Type an address, press Enter, and Chrome hands back a code instead of a page. The err_name_not_resolved chrome message reads like a system failure. Most cases clear in minutes with a cache flush or a DNS change on your own machine.
What Does ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED Mean in Chrome?
Every site sits at a numeric IP address. DNS translates the name you typed into that number, the way a phone contact list turns a name into digits.
When Chrome asks for that translation and hears nothing back, it stops and shows err_name_not_resolved chrome, along with “This site can’t be reached” or “This webpage is not available”. No connection was ever attempted. The browser had nowhere to send the request.
What Causes the err_name_not_resolved chrome Error?
Stale saved records are the most common trigger. A site moves to a new IP and Chrome or your operating system keeps serving the old one.
An unstable connection drops the request before DNS can answer. A firewall or antivirus rule may refuse the lookup outright.
Two causes sit outside your control: broken DNS records at the site owner’s end, and a weak host that keeps dropping offline. Both fail for every visitor.
How to Fix err_name_not_resolved chrome
1. Check the Address
A wrong letter in the ending or a stray slash returns this code every time. Unsure of the spelling? Search for the site and click the result.
2. Switch Networks
Join a different WiFi network and reload. If the page opens there, restart your home router.
3. Confirm the Site Is Up
When one site fails and everything else loads, the fault may be theirs. Check downforeveryoneorjustme.com or isitdownrightnow.com. If it reports an outage, wait and retry.
4. Flush the DNS Cache
Old entries on your computer make Chrome reuse a dead address. Wiping them forces a fresh lookup.
Windows: press Windows + R, type cmd, and run ipconfig /flushdns. macOS: run dscacheutil -flushcache in Terminal. Linux with systemd: run systemd-resolve --flush-caches. Linux with nscd: run sudo /etc/init.d/nscd restart.
Windows confirms with “Successfully flushed the DNS resolver cache”. If the terminal is new territory, this Linux command line primer covers the basics before you start typing.
5. Inspect the Hosts File
Your machine keeps a plain text file that pairs names with IPs by hand. A bad line there overrides DNS, so no cache flush helps.
Windows stores it at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. macOS and Linux use /etc/hosts. Open it with nano or another terminal text editor, find any line naming the failing site, put a # at the start, and save.
Security software and VPN clients sometimes write these lines silently. On a long file, grep finds the entry faster than scrolling.
6. Clear Chrome’s Own Cache
Chrome runs a separate DNS store. Paste chrome://net-internals/#dns into the address bar and press Clear host cache.
Preloading deserves a switch-off too. Open Settings, Privacy and security, Cookies and other site data, and turn off Preload pages. While there, choose Clear browsing data, set All time, tick every box, and confirm.
7. Pause the VPN or Proxy
Both route lookups through their own resolvers. A slow or blocking resolver returns err_name_not_resolved chrome even on a healthy line. Turn the VPN off and reload. If that works, look for a “use local DNS” toggle in the app.
This piece on DNS privacy for Linux users maps the resolver paths a VPN can take over.
8. Reset the Firewall
A security program can flag a harmless site as a threat. On Windows, open Settings, Privacy & Security, Windows Security, Firewall & network protection, then Restore firewalls to default.
9. Change the DNS Server
A faulty resolver setting produces the same code. Swap in Google’s public servers: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for IPv4, or 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844 for IPv6.
Windows: Control Panel, Network and Sharing Centre, Change adapter settings, right-click your connection, Properties, then edit IPv4 or IPv6. macOS: System Preferences, Network, Advanced, DNS tab, press +. On Linux the resolv.conf manual shows how nameserver lines work.
10. Update or Reinstall Chrome
Dated builds mishandle lookups after a system update or an extension clash. Open Settings, Help, About, install any pending update, and restart.
Already current? Try the site in an incognito window. Success there points at an extension, so disable them one by one. Ubuntu users who need a clean install can follow this Chrome setup guide for Ubuntu.
11. Turn Off DNSSEC on Your Domain
Nothing worked, and the domain is yours? DNSSEC guards records from tampering, but after a host migration it can stall propagation. Run a WHOIS lookup. If the DNSSEC field reads “Signed”, switch it off at your registrar.
Fixing err_name_not_resolved chrome on Android
Turn off page preloading through the three-dot menu, as in step 6, then disable any antivirus app and reload.
Safe mode is another test. If the code vanishes there, a recently installed app is responsible. As a last step, go to Settings, Apps, Chrome, tap Disable, confirm, and retry.
Could Your Hosting Provider Be the Problem?
If visitors keep reporting the code on your site and cache wipes change nothing, look upstream. Records may point at the wrong server after a migration, nameservers may still be spreading, or the provider may have infrastructure trouble. Crowded shared hosting makes all of this worse and gives you little visibility.
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN, DNS Server Not Responding, and ERR_NAME_RESOLUTION_FAILED share the same repairs. If the fault is server-side, contact your host with full details.
FAQs
What does ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED mean in Chrome?
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED means Chrome could not translate the website name into an IP address. The DNS lookup returned nothing, so the browser had no address to connect to. The site itself is often online.
How do I fix ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED in Chrome?
Flush the DNS cache, clear Chrome’s host cache at chrome://net-internals/#dns, and switch to Google DNS at 8.8.8.8. If those fail, pause your VPN, reset the firewall, and update Chrome.
Why does ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED appear on only one website?
A single failing site usually means a stale cached record, a hosts file entry blocking that domain, or a broken DNS record on the site owner’s side. Check downforeveryoneorjustme.com to confirm which it is.
What fix for ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED do Reddit users recommend most?
Reddit threads on r/techsupport and r/chrome most often point to changing the DNS server to 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1, followed by running ipconfig /flushdns. Disabling a VPN comes up as the next most common fix.
Is ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED caused by a virus?
Rarely. Most cases trace to stale DNS data, a VPN, or firewall rules. Malware can edit the hosts file to block sites, though, so check that file if the error appears on many domains at once.
