How to clear your DNS cache?
Your DNS (Domain Name System) cache stores the locations (IP addresses) of web servers that contain web pages which you have recently viewed. If the location of the web server changes before the entry in your DNS cache updates, you can no longer access the site.
If you encounter a large number of HTML 404 error codes, you may need to clear your DNS cache. Clearing your DNS cache can help resolve issues related to domain name resolution and refresh the information stored by your computer. After you clear your DNS cache, your computer will query name servers for the new DNS information.
The following methods allow you to remove old and inaccurate DNS information that may result in 404 errors. The process for clearing the DNS cache varies depending on your operating system. Here are instructions for some common operating systems:
Windows ® 8
To clear your DNS cache if you use Windows 8, perform the following steps:
1. On your keyboard, press Win+X to open the WinX Menu.
2. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
3. Run the following command: ipconfig /flushdns
4. If the command succeeds, the system returns the following message: Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
Windows 7
To clear your DNS cache if you use Windows 7, perform the following steps:
1. Click Start.
2. Enter cmd in the Start menu search text box.
3. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
4. Run the following command: ipconfig /flushdns
5. If the command succeeds, the system returns the following message: Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
Windows XP, 2000, or Vista®
To clear your DNS cache if you use Windows XP, 2000, or Vista®, perform the following steps:
1. Click Start.
2. On the Start menu, click Run. If you do not see the Run command in Vista, enter run in the Search bar.
3. Run the following command in the Run text box: ipconfig /flushdns
4. If the command succeeds, the system returns the following message: Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.