# Solved: Clearing The DNS Cache



## rapidfirerob (Mar 10, 2005)

I have one Compaq computer with XP Pro and Zonealarm. When I boot up the computer I get two computers trying to communicate with each other on my taskbar. I right click and click on repair and get the following message,
"Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the following action could not be completed: Clearing the DNS Cache" My internet connection works fine. How can I clear the DNS Cache? The error message will not go away when I click on Cancel, either. Thanks for your help.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Start / Run / IPCONFIG /flushdns


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

From a command prompt:

ipconfig /flushdns

(unless you have another cache in your firewall or proxy).


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Guess seeing it twice is good validation that ipconfig /flushdns is correct


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## rapidfirerob (Mar 10, 2005)

I ran ipconfig/flushdns. I believe the DOS prompt box popped up for a second, was blank, then disappeared. Is that the end of the process?


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

Did you put a space between?

Try putting "cmd" in the Run box to open a command window. Then do ipconfig /flushdns. That way the window will stay open and you will see more of what happens. But there isn't really much to see in this situation.


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## rapidfirerob (Mar 10, 2005)

I did put a space in between. I got a message saying," Could not flush the DNS resolver cache: function failed during execution."


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Is the DNS Client Services running?
Start / Run / services.msc
Scroll down to DNS Client. It should show as Started

Also searched around the Internet for you and found some posts where it mentioned ZoneAlarm also causing this error. That post said they "lowered my Zone Alarm firewall and it worked."


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## rapidfirerob (Mar 10, 2005)

DNS client has no status indicated, in other words blank. The startup type is listed as disabled, if that makes any difference. I would rather not get rid of Zonealarm if at all possible. I have configured it so everything works smoothly. I am also not getting this message all the time. This morning I had it, and when I restarted it I didn't. Sometimes I get it for a few days in a row, and then other days I don't see it.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

Are you doing this from an account that has Administrative privileges?


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## rapidfirerob (Mar 10, 2005)

Yes, this is being done from my account which has Administrative privileges.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Pretty sure you are going to need to need the DNS Client set for Automatic


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## rapidfirerob (Mar 10, 2005)

I reset it to automatic. Do I need to restart at this point?


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

I would reboot a few times. Each time making sure the service has started and that there are no error messages.


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## rapidfirerob (Mar 10, 2005)

I rebooted. DNS client is now started, and I was able to flush the DNS subsequently. I will see if anything pops up over the next few days and then mark it solved. If there is nothing else I need to do at this time, I just want to say thanks for the cogent information.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

So if you always had the error before, and have been able to boot and now things are working, likely you are well on your way to having it solved. Glad that took care of it for you. Also glad you are able to keep ZoneAlarm as well.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

rapidfirerob said:


> Yes, this is being done from my account which has Administrative privileges.


Looks like you typed a space.


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## bassetman (Jun 7, 2001)

rapidfirerob said:


> I ran ipconfig/flushdns. I believe the DOS prompt box popped up for a second, was blank, then disappeared. Is that the end of the process?


Not saying you did or didn't, but what you typed here doesn't show the space!


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

rapidfirerob said:


> I ran ipconfig/flushdns. I believe the DOS prompt box popped up for a second, was blank, then disappeared. Is that the end of the process?


I guess this happened because you did ipconfig command in the Run box. It will disapear once the command has ran. Obivously going into command prompt would keep the box open when you do the ipconfig command.

I do it all the time...


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

Bob Cerelli said:


> Start / Run / IPCONFIG /flushdns


Yeah, if you followed this, then the disapearing command prompt would occur.  Bob left out the CMD command inbetween RUN and IPCONFIG (correct way would be Start > Run > type *cmd* > type *ipconfig /flushdns*)


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

rapidfirerob,

So after you set the DNS Client service to start automatically, and rebooted, the problems went away.

Still working today as well?


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

> I guess this happened because you did ipconfig command in the Run box. It will disapear once the command has ran. Obivously going into command prompt would keep the box open when you do the ipconfig command.


If doing it from the Run box type in "cmd /k ipconfig /flushdns" without the quotes this will do the IPCONFIG flush and keep the window open.


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

:up: I didn't know the /k switch. Learned something here that my school forgot to add  TY S/Techy!


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

That goes way back to the DOS days and you can still run the same thing in Win9x. For example: command /k ipconfig


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

yeah I wished I knew last week, I kept putting ipconfig in the run box (going to fast for myself) instead of cmd... I was getting real annoyed with it


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Another easy way to view your IP information, if you have your network connection icon showing in the system tray is to just:

Double click on the icon
Click on the Support tab 
Click on the Details button


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

Bob Cerelli said:


> Another easy way to view your IP information, if you have your network connection icon showing in the system tray is to just:
> 
> Double click on the icon
> Click on the Support tab
> Click on the Details button


Actually that's a good tip. I usually have mine up so I know there there is activity going on. :up:


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

Tidus4Yuna said:


> yeah I wished I knew last week, I kept putting ipconfig in the run box (going to fast for myself) instead of cmd... I was getting real annoyed with it


Though not everything that runs from the "Run" box runs from the command prompt, the window is almost always preferable. Just put a shortcut to cmd.exe near the Start button or in the Quicklaunch bar and use it instead of Run.

I prefer Greg Wittmeyer's shell to cmd.exe and have replaced it (a new one was released this year---yes, some people are still working in and on DOS besides the Win98 experts in this forum!). From the description:

"GS.EXE is an alternative DOS shell, with better editing features than the ancient DOS command prompt which Micro$oft has never bothered to improve. Pressing the left arrow key does not perform a backspace, it lets you go back and change something without destroying everything that came after it. Pressing the up and down arrow keys will cycle through a history of past commands (including commands from a previous session). Pressing the insert key will toggle the editing mode between 'insert' and 'overwrite'. Ctrl+V will paste the clipboard into the command line."

The amazing MONAD command-line shell from Longhorn works well in XP, too.


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

Elvandil said:


> Though not everything that runs from the "Run" box runs from the command prompt, the window is almost always preferable. Just put a shortcut to cmd.exe near the Start button or in the Quicklaunch bar and use it instead of Run.


I guess i can do that... though since I use cmd in stchool the most, it will be annoying to put the shortcut inthe QL bar. We have a program called DeepFreeze which essentially {sp} will *freezes* your drive. Any changes will be lost on next reboot.

Like i said it was more of my fingers going faster than my brain so I have learned to go a little slower now


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

> Micro$oft has never bothered to improve


I find that while thats true there is no big secret that Microsoft has been slowly proding to move away from command line interaction altogether - Policy implementation was the first big tout I heard of the "demise" of command line (which I am still waiting to see the reality of that demise *chuckle*). So with that in mind would they really want to spend resources improving something they are wanting out of the way.

What I find intriguing is that while they are moving away from command line items they are implementing (more than ever) things like the netsh that use the command prompt but are more "context" driven.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

Rather than eliminating the command-line, which is far too useful to Admin's to just get dumped, it looks like MONAD will be expanding its capabilities. Though not in its final form for Vista yet, it has some interesting qualities.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/chats/trans/windowsnet/wnet_120704.mspx
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=25506


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Yeah MONAD was stripped out of Vista Beta 1 though and it feared to stay out of final production -

http://www.windowsitpro.com/windows...rticleID/47376/windowspaulthurrott_47376.html

I do like their attempts at adding command line functionality in Vista though... it has given me some glimmer of hopes that someone wisened up OR got replaced  I find command line to be 1) more reliable and 2) much easier to work with scripting and manipulation techniques.


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## rapidfirerob (Mar 10, 2005)

My, my you folks have been busy in my absence. I actually did type a space initially, just not in my post here. The problem has not returned, so I assume it is solved. Thanks again for your help. I am glad you guys got to bat around your technical information to each other.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Glad that after you set the DNS Client service to start automatically, and rebooted, the problems went away. Took a while searching around to find that possible solution. Good it was worth it for you.


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## rapidfirerob (Mar 10, 2005)

It works fine now, thanks to you. I am wondering why it wasn't set to auto in the first place? Anyway, thanks again.


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## graphogirl (Sep 5, 2005)

I just found your site and joined. Thanks for such a great resource.

I have had constant problems with trying to clear the dns cache. When my Internet connection falters (I am on cable so it doesn't go dead) I cannot send or receive email.) Several times a day I have to go to control panel and click on Network, the LAN option and then Support, Repair but I end up with the "cannot clear dns..." message.

After I do that I am immediately able to receive and send messages again until the next time it happens. Of course, I would like to permanently solve this problem.

I have read the posts on this topic and have followed the suggestions. However, when I entered the command in proper sequence (starting with cmd) in Start, Run etc. I get a new black window box that reads:

Windows IP configuration
Could not flush dns Resolver Cache: function failed during execution
c:\Documents and Setting\Adminstratrator

Any ideas for solving this?


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Did you check that the DNS Client service was running. Ultimately that is what solved the problem for this person.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

graphogirl,

Hi and welcome.

Rather than tagging onto a thread that has already been marked solved, it is best to start your own thread for your problem. Many folks don't look at a thread marked solved


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