DNS_PROBE_STARTED means Chrome has started a diagnostic check after a DNS lookup problem. It is an in-progress message, not a final diagnosis. Check whether the code changes, then compare another website, browser and device before changing any network settings.
DNS turns a website name into an address your device can use. If that process fails, Chrome cannot reach the intended page. The checks below help you decide whether to contact the website owner, browser support or your internet provider without resetting everything at once.
What the message does and does not prove
Chromium’s DNS error-page tests distinguish the started status from completed probe results. Chrome may replace it with DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG, DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET or another message. An inconclusive probe can leave ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED. Those tests describe browser behavior, not a test of your connection.
Keep the final code if it changes. DNS_PROBE_STARTED alone does not prove that malware changed your router, your provider is down or a public DNS service will help. Google’s DNS overview explains why browsers need lookups and distinguishes a name resolver from a service that hosts domain records.
Run four comparisons first
- Open two unrelated, familiar HTTPS websites in Chrome.
- Open the same failing public address in another current browser on the same device.
- Try that address on a second device using the same WiFi.
- If permitted, compare on your own phone hotspot or another trusted network. Check your data allowance first.
Record each result before changing anything. These comparisons narrow the investigation; they do not prove a single cause. Do not bypass a workplace or school network policy to run them.
| What happens | Where to investigate next |
|---|---|
| One public website fails across unrelated devices and networks | Check the address and the website’s official status channel. |
| Only Chrome fails on one device | Compare Chrome’s version, session and documented Secure DNS settings. |
| One device fails in every browser | Check its network status, updates and managed VPN or security services. |
| Several devices fail only on one network | Check the provider’s outage information and gateway status. |
| The code changes while you wait | Record the final code and follow the matching troubleshooting path. |
If only one website fails
Check the address for a spelling mistake, missing character or old bookmark. Use the site’s official home page rather than a link from an unexpected message. Do not accept a lookalike domain suggested by a pop-up.
If the same name fails on another browser, device and network, the site’s DNS or hosting may be unavailable. Wait and check the site’s official status channel. Changing every home-network setting cannot repair a domain record controlled by the site owner.
Restart Chrome and test a private window
Save any unfinished browser work, check Chrome for updates, then close and reopen it. Open the same public address through the menu’s New Incognito window option if your device permits it. Google’s Incognito guide explains that this starts a separate session; it does not make you anonymous.
If the page works there, record the difference. Cookies, sign-in state and extension behavior can differ, so success does not prove that an extension caused the failure. Keep required VPN and security protections enabled and give browser or device support the comparison.
Check Chrome Secure DNS
Open Chrome Settings > Privacy and security > Security and find Use secure DNS. Google’s Secure DNS instructions distinguish automatic mode from a selected custom provider. In automatic mode, Chrome may fall back to an unencrypted lookup; with a custom provider, it does not make that fallback.
Record the selected provider and whether the problem began after a change. Check that provider’s status and official setup instructions rather than pasting an address from a forum. Do not turn off encrypted DNS as a generic fix or switch to automatic mode without understanding its privacy difference. Leave organization and parental-control policies in place; the option may be unavailable on those devices.
Check VPN, proxy and security-service status
A VPN, proxy or web filter may change how your device reaches a website or resolves its name. Note which service is active, check its official service notices and install supported updates. Its presence alone does not prove it caused the DNS failure.
Keep required protection enabled. On a managed device, ask the administrator to inspect the VPN and DNS policy. Give the vendor or administrator your browser and network comparisons instead of disabling filtering or creating broad exceptions.
Restart the device before resetting the network
Save your work and restart the device normally. This is less disruptive than deleting saved connections or resetting network settings. Test again before using command-line repairs or a full Network reset.
If only this device still fails, run the built-in network troubleshooter and check for normal operating-system and adapter updates. Our one-device WiFi guide provides a safe order for saved networks, drivers and adapter checks.
Keep the operating-system step specific
On Windows, follow Microsoft’s current WiFi troubleshooting instructions, starting with Get Help where available. On another operating system, use that system’s own support guide. Menu names and reset consequences differ; do not apply Windows commands to a phone or Mac.
Forget and rejoin a WiFi network only when one device has the problem and you know the password. A network-settings reset is broader: it can remove saved networks, VPN settings or other custom connections. Back up the required details and keep that reset after the smaller tests.
When to restart the modem and router
Consider a normal gateway restart when several devices fail on the home network, especially if another permitted network works. Check provider outage information and warn anyone using the connection first. Follow the provider’s restart order for your equipment; do not reboot a fiber terminal or shared building equipment unless its instructions allow it.
Do not press a recessed Reset button. A factory reset can erase the WiFi name, password and provider settings without fixing an upstream DNS outage.
Check the router’s DNS and security state
If several devices show DNS errors at home but work elsewhere, inspect the gateway’s internet status and record its DNS setting. Ask the provider whether the configured resolver is correct. Do not replace a deliberate privacy, family-filtering or managed-network configuration without checking its purpose.
A router-level filter, parental-control service or security feature can also block selected names. Review recent changes and logs rather than disabling all protection. If the provider supplies the gateway, ask it to confirm the resolver and firmware state.
Should you switch to a public DNS provider?
A reputable public resolver can be a useful comparison when the provider resolver is failing, but it changes who handles your DNS requests and may interact with parental controls, local names, VPNs or managed policy. It is not a guaranteed speed upgrade.
If support recommends a comparison and you control the personal device, use the provider’s official configuration and privacy information. Keep required encryption and filtering, record the original setting and change only that device first. Restore it if the comparison does not help. An unknown resolver address can create another problem instead of fixing this one.
Use Network reset only for a broad device failure
Windows places Network reset late in its troubleshooting flow because it removes and reinstalls adapters and returns related settings to defaults. It may require VPN or virtual-network software to be configured again.
Use it only when several network functions fail on one Windows device after the targeted checks. It cannot repair one website’s DNS record or a provider-wide outage.
When connected WiFi has no internet
If DNS_PROBE_STARTED appears together with failures in several apps, the problem may be broader than Chrome. Compare another device and check the gateway’s internet state. Our WiFi connected but no internet guide covers that broader path.
When asking for help, include the exact final code, a public example address, the time of the failure and your browser/device/network comparisons. Remove account names, private URL tokens and other personal details from screenshots or copied addresses.
