNS failure Windows 10. A problem with your TCP/IP software can also cause the DNS server isn’t responding to the windows 10 problem you are experiencing.
In most cases, rebooting your computer will fix such glitches and clear the DNS not responding error. In other cases, you may need to use a TCP/IP utility program to configure your settings.
Final Verdict
If you happen to get a DNS failure error message on your computer, you will not be able to successfully load pages and visit websites, even if you change the browser.
DNS not responding error messages may be triggered by a number of things, ranging from outdated/faulty network drivers to ISP DNS server problems.
As mentioned earlier in the guide, each of the possible causes of DNS failure can for a different remedy. Regardless of what is plaguing your network, this guide will help you fix the DNS Server Isn’t Responding Windows 10 Error on your own.