DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG: 7 ways to fix it on Windows

Applies to: Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on Windows 11 and Windows 10, when a page shows This site can’t be reached with the code DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG.

What DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG means

Before your browser can open a site, it asks a DNS server to turn the name (like example.com) into an IP address. When that lookup fails, Chrome runs a quick check and reports what it thinks went wrong. BAD_CONFIG means the check points to your DNS configuration rather than the website. The usual reasons are:

• The router or your internet provider’s DNS servers aren’t responding.
• Windows has stale or corrupted DNS cache entries or an expired IP lease.
• Wrong DNS server addresses are set manually on the network adapter.
• A VPN, proxy, firewall or parental-control app is intercepting DNS.
• Windows network settings or the network adapter driver are damaged.

If only one website fails while others load, the problem may be with that site. If every site fails, work through the fixes below in order.

Fix 1: Restart the router and PC

Turn the router (and modem, if it’s separate) off, wait about 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Wait until the internet light is steady, then restart the PC. This clears temporary DNS problems on both sides and fixes the error more often than you might expect. If another device on the same network also can’t load sites, the problem is with the router or provider, not Windows.

Fix 2: Flush DNS and renew your IP address

Search for cmd, right-click Command Prompt, choose Run as administrator and run these one at a time:

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

/flushdns clears saved lookups and /release with /renew asks the router for a fresh IP address. You’ll briefly lose the connection between the last two commands. Try the website again afterwards. If /renew fails or gives you an address starting with 169.254, see Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration.

Fix 3: Change your DNS servers

Using a public DNS service bypasses a faulty router or provider DNS server. Common choices are Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1) and Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).

• Windows 11: open Settings > Network & internet, select Wi-Fi or Ethernet (for Wi-Fi, then select Hardware properties). Next to DNS server assignment, select Edit, choose Manual, turn on IPv4, enter the preferred and alternate DNS addresses and select Save.
• Windows 10: press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl and press Enter. Right-click your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, choose Properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and Properties, then choose Use the following DNS server addresses, enter both addresses and select OK.

If DNS addresses were already filled in manually and you don’t know why, try the opposite: set DNS back to Automatic (DHCP) in Windows 11, or Obtain DNS server address automatically in Windows 10. Run ipconfig /flushdns again afterwards.

Fix 4: Clear the browser’s DNS cache and check Secure DNS

• Clear the host cache: in Chrome go to chrome://net-internals/#dns, or in Edge go to edge://net-internals/#dns, and select Clear host cache. Restart the browser.
• Check Secure DNS: in Chrome open Settings > Privacy and security > Security and find Use secure DNS; in Edge, search Settings for secure DNS. If it’s set to a custom provider, switch it to your current service provider or turn it off for a test.
• Test another browser: if a different browser loads the same site, reset the problem browser’s settings.

Fix 5: Turn off VPN, proxy and security software

• Disconnect any VPN and temporarily turn off third-party firewall, web-filter or parental-control apps, then test.
• Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy. Unless your workplace or school requires one, turn off Use a proxy server under manual setup.
• If the error goes away, update or reconfigure that program, or ask its support team about its DNS settings.

Security software that blocks DNS can also cause “SmartScreen can’t be reached right now”.

Fix 6: Reset the network stack

In an administrator Command Prompt, run:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Restart the PC when they finish. These reset Windows networking components to their defaults. Any manual IP settings on the adapter may need to be entered again afterwards.

Fix 7: Update the network driver or run Network reset

• Driver: right-click Start, open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, right-click your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and choose Update driver. The PC maker’s support site often has a newer driver.
• Network reset: on Windows 11 go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset; on Windows 10 go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset. Select Reset now. It removes and reinstalls network adapters and restarts the PC, so you’ll need your Wi-Fi password, and VPN software may need reinstalling.

If you need to check which Wi-Fi network you’re joining again, our guide to finding your Wi-Fi network name (SSID) helps.

Related guides

• Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration: 7 fixes
• Discord No Route error: 7 ways to fix it on Windows
• SmartScreen can’t be reached right now: how to fix it
• SSID: what your Wi-Fi network name is and how to find it

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own pages:

• Microsoft Support: Essential network settings and tasks in Windows
• Microsoft Learn: ipconfig command reference

Frequently asked questions

Is DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG a problem with the website?

Usually not. The code means the DNS lookup failed on your side, in Windows, the browser or your network. If other people can open the site and every site fails for you, the fix is on your PC or router.

Is it safe to use 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8?

Yes. Both are widely used public DNS services from Cloudflare and Google. They see which sites you look up, just as your internet provider’s DNS does, so pick the one whose privacy policy you’re comfortable with. You can switch back to automatic DNS at any time.

What’s the difference from DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN?

NXDOMAIN means the DNS server answered but said the name doesn’t exist, which is often a typo or a site that’s gone. BAD_CONFIG means the lookup itself couldn’t be completed, which points to your DNS settings.

Why does it happen on only one PC?

If phones and other computers on the same Wi-Fi work, the problem is on that PC: its DNS cache, adapter settings, a VPN or proxy, or its network driver. Fixes 2 to 7 are the ones to try.