Fix ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED in Chrome: 7 Working Solutions

Chrome says it can’t find the website, but you know the address is right. The problem is usually a stale DNS entry, and fixing it takes about 30 seconds. ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED means Chrome tried to look up the website’s address and came back empty. Here are seven fixes, starting with the fastest.

What ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED Actually Means

Every website has a domain name (like google.com) and a numerical IP address behind it. DNS — the Domain Name System — is the service that translates one into the other. When Chrome throws ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED, it means the DNS lookup failed. Chrome asked “where is this website?” and never got a usable answer.

This is almost always a local problem on your device or network, not the website being down. The most common causes:

• Your browser or system has a stale cached DNS entry for the site
• Your DNS server is temporarily unreachable
• Chrome’s prediction service is using old data
• Your router has a stuck DNS cache
• The URL has a typo or is genuinely wrong

Fix 1: Check the URL

Before anything else, check that the address in the bar is spelled correctly. A missing dot, an extra letter, or a .net instead of .com is enough to cause this error. Click the address bar, read it carefully, and make sure it is right.

Fix 2: Reload and Restart

Press F5 to reload the page. If the error stays, close Chrome completely and reopen it. DNS servers are occasionally unreachable for a few seconds and recover on their own. A quick restart clears any temporary failure before you spend time on deeper fixes.

Fix 3: Flush Chrome’s DNS Cache

Chrome keeps its own internal DNS cache separate from Windows or macOS. Clearing it forces Chrome to do a fresh lookup for every site.

1. Open a new tab and type chrome://net-internals/#dns in the address bar.
2. Click Clear host cache.
3. Then go to chrome://net-internals/#sockets and click Flush socket pools.
4. Close and reopen Chrome, then try the site again.

This is the fix that works for most people. Chrome’s internal cache can hold outdated records for hours after a website’s DNS has changed.

Fix 4: Flush the System DNS Cache

If Chrome’s own cache is clean but the error continues, the operating system’s DNS cache may still have a bad entry.

On Windows:

1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
2. In the command prompt, type: ipconfig /flushdns
3. Press Enter. You’ll see “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.”
4. Restart Chrome and try again.

On Mac:

1. Open Terminal (search for it in Spotlight).
2. Type: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
3. Press Enter, enter your password, and restart Chrome.

On Chromebook:

1. Open a new tab and go to chrome://net-internals/#dns.
2. Click Clear host cache. ChromeOS does not have a separate system DNS cache to flush.

Fix 5: Turn Off Chrome’s Prediction Service

Chrome pre-loads DNS lookups for links on the current page to speed things up. Sometimes this prefetching causes conflicts that trigger ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED.

1. Open Chrome Settings (three-dot menu, then Settings).
2. Go to Privacy and security.
3. Click Cookies and other site data.
4. Turn off Preload pages for faster browsing and searching.
5. Restart Chrome and try the site again.

Fix 6: Change Your DNS Server

Your ISP’s DNS server is the default, but it can be slow, unreliable, or temporarily down. Switching to a public DNS server like Google’s or Cloudflare’s often resolves the error instantly and keeps it from coming back.

On Windows:

1. Open Settings > Network and Internet > Advanced network settings.
2. Click your active network adapter, then Edit.
3. Switch from Automatic to Manual.
4. Enable IPv4 and enter a DNS server:
   • Google: 8.8.8.8 (preferred) and 8.8.4.4 (alternate)
   • Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 (preferred) and 1.0.0.1 (alternate)
5. Save and restart Chrome.

On Mac:

1. Go to System Settings > Network.
2. Select your active connection and click Details.
3. Click the DNS tab and add 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
4. Click OK and restart Chrome.

On Chromebook:

1. Go to Settings > Network > Wi-Fi and click your connected network.
2. Under Network, switch Name servers from Automatic to Custom name servers.
3. Enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

Fix 7: Restart Your Router

Your router also keeps its own DNS cache. If the router has a bad entry stuck in memory, every device on your network will hit the same error until the router clears it.

Turn the router off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Once it has fully reconnected, try the site in Chrome again. This is especially worth trying if the error is happening on multiple devices in your home.

Good to Know

• If the error only happens on one specific website and every other site loads fine, the website itself may have a DNS configuration problem. Try the site on a different browser or device to confirm.
• If you are on a work or school network, a firewall or proxy may be blocking the DNS lookup. Contact your IT administrator rather than changing DNS settings yourself.
• Using a VPN can sometimes cause ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED if the VPN’s DNS server is unreachable. Try disconnecting the VPN and loading the site without it.