ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED appears in Chrome when the domain name is misspelled or does not exist, your DNS server is down or unreachable, your local DNS cache is corrupted, or a firewall blocks DNS queries on port 53. This error prevents the page from loading entirely and requires troubleshooting on either the client or server side.
Common causes include the domain name is misspelled or does not exist, your DNS server is down or unreachable, your local DNS cache is corrupted, or a firewall blocks DNS queries on port 53. Most of these issues resolve with client-side fixes that take under five minutes.
What Causes ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED
This error triggers when the network connection between your browser and the remote server fails at a specific stage. The most frequent triggers are misconfigured network settings on your device, overactive security software intercepting connections, stale DNS cache entries, and server-side issues beyond your control. Identifying whether the problem is local or remote is the first diagnostic step.
Check the URL Spelling
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED fires whenever Chrome cannot find a domain in DNS. Before troubleshooting, verify the URL contains no typos. Common mistakes include typing .con instead of .com, missing hyphens, or adding www to domains that do not use it.
Flush DNS Cache
Run ipconfig /flushdns in an elevated Command Prompt. Also clear Chrome’s internal DNS cache at chrome://net-internals/#dns. Corrupted or expired cache entries prevent Chrome from querying the DNS server for a fresh IP address.
Switch DNS Servers
Your current DNS server may be down. Change to Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) or Google DNS (8.8.8.8) in your network adapter settings. These public servers have 99.99% uptime and resolve domains that some ISP servers cannot.
Restart DNS Client Service
Press Win+R, type services.msc, find DNS Client, and restart it. A frozen DNS Client service prevents all name resolution, causing ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED on every website.
Check Hosts File
Open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts and look for entries redirecting the domain. Malware sometimes adds entries that redirect domains to 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1, making them unresolvable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED mean my computer has a virus?
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED is a standard browser diagnostic error, not a sign of malware. However, malware that modifies your network settings, DNS configuration, or proxy settings can indirectly trigger this error. If the error persists after all troubleshooting steps, run a full system scan with Windows Defender or Malwarebytes to rule out malware interference.
Why does ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED appear on only some websites?
When ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED affects specific sites, the cause is usually server-side: that particular server may be down, misconfigured, or blocked by your ISP. It can also result from DNS issues specific to that domain or cached entries for that site. Clearing your DNS cache and trying a different DNS server typically resolves site-specific occurrences of this error.
