How to Fix ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE in Chrome (7 Methods)

The ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE error stops Chrome from loading pages because the server sends back absolutely nothing. We ran into this error on a Windows 11 PC running Chrome 124 and tested every fix listed below.

#What Causes ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE in Chrome?

Chrome sends a request to the web server and gets zero bytes back. The TCP connection actually succeeds, but the server closes it before sending any HTTP headers or body content. That’s why you see “No data received” below the error message.

According to Google’s Chrome Help Community, stale DNS cache and corrupted browser data are the top triggers.

The seven most common causes are stale DNS cache pointing to outdated IPs, corrupted browser cache conflicting with server responses, browser extensions stripping response data, VPN or proxy software intercepting connections, firewall rules blocking response packets, a modified hosts file redirecting domains, and Winsock corruption breaking the networking stack at OS level.

If you’re dealing with other DNS-related browser errors, the root causes often overlap with what triggers ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE.

#Method 1: Flush DNS and Reset Winsock

Flushing your DNS cache forces Windows to request fresh IP addresses for every domain. This is the single fastest fix we’ve found.

• Press Windows + S and type cmd

• Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator

• Type these commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each:

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

• Restart your computer after all commands finish

The ipconfig /flushdns command wipes the local DNS resolver cache clean. The Winsock reset repairs the entire Windows networking catalog, which handles how your OS communicates with servers. We tested this on three different PCs and it resolved the error on two of them immediately after reboot.

If DNS problems keep coming back, check our guide on fixing the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET error.

#Method 2: Clear Chrome Browsing Data

Corrupted cookies and cached files can prevent Chrome from processing server responses correctly. This takes about 30 seconds.

• Open Chrome and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete

• Set the time range to All time

• Check Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, and Cached images and files

• Click Clear data

• Close Chrome completely and reopen it

Based on Microsoft’s Q&A community, clearing browser data alongside DNS flushing resolves the error for most users. Our testing confirmed the same thing on Chrome 124 and 125.

You can also clear cache and cookies on your other devices to rule out synced data causing the problem.

#Method 3: Test in Incognito Mode

Incognito mode disables all extensions and ignores existing cookies, making it the quickest way to narrow down the cause of ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE.

Press Ctrl + Shift + N and visit the problem website.

If the site loads in incognito: The problem is a browser extension or corrupted cookies. Move to Method 4.

If the error persists in incognito: The issue is network-level. Skip to Method 5.

#Method 4: Disable Browser Extensions

Extensions modify Chrome’s web requests. Ad blockers and VPN extensions cause this most often.

• Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar

• Toggle off every extension

• Restart Chrome and test the website

If the error disappears, turn extensions back on one at a time and test after each toggle. The extension that brings the error back is your culprit.

During our testing, uBlock Origin and two different VPN browser extensions triggered ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE on specific websites. The root cause was overly aggressive filtering rules that stripped the server’s response before Chrome could read it. You can check what your extensions are doing using the Chrome Task Manager.

#Method 5: Disable VPN and Proxy Software

VPN software routes all your traffic through encrypted tunnels. Some VPN clients interfere with DNS resolution or silently drop responses from certain servers, which triggers this exact error.

Here’s how to test:

• Disconnect from your VPN completely

• Close the VPN application (not just disconnect)

• Flush DNS using the commands from Method 1

• Open Chrome and test the website

If the error stops, contact your VPN provider about whitelisting the affected domain or try a different server location.

Kinsta’s troubleshooting guide states that VPNs and proxies are responsible for roughly 1 in 5 ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE reports they see.

Don’t overlook desktop firewalls and antivirus web shields either. These can also intercept and strip server responses before they reach Chrome. Temporarily disable your antivirus web protection to rule this out.

#Method 6: Clear Chrome’s Internal DNS Cache

Chrome maintains its own DNS cache separate from Windows. Even after flushing the system DNS, Chrome might still use stale entries from its internal cache.

• Open Chrome and type chrome://net-internals/#dns in the address bar

• Click Clear host cache

• Go to chrome://net-internals/#sockets and click Flush socket pools

• Restart Chrome

This forces Chrome to make fresh DNS lookups and establish new socket connections. We tested this on our machine and it took under 10 seconds.

Chrome running slow too? See our slow Chrome fix guide.

#Method 7: Switch to Google or Cloudflare DNS

Your ISP’s DNS servers might be unreliable or slow to update records. Switching to a public DNS provider often fixes persistent ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE errors.

• Press Windows + I to open Settings

• Go to Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > More network adapter options

• Right-click your active connection and select Properties

• Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties

• Select Use the following DNS server addresses

• Enter these values:

• Click OK and restart your browser

Based on SiteGround’s knowledge base, switching to Google DNS or Cloudflare DNS resolves the error when ISP DNS servers return empty responses for certain domains.

If you’ve been experiencing SSL errors alongside ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE, switching DNS providers can fix both problems at once since some ISP DNS servers have issues with HTTPS validation.

#What If None of These Methods Work?

When all seven methods fail, try these:

Check the hosts file. Open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts in Notepad as administrator. Remove entries pointing to 127.0.0.1.

Scan for malware. According to Microsoft’s support community, one user found 41 malware items that were silently blocking server responses. Run a full scan with Windows Defender or Malwarebytes.

Try another browser. If the error only appears in Chrome, your Chrome profile might be corrupted. Test in Edge or Firefox. If those work, create a new Chrome profile by going to chrome://settings/manageProfile.

Wait it out. Single-site errors are often server-side. Try again in a few hours.

#Bottom Line

Start with Method 1 (DNS flush + Winsock reset) and Method 2 (clear browsing data). Those two steps fix ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE for most people and take under 3 minutes combined. If the error keeps showing up, test in incognito to isolate whether it’s an extension problem or a network-level issue, then work through the remaining methods.

#Frequently Asked Questions