DNS_PROBE_STARTED: Meaning & Fix on Chrome, Android, Windows

What Does DNS_PROBE_STARTED Mean?

DNS_PROBE_STARTED means Chrome couldn't get the website's address from DNS and has started a quick test, a DNS probe, to find out why. The page says "This site can't be reached" with "example.com's DNS address could not be found. Diagnosing the problem." When the probe finishes, Chrome replaces the code with the result, such as DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG.

STARTED normally lasts only seconds. If the page stays on it, Chrome's test never reported back to the page, which tends to happen when the network or DNS settings change while Chrome is testing. Chromium describes the state as "A DNS probe has been started for this error page" (net_error_info.h).

It appears in Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi). On every site it points to your DNS or network; on one site only, test that site's DNS with the lookup below.

How DNS Resolution Works (And Where It Stalls)

To understand why DNS_PROBE_STARTED happens, you need to know how DNS resolution works. When you type example.com in Chrome, your browser goes through these steps to find the server's IP address:

Step 1 — Browser cache check. Chrome first checks its own internal DNS cache (chrome://net-internals/#dns) for a cached IP address. If the domain was resolved recently and the TTL (Time to Live) hasn't expired, Chrome uses the cached result instantly — no network request needed.

Step 2 — Your DNS servers. Chrome usually sends the query itself, using its built-in resolver, to the DNS servers your device is set to use (normally the router or your ISP); in some setups it hands the lookup to the operating system's resolver instead.

Step 3 — Recursive resolver query. If the OS cache also misses, the query is sent over the network to your configured DNS server (typically your ISP's resolver, or a public resolver like 8.8.8.8). This recursive resolver does the heavy lifting — querying root servers, TLD servers, and authoritative nameservers to find the answer.

Step 4 — Response returned. The recursive resolver returns the IP address to your OS, which caches it and passes it to Chrome. Chrome connects to the IP address and loads the page.

When a lookup fails, Chrome shows its error page and starts the probe. The probe looks up a known name, google.com, through your own DNS settings and through Google's public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4), then compares the two: your DNS failing while Google's works means your DNS is the problem; neither answering means no connection, or a network that blocks outside DNS.

What Causes DNS_PROBE_STARTED?

Behind every DNS_PROBE_STARTED is a failed lookup, and a page that stays on STARTED adds one more possibility. The usual reasons:

• The test didn't report back — if the code never changes, the probe's result never reached the page, often because the network or DNS settings changed while it was running. A full Chrome restart clears it
• Your DNS server is unreachable or overloaded — the ISP's or router's DNS stops answering (the probe then ends as BAD_CONFIG)
• The router or modem is struggling — it forwards your devices' DNS queries, and a hung router stalls them all (the error then shows on every device)
• A VPN or its DNS dropped — the VPN sends DNS to its own servers; if the tunnel or those servers fail, nothing answers
• Security software or a firewall filtering DNS — "web protection" features that intercept DNS can stall it when they misbehave
• The network changed mid-lookup — waking from sleep, switching Wi-Fi or mobile data, or a flaky Wi-Fi signal
• Chrome's Secure DNS provider is unreachable — with Secure DNS on, the probe ends as BAD_SECURE_CONFIG

DNS_PROBE Error Codes Compared

Chrome names each outcome of its probe with a DNS_PROBE code (from Chromium's net_error_info.h):

The key difference: STARTED means Chrome hasn't finished diagnosing yet, while every other code is a result. If the page settles on one, follow that code's guide; if it stays on STARTED, restart Chrome and test again.

Fix 1: Reload, Then Restart Chrome If It Stays on STARTED

Wait a few seconds and reload the page once. If your DNS answers this time, the site loads; if not, the code should change to a result within seconds, and that result tells you what to fix (see the table above).

If the page stays on DNS_PROBE_STARTED, Chrome's test never reported back: restart Chrome fully by typing chrome://restart in the address bar (or quit and reopen it), then reload. On a laptop that just woke from sleep or switched networks, turn Wi-Fi off and on first.

Fix 2: Switch to a Public DNS Server

If your ISP's or router's DNS is slow or unreachable, switching the device to a public resolver usually fixes DNS_PROBE_STARTED at once. Measure which one is fastest from your connection with DNS Robot's DNS Speed Test.

Google's temporary logs keep your full IP address for 24 to 48 hours; Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 keeps no source IP on disk and deletes its logs within 25 hours; Quad9 also blocks known malicious domains.

Change DNS on Windows 11 and 10

# Method 1: GUI (Windows 11)
# Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks → your network
# (Ethernet → your network) → DNS server assignment → Edit → Manual
# Windows 10: Control Panel → Network Connections → your adapter → Properties
# → Internet Protocol Version 4 → Use the following DNS server addresses
# → IPv4: ON → Preferred: 1.1.1.1, Alternate: 1.0.0.1 → Save

# Method 2: PowerShell (as Administrator)
# Find your adapter name first:
Get-NetAdapter | Where-Object Status -eq Up

# Set DNS (replace "Wi-Fi" with your adapter name):
Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -ServerAddresses 1.1.1.1,1.0.0.1

Change DNS on macOS

# GUI: System Settings → Network → Wi-Fi → Details → DNS
# Remove existing entries, add: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1

# Terminal (faster):
networksetup -setdnsservers Wi-Fi 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1

# Verify:
networksetup -getdnsservers Wi-Fi
# Expected output:
# 1.1.1.1
# 1.0.0.1

Fix 3: Restart Your Router

Your router usually forwards every device's DNS queries. When it hangs, lookups stall on all of them, which is exactly when DNS_PROBE_STARTED shows on your phone and laptop at once.

Restart it by unplugging the power, not just pressing a button:

1. Unplug the router's power cable (not just press the button)
2. Wait 30 seconds
3. Plug the power cable back in
4. Wait 2-3 minutes for the router to fully boot
5. Reconnect to Wi-Fi and test

If you have a separate modem:
  → Unplug the modem first, wait 30s
  → Unplug the router, wait 30s
  → Plug modem back in first, wait 2 min
  → Plug router back in, wait 2 min

Fix 4: Flush Your DNS Cache

Flushing clears answers your system and Chrome have stored, so the next lookup starts fresh. It helps most after you change DNS servers or networks.

Flush DNS on Windows

Open Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt as Administrator and run the command below. Then flush Chrome's own cache: open chrome://net-internals/#dns and click Clear host cache.

ipconfig /flushdns

Flush DNS on macOS

Open Terminal and run:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Flush DNS on Linux

The command depends on your DNS resolver. Most modern Linux distributions use systemd-resolved:

# systemd-resolved (Ubuntu, Fedora and other distributions that enable it)
sudo resolvectl flush-caches

# Check the cache statistics afterwards
resolvectl statistics

# dnsmasq or nscd instead
sudo systemctl restart dnsmasq
sudo systemctl restart nscd

Flush DNS on Android

Android doesn't have a terminal DNS flush command for most users. Instead:

1. Open Chrome on Android
2. Type in the address bar: chrome://net-internals/#dns
3. Tap "Clear host cache"
4. Go to chrome://net-internals/#sockets
5. Tap "Flush socket pools"
6. Restart Chrome and try loading the website again

Fix 5: Check VPN, Antivirus and Firewall

Disconnect any VPN and reload: a VPN sends your DNS to its own servers, and if those don't answer, nothing does. Then turn off antivirus "web protection" or DNS filtering for a moment and reload.

If that fixes it, keep the VPN or security software but adjust it (a different VPN server, or an exception for Chrome) rather than leaving protection off. On Windows, check that no firewall rule blocks DNS (port 53) outbound; a block rule always beats an allow rule, so turn the block rule off:

# List enabled outbound block rules
Get-NetFirewallRule -Direction Outbound -Action Block -Enabled True |
  Where-Object { ($_ | Get-NetFirewallPortFilter).RemotePort -contains '53' } |
  Select-Object Name, DisplayName

# Turn off the rule that blocks DNS (use its Name from the list)
Disable-NetFirewallRule -Name '<Name>'

Fix 6: Disable Browser Extensions

VPN and proxy extensions change where Chrome's requests go. Open an Incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N), where extensions are off unless you allowed them: if the site loads there, turn your extensions off one by one at chrome://extensions/.

Also check Chrome's own Secure DNS setting: Settings → Privacy and security → Security → Use secure DNS. If it points at a provider that doesn't answer, switch it to OS default (when available).

Fix 7: Clear Chrome's DNS Cache and Connections

Chrome keeps its own DNS cache and open connections. Clear both:

Step 1: chrome://net-internals/#dns → "Clear host cache"
Step 2: chrome://net-internals/#sockets → "Flush socket pools"
Step 3: close every Chrome window and reopen Chrome

Fix 8: Restart Windows (Not Just the DNS Client)

Older guides tell you to restart the Windows DNS Client service (Dnscache). On Windows 10 and 11 that service can't be stopped or restarted by hand: its buttons in Services are greyed out. ipconfig /flushdns (Fix 4) clears its cache, and a full restart of the PC restarts the service.

To check that it's running:

# Should show Status: Running
Get-Service Dnscache | Select-Object Name, Status, StartType

Fix 9: Reset Network Settings (Last Resort)

If nothing else works, reset the network stack. This resets Winsock and TCP/IP, including static IP addresses and DNS servers you set by hand.

Reset Network on Windows

Run these in Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt as Administrator, then restart the computer: the resets take effect after a reboot.

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Reset Network on macOS

On a Mac, remove the Wi-Fi network and rejoin it instead of deleting system files: System Settings → Wi-Fi → Details… next to your network → Forget This Network…, then join it again and restart the Mac.

How to Diagnose DNS_PROBE_STARTED

If the fixes above haven't worked, you can use diagnostic commands to pinpoint exactly where the DNS resolution chain is breaking. These commands work on all operating systems and will tell you whether the problem is your DNS server, your network, or your local configuration.

Test DNS Resolution with nslookup

# Test your current DNS server
nslookup google.com
# If this times out → your DNS server is unreachable

# Test with Google DNS directly (bypasses your configured server)
nslookup google.com 8.8.8.8
# If this works → your default DNS server is the problem

# Test with Cloudflare DNS
nslookup google.com 1.1.1.1
# If this also fails → the problem is your network, not DNS servers

Test Network Connectivity

# Test basic internet connectivity (ping by IP — no DNS needed)
ping 1.1.1.1
# If this fails → you have no internet connection at all

# Test DNS resolution (ping by hostname — requires DNS)
ping google.com
# If IP ping works but hostname ping fails → DNS is the problem

# Check that a DNS server answers at all (UDP, the normal DNS transport)
nslookup google.com 8.8.8.8

If ping 1.1.1.1 fails but your Wi-Fi shows connected, your router may have lost its WAN connection. Check your router's admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1) for WAN status, or use DNS Robot's Ping tool from another device to verify your network.

Use Chrome's Built-In Diagnostics

Chrome's internal pages show what's happening with its DNS lookups:

chrome://net-internals/#dns      → clear Chrome's DNS cache
chrome://net-internals/#sockets  → flush open connections
chrome://settings/security       → Use secure DNS (check the provider)
chrome://net-export/             → record a network log to share with support