If Google Chrome Browser is unable to load a particular website, it displays “This site can’t be reached” error message.
In most cases, “This Site Can’t be Reached” error in Google Chrome is due to DNS Lookup failure. This usually happens, if the DNS Server of your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is busy, congested or going through problems.
Google Chrome browser is also known to display this error message due to presence of incompatible browser extensions/plugins and network related problems.
This Site Can’t Be Reached Error in Google Chrome
If Google Chrome browser is coming up with “This Site Can’t be Reached” error message, you should be able to fix the problem using the following methods.
1. Clear Browser Cache
Clearing the browser Cache can help, if the problem is due to corrupted cookie files and cached error pages.
1. Open the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
2. On the browser screen, click on 3-dots menu icon > select Delete Browsing Data option in the drop-down menu.
3. On the next screen, switch to Advanced tab > select All Time as the Time Range > make sure Passwords and other sign-in data and Autofill form data entries are selected and click on Clear Data button.
After Clearing Cache and browsing history, try to access the same webpage again and see if you are still getting “This Site Can’t Be Reached” Error.
2. Update Network Driver
This problem can also be caused due to Network Adapter drivers becoming outdated or corrupted.
1. Right Click on the Start button and click on Device Manager.
2. On Device Manger Screen, expand Network Adapters entry > right-click on WiFi Adapter and click on Update Driver Software option.
Tip: If you see multiple entries, look for something that reads Network, 802.11b or has WiFi in it.
3. On the next screen, select Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software option and follow the prompts to update drivers.
3. Reset Chrome Browser
Follow the steps below to Reset Google Chrome browser to its original default settings on your computer.
1. Open Google Chrome > click on 3-dots icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. On the Settings screen, select Reset Settings in the left-pane. In the right-pane, click on Restore Settings to their original defaults option.
3. On the confirmation pop-up, click on Reset Settings button to confirm.
After Resetting Google Chrome, try to access the webpage and see if you are still getting “This Site Can’t Be reached” error message.
4. Flush DNS & Reset Network Adapter
Flushing the DNS Cache and Resetting Network Adapter can help in fixing various network connectivity issues on a Windows computer.
1. Type CMD in the Search bar > right-click on Command Prompt in the search results and select Run as Administrator option.
2. On the Command Prompt screen, type ipconfig /flushdns and press the Enter key.
Next, type the following Commands and press the Enter key after each of these Commands.
- ipconfig /renew
- ipconfig /registerdns
- netsh winsock reset
3. Close Command Prompt window and Restart your computer.
Now, try to load the webpage that you were trying to access and see if you are still getting “This site can’t be reached” Error in Chrome browser.
5. Restart DNS Client
1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run.
2. In the Run Command window, type services.msc and click on OK.
3. On the Services screen, scroll down till you reach DNS Client. Right-click on DNS Client and click on Restart.
After Restarting DNS Client, try to access the same webpage and see if the Chrome browser still comes up with “This Site Can’t be Reached” Error message.
6. Remove and Reinstall Chrome
If above solutions did not help, you can remove and reinstall Chrome browser on your computer to rule out the possibility of Chrome browser being damaged or corrupted.
1. Right-click on the Start button and click on Run.
2. In the Run Command window, type appwiz.cpl and click on OK.
3. On Program and Features screen, select Google Chrome and select the Uninstall option.
3. After Uninstalling Chrome, go to Google Chrome’s website and download & install the latest version of Google Chrome browser on your computer.
7. Switch DNS Servers
Switching the DNS Servers on your computer to Google or OpenDNS can help, if the problem is due to the DNS servers of your service provider being constantly busy or going through problems.
For more information, you can refer to this guide: How to Change DNS Server in Windows 11