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Microsoft documents `/flushdns` as flushing and resetting the DNS client resolver cache.
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Learn exactly what ipconfig /flushdns clears and what it does not: displaydns, nslookup, Resolve-DnsName, DoH, router and browser caches.
Microsoft documents `/flushdns` as flushing and resetting the DNS client resolver cache.
The command does not change DNS server addresses, clear router cache or modify authoritative DNS records.
Windows DNS Client can keep resolved names in a local resolver cache for their TTL. `/flushdns` clears this local cache. It can help when a domain IP changed and only one Windows machine still holds the stale answer.
Negative DNS answers can also be cached. If a previously nonexistent subdomain was created later, clearing the local cache forces a fresh query.
ipconfig /displaydnsipconfig /flushdnsipconfig /displaydnsIf the authoritative DNS record genuinely does not exist, `flushdns` cannot fix NXDOMAIN. It also cannot repair an ISP resolver outage, router connectivity failure, VPN-enforced resolver or a wrong Hosts entry.
DNS propagation after a hosting or Cloudflare change is a different layer from the Windows local cache. Authoritative TTL, recursive resolver cache and local Windows cache expire independently.
Start with `ipconfig /all` to see configured DNS servers. Query the same name with `nslookup` and `Resolve-DnsName`, then query a specific external resolver and compare the results.
If the configured resolver returns the old IP while 1.1.1.1 returns the new one, the issue may be the configured recursive resolver rather than the Windows cache.
ipconfig /allnslookup ekasunucu.comResolve-DnsName ekasunucu.comnslookup ekasunucu.com 1.1.1.1If Chrome, Edge or Firefox uses Secure DNS/DNS over HTTPS, the browser can query a different resolver path than Windows. Command-line tools may resolve correctly while the browser behaves differently.
Browser cache clearing is not the same as `ipconfig /flushdns`. Restart the browser fully and review Secure DNS, extensions and VPN effects separately.
`ipconfig /release` and `/renew` affect DHCP lease/IP configuration; `/flushdns` affects only resolver cache. On a remote Windows Server or VPS, an unnecessary `/release` can drop the RDP session.
If a name always resolves to an unexpected IP, inspect the Hosts file. A static Hosts entry can resolve the name locally before DNS is queried, and `flushdns` does not remove that entry.
notepad C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts| Command | Actual function |
|---|---|
| ipconfig /displaydns | Shows local DNS Client cache |
| ipconfig /flushdns | Clears local resolver cache |
| nslookup name | Queries a DNS server |
| Resolve-DnsName | Provides detailed DNS resolution/record output |
Do not use destructive boot, BitLocker, firmware, partition or storage commands without backups and a rollback plan. Never copy example drive letters without verification.
Generally no. It can fix stale local DNS answers but does not increase bandwidth.
No. It clears only the Windows DNS Client resolver cache.
For boot, storage, RDP or update problems on a Windows VPS or physical server, send the exact error code, Windows version and console screenshot to technical support.