I’m often advised to perform DNS Flush - when the website is not accessible. I usually perform ipconfig /flushdns (while running the command prompt as administrator) → and the website usually loads.
I’ve often wondered - what does this command actually do? Does the operating system cache DNS entries? Would love to have some insight into this. Thank you in advance.
Join IT Support Forum to reply, ask questions, and participate in conversations.
IT Support Forum powered by Jatra Community Platform
@lena • Mar 27, 2026
The operating system does cache DNS entries, and on Microsoft Windows, this is managed by the DNS Client service. When you run ipconfig /flushdns, it clears the DNS cache stored by the operating system.
Browsers like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox also maintain their own DNS cache, but it’s separate.
