Some users reported that when they opened the website, a DNS_PROBE_STARTED error appeared. What does this error mean? Don’t worry you can fix it
What is DNS_PROBE_STARTED?
The error warning is related to a specific problem of the network, usually, this problem is related to a misconfiguration of DNS settings or other problems with Internet settings. It means that the DNS server itself has issues.
Here are simple procedures that you can perform to troubleshoot your computer and fix the DNS_PROBE_STARTED error. These tips should work if the problem causing the error is a result of problems in the DNS.
1. Change ipv4/ipv6 DNS address
Step 1: Click the “Start” button, search “Control Panel” and double click to open it.
Step 2: Go to the “Network and Sharing Center” option and select “Connection.”
Step 3: On the page that opens, choose the “Properties” button.
Step 4: Go to the “Networking Tab” and select the “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” or “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)” option.
Step 5: Choose to “Obtain DNS automatically” or use a “Custom DNS” (from the General tab) and continue.
Step 6: Click “Ok” and the “Close” button after choosing and changing your default DNS with your preferred DNS.
2. Uninstall and reinstall the network driver
This is another effective way for fixing the DNS_PROBE_STARTED error.
Step 1: Click the “Start” button, search “Device Manager” to access, and open the “Device Manager” console.
Step 2: Now expand the “Network Adapters” to view all the network adapters installed on your computer.
Step 3: Right-click the adapters that you want to uninstall and choose the “Uninstall” option. Hit the “Ok” button to complete the process when prompted to do so.
Step 4: Go to the “Scan for hardware changes” button and search for the right adapter that you want to reinstall.
Step 5: Reinstall the adapter and make sure you can see it under the “Network Adapters” dropdown section.
Step 6: Now you can reboot your PC and check whether you have resolved the connectivity issue. If the problem still exists, try a different procedure to fix it.
3. Refresh DNS
You can also fix the DNS_PROBE_STARTED error by refreshing your DNS. Here is a simplified guide on how to do it.
Step 1: Click the “Start” button, search “cmd” to access, and open the “Command Prompt” app.
Step 2: Enter the five commands shown below (Each command at a time) and hit the “Enter button” after each input. Make sure you run each command at a time.
ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew ipconfig /flushdns netsh int ip set dns netsh winsock reset
Step 3: You will see a message that the “DNS Resolver Cache” has successfully refreshed if the process was fruitful. You can repeat the process if you don’t get a message telling you the refresh process was successful.
Step 4: Try to reconnect as see if the DNS_PROBE_STARTED error has been fixed. If the problem persists, you should try other procedures or consult a computer technician.
Conclusion
Now you know. It's normal to get a DNS_PROBE_STARTED error when trying to open a website if your computer's DNS has issues. However, that shouldn’t worry you much because you can fix the problem by running various procedures on your computer.
The above tips come in handy when trying to troubleshoot your DNS so that you can open websites without getting error notification messages. If the error persists, maybe your computer has other issues and not just DNS misconfiguration.
