Two out of three users use Google Chrome to access the World Wide Web. The Google browser is the preferred choice of many users thanks to its regular updates and the seamless integration of personal data and settings from other Google services such as Drive, Gmail or YouTube. And that the browser is far from infallible: like its most popular alternatives, Firefox, Safari or Edge, Chrome also has connection problems, errors and security gaps..
Access a list of the best clients to carry out your private or commercial activities on the web in our guide "In search of the best browser".
Therefore, Chrome users are also not spared from situations where the web page they want to open is not available or cannot be loaded . In these cases, the browser often also displays the message? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN ?. Next, we will explain what this error means and how it can be solved..
When Google Chrome tries, without success, to display a web page and ends up displaying the error message ? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN ?, it is indicating that there is a problem in the resolution of the name by the DNS server. More specifically, the message indicates that? the DNS test has ended ? (English, dns probe finished ), but has not found an appropriate IP address for the domain to resolve . So does Chrome or the nameserver rate it as? non-existent ? (in English, non-existent (nx) domain ). The connection problem is not unique to Chrome, but Google's browser is the only one that displays the message? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN ?, while Firefox and the rest simply indicate that the page or server could not load.
Obviously, as can be seen in the screenshot above, the cause of the error may be that the domain address simply does not exist, for example, because you have entered the wrong address or because you have made a wrong typing . However, the message? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN? it is also displayed in situations where the name should be able to be resolved correctly, since the domain exists and is valid. In this case, the possible sources of the error are as follows:
In some operating systems, such as Windows 10, Chrome links the error message with a first solution proposal: if you open the link that indicates, the network diagnostic tool will open , which will run the automatic error solution. Alternatively, you can simply click the Load Page button again to correct the error..
If the browser displays the message? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN? After reloading the page or running a network diagnostic, the following resolution methods are the most promising.
If you are using VPN software to browse or send data safely and anonymously over virtual networks, this software may be responsible for the error, whether it is an external tool or you use VPN extensions to integrate into Chrome. The same is true for security software, such as antivirus programs or firewalls . It is true that these applications are essential to protect your system, but they are also known to block connections without apparent cause in different situations.
Therefore, if you get the name resolution error, try, first of all, to temporarily disconnect the software that is causing problems. If this is how the desired page loads, you have already discovered the cause of the problem and you can find a solution to avoid blocking by the responsible tool . Optionally, you can also consider replacing the software with another.
After disabling your security software, do not go back to the page that caused the message? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN? if you are not completely sure that it is a reliable page . The program may have blocked the page for good reason. If you're not sure, you can go to Blacklist tools like Blacklist Check from mxtoolbox.com. Here you can check if a domain is blacklisted by security tools and why.
Windows users who encounter the error? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN? They can try to fix the connection problem by restarting the system's own DNS client. This service acts as a link between the browser and the DNS service and plays a decisive role in name resolution, although, in theory, the resolution should work correctly even if the DNS client is blocked or disconnected . However, there is always the possibility that a problem with the client has a negative impact on the operation of browsers such as Google Chrome. Therefore, perform the following steps to check the status of the DNS service and to restart it if necessary.
You can only restart the Windows DNS client on your own if you have set the startup type? Manual? for the service. If this is not the case, you must restart the operating system to restart the client.
Closely related to the DNS client just mentioned is the so-called DNS cache . This buffer that other operating systems, such as Linux or macOS, also create automatically, contains entries related to web addresses that have been resolved successfully over time. Browsers use this memory to be able to serve the pages as quickly as possible , however, this element can cause the error? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN? if the consulted entries are no longer current . In this case, the solution is to call DNS flush to flush the contents of the cache. In Windows you can perform this maneuver as follows:
You can see detailed instructions on DNS flush on Windows and further instructions for Linux and macOS in our detailed article in the Digital Guide.
If the communication between the device and the DNS server selected or configured by your provider does not work, there may be two different reasons: it is possible that the registered IP addresses are incorrect or that they are no longer valid or it may be that the server is not available from temporary way. In both cases, Chrome may indicate the message? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN? to inform you of the problem. Therefore, another solution is to check the DNS settings or change the DNS server. In Windows 10 you can do it as follows:
If the option is set? Obtain DNS server address automatically ?, your browser automatically accesses the DNS servers indicated by the provider for name resolution. In that case, first you have to activate the option? Use the following DNS server addresses? to be able to select the server individually.
For more information on changing the DNS server in Windows, macOS, and Linux, see the article on changing DNS servers.
One of the main reasons for the popularity of Google Chrome is its advanced features. In order to be able to test them before their official launch, Google offers its users the possibility to use in an experimental state many potential new functions and setting options such as flags . Some are activated automatically with a browser update, others must be activated or deactivated manually. Because they are functions in a test phase, they may occasionally cause connection problems such as the one generated by the error message? DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN ?. If the previous solutions have not worked, you should try to restore the default state of all the flags (activated / deactivated):
