While browsing the web, you might face a strange issue where some websites are not opening in any browser like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc. A website not loading issue is annoying. Especially when all other sites work fine, and only some websites are not loading in any browser. This may happen with Windows 7, 8/8.1 & Windows 10/11, or even on macOS X.
You may have tried many different solutions to fix this error, like restarting the WiFi router and computer, trying safe mode in Windows, and disabling a few Windows services. If it is still not working for you, you probably came to the right place.
There may be several reasons your computer is blocking access to a particular website.
Why Some Websites Are Not Opening in Chrome or other browsers?
Try to recall what you were doing before getting this issue. Did you install new software, patch, crack, or keygen?Or maybe you started getting this issue out of nowhere.
This problem mainly occurs when a program tries to change the DNS server address of your computer and affects it in different ways, like changing proxy settings, DNS addresses, and other connection settings or blocking your WiFi.
Or your ISP is having a problem with their default DNS server address.
A website not loading issue can occur if your computer is affected by a malicious program or virus. Or the website is down, or it is blocked in your region.
Above are the reasons why websites are not loading.
How to Fix Some Websites Not Loading Error
There may be different reasons behind the issue; you must try different fixes for your laptop/PC. These tips worked for many users. You can try them one by one to fix the issue.
Here are some tips and tricks you can try, but the most successful solution is to change your ISP’s DNS to Google’s public DNS.
Method 1: Change the DNS server address on Windows 11, 10 & Lower
The default DNS server provided by your ISP may not be working correctly. You can try to change the DNS server to some of the free and secure public DNS provided by Google, Open DNS, DNS Watch, OpenNIC, and UncensoredDNS.
Follow the steps below to change the DNS server on your Windows computer-
1.Go to Start and open the control panel. On Windows 10/11, search for the “Control Panel.”
2.Look for “Network and sharing center” and open it. You will find it under the “Network” options. Or click to show “All control panel items”.
3.Find your network interface, in simple words, theinternet connection name, and click on it.
4.Now, you will get another window with connection status; click on Properties here.
5.Under properties, double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
6.Now, another dialog box will appear with the IP address and DNS server address; here, you need to select “Use the following DNS server address” and assign the following DNS address:-
- Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8
- Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4
The above DNS server address is Google’s public DNS, one of the fastest DNS servers around the globe.
7.Now, hit OK on every dialog box to save your changes.
Try to visit the affected websites now; if they work, then great if not, try restarting your computer.
Here is a list of Secure public DNS; if Google DNS is not working, then you can try any of these-
- Google DNS – 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
- Open DNS – 208.67.220.220 and 208.67.222.222
- Cloudflare’s lightning-fast DNS – 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (This DNS offers you safer and private Internet)
- DNS Watch – 84.200.69.80 and 84.200.70.40
- OpenNIC – 206.125.173.29 and 45.32.230.225
- UncensoredDNS – 91.239.100.100 and 89.233.43.71
Method 2: If Websites are still not opening even after the restart
The above method of changing DNS should work; however, if certain websites not loading with new DNS, then follow the next-
1.Delete temporary files – Press the Win+ R key on your keyboard, type %temp% in the “Run” dialog box, and hit OK; itwill take you to the temporary files. Select all and delete them.
2.Delete history, cache, and cookies from browsers.
3.Reset your browsers to their default settings.
- How to reset Google Chrome
- How to reset Mozilla Firefox.
4.Check the Hosts file in Windows if a particular website is not working.
Go to This PC > C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc, locate the Hosts file, and open it with Notepad. If you find that particular website listed there, then put # before the site name or delete it from the hostfile and save it.
A regular hosts file will look like the above picture; if you have something different, make it like this.
If you cannot edit the hosts file, you need to change the security setting for the files. Go to hosts file properties, select Security, then allow it for your user account.
After the changes, revert to the original security settings.
Restart your computer and open the affected sites; if they are still not working, try the following method.
Method 3: Flushing DNS Cache
Whenever you visit websites, Windows OS creates a small database in your computer to keep a record of visited websites for faster access next time.
These records are created when you visit a website for the first time.
It is like a phone book where you don’t have to remember the numbers; in the same way, this database records the DNS address and IP of visited websites.
Whenever you try to open the same website again, the DNS cache fetches the website’s IP from the DNS cache for faster access.
Due to technical faults or malware attacks, the DNS cache may get corrupted and get wrong entries for particular or many websites.
To reset this DNS database, you must perform DNS flushing and erase all the entries.
Follow these steps –
- Go to start and find “cmd.” Or press Win+X on Windows 8/8.1 and 10 or Windows 11.
- Open cmd as administrator.
- Type ipconfig/flushdns and hit enter to clear the DNS cache.
You will get the “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache”message after executing the command.
Method 4: Run a Malware Scan
Malware may affect your browsing experiences by injecting adware, redirects, pop-up ads, and many other annoying banner ads. These may be due to different types of malware on your Windows computer.
Malware changes the DNS records and redirects your favorite website to some ads or blocks them completely.
If the malware exists in your computer, it will re-enter the harmful entries into the DNS server even after DNS Flush.
You must run a malware scan using a good antivirus programto remove them.
Or you can Download Hitman Pro and run a quick scan; it comes complimentary for the first 30 days.
Delete all the found malware, be careful. It may give false-positive results too. It may mark some important DLL files as malware, just uncheck them before deleting them.
Now reboot your computer and check whether the particular website is working.
Method 5 – Disable and Enable Network Adapter
There may be different network adapters installed on your Windows computer. Sometimes it may be the culprit behind the issue. You need to disable and re-enable the network adapter.
1.Open the Control Panel and go to the Network and Sharing Center.
2.From the options in the right pane, selectChange Adapter Settings.
3.Find your network adapter, right-click on it, hit disable, and then enable.
4.If there is more than one network adapter, disable all other adapters leaving the one currently connected.
Method 6 – Unblock the Blocked Websites
Are you trying to open some websites blocked by your ISP, Government, or region? Then none of the above options would work. If there is specific censorship by Govt or organization, you won’t be able to access some websites.
For example, specific YouTube videos may not play in your country, or some Netflix shows may be unavailable. You can unblock these sites using a VPN service. The VPN will bypass such restrictions.
You can download the VPN apps for your device, select some other countries, and access blocked websites. Check these VPN services and download them accordingly.
- 10 Best VPN Service Providers for PC, Mac, and Mobile
- 5 Best Android VPN Apps To Protect Your Identity Over The Internet
Fix if Some Websites Not Loading on WiFi
There may be a scenario when certain websites are not opening over WiFi, but it works pretty well on a wired connection on your laptop or PC. This issue is mainly caused by a router firewall or misconfiguration in the router’s settings.
You need to access the router interface by logging into the admin area. Check the default URL to access your router; generally, it is 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.0 for most routers, and username – admin, password- admin.
If you are unsure, you can find the default URL, Username, and password on the Internet.
Once logged in, check if your router has an internal firewall. If it has, then disable it for a certain period. Now check if you can access blocked websites.
If it does not have a firewall, then you can reset the modem/router. Before any reset, note down the configurations or take screenshots. After the reset, assign a valid SSID and password for your router. You may also call your ISP if you cannot do it alone.
Reset Network Settings
If you still face the issue, you can try resetting the network settings and socket.
1.Go to Start and open the Settings app on Windows 10/11.
2.Click on Network & Internet and open Advanced network settings.
3.Find Network reset under more settings and click on it.
4.Click to Reset Now button and confirm the action.
5.Wait till your computer restarts and then connect to WiFi.
Fix socket API errors
A corrupt network socket can cause a particular website to malfunction. Here is how you can rest the socket and IPV4.
1. Search for cmd, right-clickon it, and Run as administrator.
2. Execute the following commands one by one-
- netsh winsock reset
- netsh int ip reset
- netsh in ip reset resetlog.txt
Steps to fix the “Website Not Opening” error on Mac OS X.
1.If this happens for the first time, try restarting your Mac.
2.Try clearing the browser history cache and cookies, and clean your browser using the free cleaning tool Ccleaner. Ccleaner is a popular tool for both Windows and Mac, and it works well with every browser, like Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.
Change the DNS server address to Google Public DNS.
1. From the Apple menu, click on Preferences. And the below window will appear.
2. Select Network and you will get another window as below. Select your network interface by default; the active internet connection is already selected.
3. Click on the Advanced option, and from the next window, select DNS.
4. Click “+” to add a new DNS server address. If it already has other DNS servers, remove them by clicking on the “–” sign.
5. Add new DNS server 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google DNS)
6. Click OK and Apply to save the changes.
Now try to visit those sites; restart your Mac if it does not work.
You can also use OpenDNS by Cisco instead of Google DNS.
OpenDNS server address is:
208.67.222.222 and208.67.220.220
DNS Flush in macOS X
- Go to the Search option on the right top of the menu bar.
- Search for “Terminal.”
- Open Terminal and type dscacheutil -flushcacheand hit Enter.
Conclusion
A website not opening issue is a prevalent issue; there are chances that some websites may not open due to different reasons. You have the above options to fix such problems with your Windows 7,8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11.
Mac users can fix it by changing and flushing the DNS as well. I hope the above solutions work for you; whether it is working or not, please let me know in the comments.
Also Read:-
- Ultimate Tips to Make Windows 8/8.1 Faster than ever
- How to Fix Slow Running Windows 10 – 200% Faster PC
- Make Chrome Faster By Fixing High RAM Memory Usage
FAQs About Website Not Opening Issue
Why are some websites not loading?
If you are unable to access a particular website, then it might be due to a corrupt DNS cache, a problem with the DNS server, blocked from the Hosts file, or the site might be down. You can try changing the DNS server, clearing the DNS cache, and checking the Hosts file on the PC.
Why is website stuck on loading?
This could happen due to browser cache and cookies. You can clear the browser cache and delete all the cookies. Also, try to reset browser settings to the default and relaunch your browser.
Can Clear Cache delete everything?
No, when you delete the cache, it removes the data from websites or apps you browse. It does not delete any personal or important files like your photos or documents. Though websites might load slower for the first time, when it builds cache again, it will load faster.
Is Google Public DNS good?
Google’s public DNS, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, is considered safer and faster than your ISP’s DNS. You can use Google’s DNS on all devices. If you want more privacy and speed, then try Cloudflare’s DNS.