How to set up smartphones and PCs. Informational portal
  • home
  • Safety
  • Netsh winsock reset command to reset the network protocol stack. Eliminating Poltergeist

Netsh winsock reset command to reset the network protocol stack. Eliminating Poltergeist

Are you having problems connecting to the internet on your computer or smartphone? Often, the situation can be simply resolved by referring to a network settings reset. How to do this on popular platforms - versions of Windows, Android, we will tell you later in the material.

Why do I need a reset?

Why bother resetting your network settings? This manipulation is vital for situations where the network settings are incorrectly changed, as a result of which it becomes impossible to access the Internet from a computer or smartphone. What is the reason? The settings can be changed by malicious applications and viruses, as well as by the user himself.

In this case, there are problems with IP or DNS. Consequence: the Internet works slowly, some sites do not open at all, a connection to a router or provider is not established, and it is not possible to distribute Wi-Fi from the device.

Even experienced users believe that it is the network settings reset that can cope with many Internet problems in most cases. The essence of the procedure is that it will reset the settings to the factory settings, and also clear all the parameters that have been changed by the system, programs, or by the user himself.

Nuances of the procedure

Resetting network settings is a fairly simple manipulation that even an inexperienced user can handle. But before proceeding with it, we will acquaint the reader with two important nuances:

  • Do not reset yourself on a work or school computer or other corporate device that does not belong to you personally. It is more correct to contact the system administrator of the organization for help. In these cases, a specialist manually sets certain settings for the TCP / IP protocol.
  • Perhaps, after this manipulation, you will need to re-configure the network parameters of the computer to connect it to the Internet. For example, in some cases this is required by the provider.

Now let's look at specific instructions for different versions of popular operating systems.

Windows Vista: reset options

Resetting the network adapter settings is available here in two variations. Let's consider them.

The first option is to use a special Microsoft Fix it utility. The program will help the user to reset TCP / IP settings to factory defaults. You can download it on the official Microsoft website. You don't need to perform any complicated actions: just run the utility on your computer, the program will cope with the problem itself. After completing the task, be sure to restart your PC for the solutions to take effect.

The second option is to manually change the settings. Let's analyze this procedure step by step:

  • Click on the "Start" menu.
  • In the search bar you need to enter the text cmd. Click on "Enter".
  • The "Command Line" will appear in front of you.
  • Click on the label with the right mouse button.
  • Select "Run as administrator" from the context menu list.
  • Add (or copy from the article) the following to the line: netsh int ip reset logfile.txt.
  • Execute the command (clicking on "Enter"). As a result, the TCP / IP settings will be reset to the factory settings, and the changes made are written to the log file of the current directory, from where it was launched.
  • To make the changes made to the settings take effect, you just have to restart the PC. That's all!
  • Windows 7: via the command line

    First of all, let's take a look at resetting network settings on the command line. We start the procedure as follows:

  • Run Command Prompt on your computer as its administrator.
  • The easiest way: go to the "Start" section, then enter cmd in the search bar.
  • You will see "Command Prompt" in the results. Click on the inscription with the right mouse button.
  • Select "Run as administrator" from the context menu.
  • Run this command: netsh winsock reset. You can print it yourself or copy-paste from the text of this article.
  • To execute the command, do not forget to press the "Enter" button.
  • After the command is executed by the system, restart your computer.
  • Check your internet access. As a rule, in most cases, these simple steps are enough to completely solve the problem.
  • Windows 7: if the command line didn't help ...

    However, sometimes resetting network settings via the command line does not work. What to do in this case? Go back to the command line:

  • Repeat steps 1-4 from the previous instructions.
  • Issue a new command to the computer: "netsh int ip reset c: resetlog.txt". It can be reprinted or also copied from this text.
  • Run the command and restart your computer. The problem after these steps should disappear.
  • Some experts advise to be sure to execute the commands from the previous and this subtitle one after another, and then also restart your device. As a result of these manipulations, the network settings on your computer will be reset to factory defaults.

    Windows 7: Reset DNS Cache

    You now know how to reset the network settings via the command line on Windows 7 (manipulation, by the way, is also suitable for later OS versions). However, a similar, but slightly different problem may appear before you: "The DNS server is not responding", "The DNS server address cannot be found."

    What to do in this case? It will be enough to be limited to only resetting the DNS. In this case, we go back to the command line:

  • Go to the command line through the "Start" menu.
  • Type or copy the following command from the text: ipconfig / flushdns.
  • Check your internet connection.
  • If the problem is not resolved, then we advise you to refer to the previous two instructions.
  • Windows 7: Using the Microsoft Easy Fix Utility

    Resetting Windows network settings is also possible through a special utility. A program called Microsoft Easy Fix you can download for free on the official website of the Microsoft company.

    How do I use it? We offer an algorithm for simple actions:

  • Run the utility on your computer.
  • Once the window opens, click on "Next".
  • Then the program will independently introduce the necessary changes to the network settings of the system.
  • When finished, the utility will offer to restart the computer.
  • To do this, close the program and select reboot the system in the PC menu.
  • After that, the problem should disappear, the Internet on your computer will be available again. And we will further analyze how to cope with it in the late tenth version.

    Windows 10: factory reset option

    If you yourself are "too clever" with the network settings, or your device for no reason, no reason stubbornly does not want to connect to the Internet, then we suggest you also turn to the reset. On Windows 10 OS, it is produced using a slightly different algorithm:

  • Go to the settings menu. It can be found both through "Start" and by accessing the hot key combination: Win + I.
  • Go to the "Network and Internet" section.
  • At this point, you need a subsection called "State".
  • Now scroll down to the very bottom of the page. There you will see what you need - "Network Reset".
  • Click on the inscription. You will see a system warning: performing the action will remove and reinstall all existing network drivers, and also restore the factory (original, original) network settings. Note that you may need to reinstall the network software afterwards. For example, a VPN client.
  • Click on "Reset Now". That's the whole procedure for resetting network settings in Windows 10.
  • As a result of the actions taken, the network settings will return to their original ones. The solution is quite cardinal, so it is worth turning to it in the case when other ways to cope with the problem turned out to be powerless. Perhaps the situation can be saved by contacting a specialist.

    Before doing a factory reset, it's worth making sure that the problem is specific to your computer. Try connecting another device to the network. If there is also a lack of Internet access on it, then the matter is most likely in the provider or router.

    Carrying out a reset on a smartphone

    In conclusion, let's present a reset of network settings to Android. The smartphone may also experience problems with the Internet, which can only be solved in such a radical way. We propose to follow the instructions:

  • Go to "Settings".
  • Scroll through the menu, find the item "Reset and Activate".
  • Find the "Reset network settings" section.
  • Here you just need to tap on the "Reset settings" button. In some smartphone models, the selected action must be confirmed.
  • If this manipulation did not help, then the solution is cardinal: completely reset the device to factory settings. But before that, you should copy important data from your smartphone.

    Now you know how to reset network settings on different versions of Windows, phones on the Android platform. This solution allows you to cope with the situation when it is impossible to access the Internet from the device, when you accidentally changed the parameters to incorrect ones. Available both through the settings menu, command line, and through a special utility.

    A situation familiar to many Windows users - on a computer suddenly and unexpectedly. And the most offensive thing here is that you cannot look at sites on the Web that describe options for solving this problem, since this requires an Internet connection, which just does not work on a computer.

    Other situations are possible, which are also common. For example, to the Internet - by air, and by cable. From a mobile phone, via a Wi-Fi network, there is access to the global network, everything works. But a PC with Windows 10 connected via a cable to a router - for some reason, access to the global network is impossible, blocked, an error “Network unavailable” appears and other signs accompanying a non-working Internet.

    If it is impossible to localize the problem, and the cause of the failure is not clear, it is time to move on to more drastic measures. To quickly fix the network access problem, Windows 10 has a built-in function of resetting network settings.

    How to reset network settings in Windows 10

    Let's go straight to the settings of the network adapter. We press the combination of buttons “Win” + “I”, and in the appeared window of parameters select the shortcut “Network and Internet”. In the newly opened window of network settings, we will be interested in the "Status" section, it will be the first in a row in the left menu, and should be immediately active when the window is opened. If not active, select it with the left mouse click. Then scroll to the bottom of the window, where you will see the option "Network Reset":

    When this item is selected, a notification window will appear stating that all network adapters will be removed and reinstalled.

    Also, further in the text, you will see a warning that, if necessary, you may need to install (and, in fact, any software that one way or another works directly with network adapters). Windows 10 cannot determine for sure whether it will be necessary to do such a software reinstallation, so it can only warn you about possible actions in the future.

    If you have definitely decided that you want to permanently reset all the current network settings of Windows 10, then click the “Reset now” button, wait until the reset procedure is completed, after which the operating system will reboot.

    Do not do this procedure without urgent need. Try, nevertheless, initially to find the cause of the failure, and eliminate it. If you need additional information from the Internet for this, use an alternative Internet device (tablet, smartphone), which obviously has access to the global network.

    If you are completely confused when parsing and analyzing the network settings in Windows, you cannot find the cause of the failure, and you don’t know what to do, then, of course, all that remains is to apply a “hard” reset using this Windows 10 functionality.

    In any case, such a factory reset is not a complete alternative to the option when, that is, when all components, Windows devices, including network adapters, undergo the initial installation of drivers and full configuration for successful operation.

    Also remember that if the network (Internet) disappeared on several devices located within the same network at once, then the matter is most likely not in the Windows settings of your computer, but in the settings of the router, router or similar device responsible for the network operation, and providing access to the Network at once to all these devices. Accordingly, resetting the Windows 10 network settings, which we discussed above, is unlikely to help you in this case.

    Tell us in the comments what is your experience in troubleshooting Windows 10 network errors?

    More on the site:

    Resetting network settings in Windows 10 updated: March 1, 2018 by the author: Vladimir

    Are you having problems connecting to the internet on your computer or smartphone? Often, the situation can be simply resolved by referring to a network settings reset. How to do this on popular platforms - versions of "Windows", "Android", we will tell you later in the material.

    Why do I need a reset?

    Why bother resetting your network settings? This manipulation is vital for situations where the network settings are incorrectly changed, as a result of which it becomes impossible to access the Internet from a computer or smartphone. What is the reason? The settings can be changed by malicious applications and viruses, as well as by the user himself.

    In this case, there are problems with IP or DNS. Consequence: the Internet works slowly, some sites do not open at all, a connection to a router or provider is not established, and it is not possible to distribute Wi-Fi from the device.

    Even experienced users believe that it is the network settings reset that can cope with many Internet problems in most cases. The essence of the procedure is that it will reset the settings to the factory settings, and also clear all the parameters that have been changed by the system, programs, or by the user himself.

    Nuances of the procedure

    Resetting network settings is a fairly simple manipulation that even an inexperienced user can handle. But before proceeding with it, we will acquaint the reader with two important nuances:

    • Do not reset yourself on a work or school computer or other corporate device that does not belong to you personally. It is more correct to contact the system administrator of the organization for help. In these cases, a specialist manually sets certain settings for the TCP / IP protocol.
    • Perhaps, after this manipulation, you will need to re-configure the network parameters of the computer to connect it to the Internet. For example, in some cases this is required by the provider.

    Now let's look at specific instructions for different versions of popular operating systems.

    Windows Vista: reset options

    Resetting the network adapter settings is available here in two variations. Let's consider them.

    The first option is to use a special Microsoft Fix it utility. The program will help the user to reset TCP / IP settings to factory defaults. You can download it on the official Microsoft website. You don't need to perform any complicated actions: just run the utility on your computer, the program will cope with the problem itself. After completing the task, be sure to restart your PC for the solutions to take effect.

    The second option is to manually change the settings. Let's analyze this procedure step by step:

    1. Click on the "Start" menu.
    2. In the search bar you need to enter the text cmd. Click on "Enter".
    3. The "Command Prompt" will appear in front of you.
    4. Click on the label with the right mouse button.
    5. Select "Run as administrator" from the context menu list.
    6. Add (or copy from the article) the following to the line: netsh int ip reset logfile.txt.
    7. Execute the command (clicking on "Enter"). As a result, the TCP / IP settings will be reset to the factory settings, and the changes made are written to the log file of the current directory, from where it was launched.
    8. To make the changes made to the settings take effect, you just have to restart the PC. That's all!

    Windows 7: via the command line

    First of all, let's take a look at resetting network settings on the command line. We start the procedure as follows:

    1. Run Command Prompt on your computer as its administrator.
    2. The easiest way: go to the "Start" section, then enter cmd in the search bar.
    3. You will see "Command Prompt" in the results. Click on the inscription with the right mouse button.
    4. Select "Run as administrator" from the context menu.
    5. Run this command: netsh winsock reset. You can print it yourself or copy-paste from the text of this article.
    6. To execute the command, do not forget to press the "Enter" button.
    7. After the command is executed by the system, restart your computer.
    8. Check your internet access. As a rule, in most cases, these simple steps are enough to completely solve the problem.

    Windows 7: if the command line didn't help ...

    However, sometimes resetting network settings via the command line does not work. What to do in this case? Go back to the command line:

    1. Repeat steps 1-4 from the previous instructions.
    2. Issue a new command to the computer: "netsh int ip reset c: \ resetlog.txt". It can be reprinted or also copied from this text.
    3. Run the command and restart your computer. The problem after these steps should disappear.

    Some experts advise to be sure to execute the commands from the previous and this subtitle one after another, and then also restart your device. As a result of these manipulations, the network settings on your computer will be reset to factory defaults.

    Windows 7: Reset DNS Cache

    You now know how to reset the network settings via the command line on Windows 7 (manipulation, by the way, is also suitable for later OS versions). However, a similar, but slightly different problem may appear before you: "The DNS server is not responding", "The DNS server address cannot be found".

    What to do in this case? It will be enough to be limited to only resetting the DNS. In this case, we go back to the command line:

    1. Go to the command line through the "Start" menu.
    2. Type or copy the following command from the text: ipconfig / flushdns.
    3. Check your internet connection.
    4. If the problem is not resolved, then we advise you to refer to the previous two instructions.

    Windows 7: Using the Microsoft Easy Fix Utility

    Resetting Windows network settings is also possible through a special utility. A program called Microsoft Easy Fix you can download for free on the official website of the Microsoft company.

    How do I use it? We offer an algorithm for simple actions:

    1. Run the utility on your computer.
    2. Once the window opens, click on "Next".
    3. Then the program will independently introduce the necessary changes to the network settings of the system.
    4. When finished, the utility will offer to restart the computer.
    5. To do this, close the program and select reboot the system in the PC menu.

    After that, the problem should disappear, the Internet on your computer will be available again. And we will further analyze how to cope with it in the late tenth version.

    Windows 10: factory reset option

    If you yourself are "too clever" with the network settings, or your device for no reason or another stubbornly does not want to connect to the Internet, then we suggest you also turn to the reset. On Windows 10 OS it is produced using a slightly different algorithm:

    1. Go to the settings menu. It can be found both through "Start" and by accessing the hot key combination: Win + I.
    2. Go to the "Network and Internet" section.
    3. At this point, you need a subsection called "State".
    4. Now scroll down to the very bottom of the page. There you will see what you need - "Network Reset".
    5. Click on the inscription. You will see a system warning: performing the action will remove and reinstall all existing network drivers, and also restore the factory (original, original) network settings. Note that you may need to reinstall the network software afterwards. For example, a VPN client.
    6. Click on "Reset Now". That's the whole procedure for resetting network settings in Windows 10.

    As a result of the actions taken, the network settings will return to their original ones. The solution is quite cardinal, so it is worth turning to it in the case when other ways to cope with the problem turned out to be powerless. Perhaps the situation can be saved by contacting a specialist.

    Before doing a factory reset, it's worth making sure that the problem is specific to your computer. Try connecting another device to the network. If there is also a lack of Internet access on it, then the matter is most likely in the provider or router.

    Carrying out a reset on a smartphone

    In conclusion, let's present a reset of network settings to Android. The smartphone may also experience problems with the Internet, which can only be solved in such a radical way. We propose to follow the instructions:

    1. Go to "Settings".
    2. Scroll through the menu, find the "Reset and Activate" item.
    3. Find the "Reset network settings" section.
    4. Here you just need to tap on the "Reset settings" button. In some smartphone models, the selected action must be confirmed.

    If this manipulation did not help, then the solution is cardinal: completely reset the device to factory settings. But before that, you should copy important data from your smartphone.

    Now you know how to reset network settings on different versions of Windows, phones on the Android platform. This solution allows you to cope with the situation when it is impossible to access the Internet from the device, when you accidentally changed the parameters to incorrect ones. Available both through the settings menu, command line, and through a special utility.

    Despite the fact that Microsoft specialists regularly make updates, introduce more and more modern technologies and delight users with new versions, even in Windows 10 a number of problems cannot be avoided. You can get rid of most of them in a fairly simple way. Resetting network settings will help fix even those errors, the cause of which is not entirely clear to the user.

    Today this procedure can be done through the "Parameters". This became possible thanks to the 1607 update, which is installed automatically on Windows 10. Not so long ago, this function was not available, all actions had to be performed using the command line. Now you can solve the problem with a few clicks.

    Reference! This procedure will clear absolutely all network settings. It will also entail reinstalling the network adapters. Ultimately, all settings will be reset, no changes previously entered by the user will be saved.

    Today, the most common problems are "Connection limited", "Unable to connect to this network." These pop-up windows do not allow you to access the Internet and use your PC fully. Resetting the settings solves these problems, moreover, the procedure will help to resolve the situation when the Internet via Wi-Fi does not work.

    However, this is not a complete list. For those users who have problems during the distribution of Wi-Fi, it will also be extremely useful to reset the network settings.

    How to reset settings

    You do not need special skills to do these steps. Windows 10 OS has everything you need to reset the settings quickly and efficiently:

    Step 1. The user should open the "Options" tab. To do this, he needs:


    On a note! A faster way is to press the "Win" + "I" keys at the same time.

    Step 2. This tab is useful not only for a factory reset. Here you can find all the necessary information about the state of the network, data about Wi-Fi, VPN and other indicators. This task requires a Status tab.

    Step 3. On this page, you can change the network parameters. If you have problems with the Internet, then you need to run the "Network Troubleshooter". The system will diagnose the network, identify errors and suggest corrective options. Often, network settings are reset precisely because the system does not find any errors. In this case, in the same window there is an option "Network reset".

    Important! It is worth remembering that after this action, absolutely all settings will be reset, including passwords. Therefore, it is better to save all the information that may be needed in the future.

    Step 4. When you click on the tab, the system will warn you that everything will be reinstalled, after which the computer will restart. You must agree by clicking "Reset now".

    Step 5. The system will once again ask if the user is confident to reset the network parameters. You need to agree by clicking "Yes". The system will do all further actions by itself.

    The whole process does not take much time, but the PC itself will reboot in exactly 5 minutes.

    Factory reset via command line

    This method has already lost its relevance since the update of Windows 10, but previously only this method of resetting network settings was available to users. If even now he wants to use it, then it is worth following simple steps. Resetting via the command line is just as fast and efficient as using the "Options". The user must:


    Reference! The user will achieve the same result if they use "netsh winsock reset", which will also reset the existing network settings.

    Reset with Microsoft Easy Fix 20140

    Earlier operating systems did not have a GUI program built in yet. Users downloaded Microsoft Easy Fix 20140 update from official sources and used it to fix their internet problems.

    To reset TCP / IP settings, you will need to install it. This requires:

    1. Open any browser and enter a query to search for "Fix 20140", go to the official Microsoft website.

    2. Click "Download" in the section that corresponds to the requirements of your OS.

    3. Open the downloaded file and install the utility.
    4. The user must run the program on his computer. This utility should look like this.

    5. As soon as the user clicks "Next" and instantly resets the settings, the system will display a warning about the need to restart the computer. All changes will take effect after this action.

    6. As soon as the PC restarts, a window will appear notifying of the completion of the diagnosis. The user will be able to familiarize himself with the problem and make sure that it is fixed.

    Using the above methods, you can solve existing Internet problems and reset the network settings to factory settings in just a couple of clicks.

    Video - How to Reset Windows 10 Network Settings

    Friends, hello everyone! In this article, we will again talk about resetting the network settings of Windows 7 and 10. Although over time nothing has changed in this regard, which means that for good old XP, this instruction will also work.

    If you remember, then on this topic has already been, but the other day when troubleshooting network problems, it did not help me. The fact is that the combination of commands indicated in it did not work this time. For some unknown reason, the command line reported that it did not know such parameters.

    Therefore, I again reached into the official help of Microsoft to find a way out of this situation. And that's what I ended up with.

    How to reset network settings Windows 7, 10 and XP with one command?

    First, you need to run the command line as administrator. How to do this was detailed. Further, we write in it only one line of this kind:

    Netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt

    After that, be sure to reboot the experimental computer. That's all, now everything to the network should be a thing of the past. By the way, if you want to learn more about the results of the netsh command (Network Shell is a shell for configuring TCP / IP parameters) using a log file named resetlog.txt, you can also issue the following command:

    Netsh int ip reset c: \ resetlog.txt

    Now the above file will appear at the root of the system drive C. But the main point is that for a successful reset, the file name must be specified at the end of the command. Also, before starting the process, be sure to write down your current network card settings.

    After all, the treatment procedure described in this article will lead to the deletion of all valid values ​​of IP addresses. Well, friends, this article on resetting the network settings of Win 7 and 10 has come to an end. If anything, ask your questions in the comments. And now, as always, let's watch another interesting video.

    Top related articles