What is DNS-RES-FAIL?
This medium-severity issue affects the network adapter. The browser cannot translate the web address to an IP address (DNS problem). Reports of Domain name resolution (DNS) failure usually describe a sudden crash, brief unresponsiveness, or a stop-code screen appearing out of nowhere. This usually traces back to ISP Provider Error, corrupt network card driver and stuck Router. Work through the steps below in order.
Common Causes
- ISP Provider Error
- Corrupt network card driver
- Stuck Router
- IP address conflict
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Restart the router (turn off for 1 minute)
Restart the router (turn off for 1 minute) resolves the majority of DNS-RES-FAIL cases on its own, making it the logical starting point.
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2
Reset complete network settings in Windows
For the minority of cases that need more work, the later steps dig into less usual network instability causes.
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3
Change the DNS servers to 8.8.8.8
"Change the DNS servers to 8.8.8.8" is the next step worth ruling out for DNS-RES-FAIL.
Commands & Diagnostics
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset
Frequently Asked Questions
The leading cause of DNS-RES-FAIL is ISP Provider Error, though corrupt network card driver, stuck Router and IP address conflict also show up in our reports.
"Restart the router (turn off for 1 minute)" clears up most DNS-RES-FAIL reports by itself. The remaining steps above cover what's left.
As a medium-severity issue, DNS-RES-FAIL is more of a stability annoyance than a hardware risk — the steps above should clear it up.
In most cases, yes — the guide above resolves DNS-RES-FAIL without a clean install. Treat a reinstall as the last resort, not the first move.
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