6 ways to fix “the site cannot be reached DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN”

Hello! If you need to resolve "the site cannot be reached due to DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN" error, then this article is best Give me a few minutes and follow the steps.

Many users have noticed this while opening some websites or sharable links from OneDrive, Google Drive, etc. A DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error is then displayed.

When your site cannot be reached and you receive an error DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN, it indicates that you have a DNS-related issue. Different browsers name these issues differently.

Many users have noticed this while opening some websites or sharable links from OneDrive, Google Drive, etc. Then getting the error "This site cannot be reached" DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN.

When your site cannot be reached and you receive an error DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN, it indicates that you have a DNS-related issue. There are different names for these problems depending on the browser.

Google Chrome: Error message: Server IP address not found for this site, followed by DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN.

Mozilla Firefox: In Mozilla Firefox, this error will display "Hmm.". The site was not found followed by "We couldn't reach the server.".

Safari: The error will appear as “Safari can’t find the server “.

Microsoft Edge: This error will appear as Hmmm...can't reach this page.

On Windows 10, how do you fix the error "the site can't be reached DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN"?

1. Verify Your URL

Let's begin at the beginning. You might have entered the wrong URL. Please check your URL and refresh the page.

Spelling check to resolve the problem

There might be another reason for the error "the site cannot be reached DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN" if the URL is working fine on another PC.

2. Change DNS Server Address

Your ISP provider automatically assigns the DNS server if your computer uses a DHCP Server. The Google DNS server address should be changed if your LAN is automatically configured on a DNS server.

The best way to resolve the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error is to use Google DNS. Many cases will be resolved after updating Google DNS.

To change the DNS server in Windows OS Follow these easy steps-

1. Enter NCPA.CPL in the Run box.
2. Click on Properties after right-clicking on Network Adapter.

   3. Right-click on "Internet Protocol Version 4" and select Properties.

Select “Use the following DNS server address:”

Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8

Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4

   4. Click on Ok.

3. Verify your hosts' file settings

The Hosts File is a system file located in Windows or operating system's installed drive that converts hostnames to IP addresses. Hosts.txt is the original name and extension of the file.

In the days before DNS, ARPANET used hostname files to translate hostnames to IP addresses. In the most recent Operating System, the hosts' file is part of facilities such as the Name Service Switch, which can be used as a primary method or as a fallback method.

Websites can also be blocked using host files. If you do not have a firewall or router on your network to block certain websites for certain users. You can easily block websites with the hosts file.

To Verify Your URL on Hosts File follow these easy steps-

1. Select the Windows tab.
2. On the Search Menu, type Notepad, right-click, and select Run as Administrator.
3. Click on Open in the File menu.

4. Browse the locations of the hosts file-

"C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc"

5. Open the hosts file. If your URL appears blocked, then remove it from the list.

How do I edit the hosts file in Windows?

4. Restart DNS Client Services

DNS Client is one of the services of Windows OS that manages and stores information about domains and responds to domain requests and resolutions. Start your DNS client services to fix the error "The site cannot be reached DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN".

Follow these steps to restart DNS Cleint Service:

1. Enter services.msc in the run box.
2. You can double click on DNS if it is in automatic start mode. Otherwise, you will need to restart DNS client services.

5. Release and Renew IP Address

If "server IP address could not be found" after DNS flush still occurs, then release and renew the IP address

What are the steps for releasing and renewing IP addresses?

You should release and renew the IP address if the issue persists after DNS flushing

How to Release and Renew IP Address?

You can renew and release your license by following these steps:

1. Search for CMD under Start Menu.
2. To run CMD as an administrator, right-click on it and select RUN as Administrator.
3. Type following command-

• ipconfig /flushdns- Used to DNS cache resolver.
• ipconfig /release- Used to release the IP address.
• ipconfig /renew – used to renew the IP address.

6. Run the Internet Connection Troubleshooter

What is Internet Connection Troubleshooter?

To run the Internet Connection Troubleshooter, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Start Menu and select Settings.
2. Click on Troubleshoot after searching troubleshoot.
3. Click on Run the Troubleshooter to run the Internet connection troubleshooter.
4. You need to restart your computer.