Undoubtedly, Google Chrome is the default browser of most of the people in the world today. The reason is its efficiency and the ease to use it offers. However, there can be times when Google Chrome may not look like the best browser to you but that should not be the reason for you to switch to a different browser. Most of us must have faced the error message ‘this webpage is not available dns_probe_finished_no_internet’ while trying to open any webpage on the internet.
In this guide, I will talk about the reasons due to which you face this error and how to deal with it for different devices.
Reasons to face ‘this webpage is not available’ Error
Here are the common reasons to face this error:
- You have entered the incorrect web address; that is the most common reason to face this error.
- If your browser is going through issues, this could be one of the causes.
- The browser is not able to access the server as the internet connectivity is broken.
- The router is switched off and hence it is interrupting the easy and smooth transmission of data.
- The server is going through some issues leading to ‘this webpage is not available’ error
Methods to Fix ‘This Webpage is not available’ Error on Windows
Method-1 Flush DNS
The error ‘this webpage is not available’ can arise due to changes in DNS servers. You can flush your old DNS so that it will renew the DNS information when you visit the webpage again and ultimately this will fix the concerned issue. Here is how to flush DNS:
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator using the search menu.
- Next, type ipconfig/flushdns next to drive C destination.
- Once done, press enter
- When you see the message ‘Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache’, exit the Command Prompt.
- Now reboot your system and you will realize that the error has disappeared.
Method-2 Change DNS
The next method that you can use to fix ‘the webpage is not available’ error is by changing DNS servers as there might be an issue with your router and ISP DNS. Here is how you can change to Google DNS and check if it fixes the issue.
- Launch ‘Network and Sharing Center’.
- Next, choose your Wi-Fi and LAN connection and then select the option ‘Properties’.
- Now, open TCP/IPv4 properties and select ‘Use the following DNS server addresses’
- In the ‘Preferred DNS server’, type 8.8.8.8 and in the ‘Alternate DNS server’, type 8.8.4.4
- When you are done, click on ‘Ok’ to save the changes.
Method-3 Get Rid of the Browsing Data
Browsers tend to store history, caches, cookies and a lot of other similar information and all this information helps when you revisit a site; as a result, the page loads faster. But sometimes this advantage can bring negative results to you and the history you have stored can bring you outdated information.
So the solution is to clear the browser’s history, cache, and cookies to fix ‘the webpage is not available error’; here are the steps that will help:
- If your default web browser is ‘Google Chrome’, open it and click on the menu.
- From there, click on the ‘History’ option
- Then select the option ‘Clear browsing data’ from the left column
- Set the time range to ‘All time’ to get rid of the complete history.
- Next, click on ‘Clear Data’ once you have selected all the items to delete.
Method-4 Reset Transmission Control
The last method for this error is to reset the TCP/IP by typing the following commands one by one and simultaneously press the Enter key:
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig /all
- ipconfig /flushdns
- ipconfig /renew
- netsh int ip set dns
- netshwinsock reset
When you are done, restart your Windows device to make the changes reflect immediately.
Methods to Fix ‘this webpage is not available’ Error on Android
In case you are facing this issue on your Android smartphone, you can fix it easily using the given ways:
Method-1 Get Rid of the Browsing Data
Firstly, you need to clear the browsing data of your Android device as follows:
- Launch Google Chrome and open its menu.
- Select ‘History’ and make sure all the items are selected for deletion.
- Then press ‘Clear Browsing Data’.
- Make sure to select all the checkboxes and also set the time range to ‘All Time’; finally, click on ‘Clear Data’.
Method-2 Clear the App Data
On Android, it is quite easy to manage the installed applications with the help of options like storage, permissions, and so on. In the same manner, you can reset the Chrome app to restore it to factory settings.
- Go to your Phone’s settings and then tap on ‘Apps’.
- From the list of installed applications, select ‘Google Chrome’
- Tap the ‘Storage’ option and then click on the option ‘Clear Data’ and ‘Clear Cache’.
Methods to Fix ‘this webpage is not available’ Error on Mac
Mac users use Safari as their default browser and not Google Chrome, but in case you use Chrome and are facing ‘this webpage is not available’ error, you can apply the following solutions:
Method-1 Clear Browsing Data
You will need to clear the browsing history of your browser as follows:
- Open the ‘History’ of Google Chrome browser
- Then tap the option ‘Clear Browsing Data’.
- Make sure all the items are selected and then tap ‘Clear Data’.
- Restart Chrome and check if the error got resolved.
Method-2 Using Custom DNS Servers
The next option left for Mac users is to use the custom DNS servers as follows:
- Go to ‘System Preferences’
- Then select ‘Network’ and from there, select your connection (WiFi or Ethernet) and go to the ‘Advanced’ tab.
- Next, select the ‘DNS’ tab and tap the + icon.
- You can now add the custom DNS servers and the popular DNS server is: Google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) and Open DNS (208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220).
Summary
To fix the error ‘this webpage is not available’, you must always start by checking your internet connection and clearing the browsing data. Also, all the solutions mentioned above will help you to fix the webpage error for the device you own.