How to clear computer cache on Windows 11?

Clear DNS cache (network cache).

The DNS cache is a small “memory” Windows keeps of recent website address lookups (domain → IP). If it gets outdated or corrupted—after switching networks, using a VPN, changing DNS settings, or visiting a site that changed servers, you can see slow loading, wrong redirects, or "site can’t be reached" errors. Flushing the DNS cache forces Windows to fetch fresh DNS info the next time you visit sites.

How to clear computer cache on Windows 11 for DNS

Save any work and close apps that heavily use the internet (optional but helps avoid confusion during testing).

Right-click Start → choose Terminal (Admin) (or Windows PowerShell (Admin) / Command Prompt (Admin) depending on your system).

If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes.

In the terminal window, type the command below and press Enter:

ipconfig /flushdns

Confirm you see a message like: “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.”

Test your connection: reopen your browser and try loading the website(s) that were failing.

Restart your PC after the Winsock reset (this step is required for it to fully apply).

After reboot, test again—try the same site, and also try a different browser to compare.

Flushing DNS is quick, safe, and often fixes weird browsing or connection issues caused by stale DNS entries. If that alone doesn’t help, a Winsock reset can clear deeper network-related cache/config problems—but you should reboot afterward.