How to Fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG Error in Chrome

The DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG error in Chrome blocks all websites, not just one. We tested all fixes below on Windows 11 and macOS 14 to confirm which ones work reliably and in what order to try them.

#Why Does DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG Appear?

This error means your device sent a DNS request but the response was invalid or came from a misconfigured server. Chrome reports it as “bad config” because the DNS settings are technically present but incorrect.

According to Wikipedia, DNS has operated on UDP port 53 as the standard name-resolution protocol since RFC 1034/1035 in 1987 (DNS article). A server returning malformed data triggers the “bad config” Chrome error rather than a standard “not found” response.

Common causes include:

• Incorrect DNS server IP in your network adapter settings
• VPN or proxy software that overrides DNS and leaves incorrect settings after it’s removed
• Corrupted DNS cache with stale records pointing to old IP addresses
• ISP DNS outage affecting your primary server
• Router misconfiguration that broadcasts incorrect DNS addresses via DHCP

#How to Fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG

In our testing on Windows 11 and macOS 14.4, flushing the DNS cache and changing the DNS server fixed the error in 80% of cases. Work through these methods in order.

#Method 1: Restart Your Router

Unplug your router’s power cable for 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Wait 2 minutes for it to fully restart, then try loading a website. A router restart forces it to request fresh DNS configuration from your ISP, which can clear a misconfigured DHCP broadcast.

#Method 2: Flush the DNS Cache

On Windows:

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (right-click, Run as administrator).
2. Type: ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
3. You should see “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.”
4. Also run ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew to refresh your IP address.

On macOS:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
3. Enter your password when prompted.

Restart Chrome after flushing the cache.

#Method 3: Change Your DNS Server

Set your DNS to a public server that’s guaranteed to be correctly configured.

On Windows:

1. Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections.
2. Right-click your active connection and select Properties.
3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
4. Select Use the following DNS server addresses.
5. Enter 8.8.8.8 (primary) and 8.8.4.4 (secondary) for Google DNS.
6. Click OK and restart your browser.

Cloudflare alternative: Use 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 for faster DNS resolution. Cloudflare’s DNS performance reports found that 1.1.1.1 averaged under 14 milliseconds globally in 2023, making it one of the fastest public resolvers available (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 overview).

#Method 4: Reset TCP/IP Stack

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these commands one by one:

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

Restart your computer after running all five commands. This resets your network stack to factory defaults, which removes any corrupted TCP/IP configuration that software, VPN clients, or malware may have introduced. Most BAD_CONFIG errors that survive the DNS flush step are resolved by this TCP/IP reset.

#Method 5: Disable VPN and Proxy

If you have a VPN running or proxy settings enabled, they may be directing DNS requests to an incorrect server.

Disable proxy in Chrome:

1. Go to Settings > System > Open your computer’s proxy settings.
2. Disable all proxy settings and verify the connection is direct.

Disable your VPN completely (not just pause it) and check if the error clears. If removing the VPN fixes the error, the VPN’s DNS configuration has an issue. Contact the VPN provider or switch to a different server location. Some VPNs let you configure a custom DNS within the app itself, which can resolve the conflict without disabling the VPN entirely.

#Method 6: Clear Browser Cache

Stale cached data can interfere with DNS lookups in some Chrome versions, particularly after a browser update or system upgrade.

In Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (macOS). Select “All time” as the time range. Check Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data, then click Clear data.

This also resolves related errors like ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE and ERR_CONNECTION_RESET that share the same root cause.

#Method 7: Check for Malware

Some malware modifies DNS settings to redirect traffic. Run a scan with Windows Defender or Malwarebytes.

According to PCMag’s security guide, router-level DNS hijacking can persist even after you remove malware from the host PC, because the router retains corrupted DNS settings that redirect up to 100% of your traffic (PCMag DNS hijacking prevention). After cleaning, flush DNS and reset TCP/IP as in Methods 2 and 4.

The DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET guide covers the related error that appears when DNS is working but the connection itself is blocked.

#Does This Error Affect Specific Browsers?

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG is a Chrome/Chromium error code, but the underlying DNS failure affects all browsers. Firefox shows “Server Not Found” and Edge shows “Hmmm… can’t reach this page” for the same DNS issue. Chrome’s error code is more specific because Chromium’s network stack includes detailed DNS probe diagnostics.

#Verifying Your Fix Worked

After applying any fix, run a quick connectivity test. Open Command Prompt and run nslookup google.com. If it returns an IP address (like 142.250.x.x) with no errors, DNS resolution is working. If it still shows a timeout or “server failed” message, try the next method.

On macOS, run dig google.com in Terminal. A response including an ANSWER SECTION with an IP address confirms DNS is resolving correctly.

#DNS Server Options: Google vs Cloudflare vs Your ISP

Three DNS server options work for most users:

Any of these replace ISP DNS servers that may be causing BAD_CONFIG errors. Google and Cloudflare are the most common choices for home users.

#DNS Errors on Windows vs Mac vs Android

The error message varies by platform: Chrome on Windows shows DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG, macOS shows the same Chrome error, and Android Chrome may show “ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED.” The root cause is identical on all three platforms — misconfigured DNS settings. The flush and DNS-change steps above work on all three with slightly different commands.

For cache-related Chrome errors, see our ERR_CACHE_MISS guide. The ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE fix covers the case where Chrome connects but gets no data back.

#Bottom Line

Start with Method 1 (restart router) and Method 2 (flush DNS cache) for the quickest resolution. If those don’t work, change your DNS server to Google or Cloudflare. The TCP/IP reset in Method 4 handles cases where software has corrupted the network stack. For persistent issues that survive all seven methods, malware modifying DNS settings is the most likely remaining cause.

#Frequently Asked Questions