Flushing the DNS cache is crucial when changing IP addresses or acquiring a new domain name, as DNS propagation can take up to 72 hours. In these cases, flushing the DNS cache removes outdated DNS records.
To refresh the DNS cache on Microsoft Windows systems (Windows 7, Vista, Win XP, Win 2003, Win 2000), follow these instructions:
- Start Menu -> Run Command -> type “cmd”
- At the command prompt, type ipconfig /flushdns
To perform this procedure on Linux systems, restart the nscd daemon:
- To restart the nscd daemon, type /etc/rc.d/init.d/nscd restart in your SSH terminal.
To refresh the DNS cache on Mac OS systems:
- Type `lookupd -flushcache` in your terminal to refresh the DNS cache. For newer versions (10.5 and later, Leopard), use `dscacheutil -flushcache`.
Running these commands on your operating system refreshes the DNS cache.