How to flush DNS on Mac and Windows

To flush DNS (Domain Name System) cache on a Mac, you can use the Terminal application. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open Terminal:
   • You can find Terminal in the “Utilities” folder within the “Applications” folder, or you can use Spotlight (Command + Space, then type “Terminal”).
2. Enter the Command:
   • In the Terminal window, type the following command and press Enter: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
   • You may be prompted to enter your administrator password. Type it and press Enter.
3. Verification (Optional):
   • You can verify that the DNS cache has been cleared by running a command like: dscacheutil -q host -a name example.com Replace “example.com” with the domain for which you want to check the DNS resolution. If the cache has been cleared, you should see a message indicating that the domain was not found.

To flush the DNS cache on a Windows computer, you can use the Command Prompt. Here are the steps:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Press the Windows key + X to open the Power User menu.
   • Select “Command Prompt (Admin)” or “Windows PowerShell (Admin).” If you’re using Windows 10 or later, you might see “Command Prompt” or “Windows PowerShell” without “(Admin)” – in that case, right-click and choose “Run as administrator.”
2. Flush DNS Cache:
   • In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter: codeipconfig /flushdns
3. Verify the Flush (Optional):
   • You can check if the DNS cache has been successfully flushed by typing the following command: ipconfig /displaydns This command displays the contents of the DNS resolver cache. If it has been flushed, you should see a message indicating that the DNS Resolver Cache has been cleared.
4. Close the Command Prompt:
   • After flushing the DNS cache, you can close the Command Prompt window.