What is DNS and how does it work? DNS stands for Domain Name System or Domain Name Server or Domain Name Service. DNS is the backbone of modern-day networking. In today’s world, we are surrounded by a huge network of computers. The Internet is a network of millions of computers which are connected to one another in some or other ways. This network is very helpful for efficient communication and transmission of the information. Every computer communicates with another computer over an IP address. This IP address is a unique number that is assigned to everything which is present in the network.
Every device whether it is a mobile phone, a computer system or a laptop each has its own unique IP address which is used to connect with that device in the network. Similarly, when we surf the internet, each and every website has its own unique IP address which is assigned to it to be uniquely identified. We see the name of websites like Google.com , Facebook.com but they are just masked which are hiding these unique IP addresses behind them. As humans, we have the tendency to remember the names more efficiently as compared to numbers that is the reason why each website has a name that is hiding the IP address of the website behind them.
Now, what DNS server do is that it brings the IP address of the website you requested to your system so that your system can connect to the website. As a user, we just type the name of the website we like to visit and it is the responsibility of the DNS server to fetch out the IP address corresponding to that website name so that we can communicate with that website on our system. When our system gets the required IP address it sends the request to the ISP regarding that IP address and then the rest of the procedure follows.
The above process happens in milliseconds and this is the reason we don’t usually notice this process. But if the DNS server that we are using is slowing down your internet or they aren’t reliable then you can easily change the DNS servers on Windows 10. Any problem in the DNS server or changing the DNS server can be done with the help of these methods.
- 3 Ways to change DNS settings on Windows 10
- Method 1: Change DNS Settings by configuring IPv4 settings in Control Panel
- Method 2: Change DNS Servers using Windows 10 Settings
- Method 3: Change DNS IP Settings using Command Prompt
3 Ways to change DNS settings on Windows 10
Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.
Method 1: Change DNS Settings by configuring IPv4 settings in Control Panel
1.Open the Start menu by clicking on the start button in the bottom left corner of the screen on the taskbar or press the Windows Key.
2.Type Control Panel and hit Enter to open it.
3.Click on Network and Internet in the Control Panel.
4.Click on Network and Sharing Center in Network and Internet.
5.On the upper left side of the Network and Sharing Center click on Change Adapter Settings .
6.A Network Connections window will open, from there select the connection that is connected to the internet.
7.Right-click on that connection and select Properties.
8.Under the heading “ This connection uses the following items ” select Internet Protocol Version 4 ( TCP/IPv4) and click on the Properties button.
9.In IPv4 Properties window, checkmark “ Use the following DNS server addresses “.
10.Type the preferred and alternate DNS servers.
11.If you want to add a public DNS server then you can use Google public DNS server:
Preferred DNS Server: 8.8.8.8 Alternate DNS Server box: 8.8.4.4
12.In case you want to use OpenDNS then use the following:
Preferred DNS Server: 208.67.222.222 Alternate DNS Server box: 208.67.220.220
13.In case you want to add more than two DNS servers then click on Advanced.
14.In the Advanced TCP/IP properties window switch to the DNS tab.
15.Click on the Add button and you can add all the DNS server addresses you want.
16.The priority of the DNS servers that you will add will be given from top to bottom.
17.Finally, click OK then again click OK for all the open windows to save changes.
18.Select OK to apply changes.
This is how you can change DNS settings by configuring IPV4 settings via the control panel.
Method 2: Change DNS Servers using Windows 10 Settings
1.Press Windows Key + I to open Settings then click on Network & Internet .
2.From the left-hand menu, click on WiFi or Ethernet depending on your connection.
3.Now click on your connected network connection i.e. WiFi or Ethernet.
4.Next, scroll down until you see the IP settings section, click on the Edit button under it.
5.Select ‘ Manual ’ from the drop-down menu and toggle the IPv4 switch to ON.
6.Type your “ Preferred DNS ” and “ Alternate DNS ” addresses.
7.Once done, click on the Save button.
Method 3: Change DNS IP Settings using Command Prompt
As we all know that every instruction which you perform manually can also be performed with the help of Command Prompt. You can give every instruction to Windows using cmd. So, in order to deal with DNS settings, the command prompt can also be helpful. To change the DNS settings on Windows 10 through the command prompt, follow these steps:
1.Open the Start menu by clicking on the start button in the bottom left corner of the screen on the taskbar or press the Windows Key.
2.Type Command Prompt, then right-click on it and Run as Administrator.
3.Type wmic nic get NetConnectionID in Command Prompt to get the names of Network adapters.
4.To change the network settings type netsh.
5.To add the primary DNS IP address, type the following command & hit Enter:
interface ip set dns name= “Adapter-Name” source= “static” address= “Y.Y.Y.Y”
Note: Remember to replace the adapter name as the name of the network adapter you have viewed in step 3 and change X.X.X.X with the DNS server address that you want to use, for example, in case of Google Public DNS instead of X.X.X.X. use 8.8.8.8.
5.To add an alternative DNS IP address to your system type the following command & hit Enter:
interface ip add dns name= “Adapter-Name” addr= “Y.Y.Y.Y” index=2.
Note: Remember to put the adapter name as the name of the network adapter you have and viewed in step 4 and change Y.Y.Y.Y with the secondary DNS server address that you want to use, for example, in case of Google Public DNS instead of Y.Y.Y.Y use 8.8.4.4.
6.This is how you can change the DNS settings in Windows 10 with the help of the command prompt.
These were three methods to change the DNS settings on Windows 10. Many third-party applications such as QuickSetDNS & Public DNS Server Tool are useful to change the DNS settings. Do not change these settings when your computer is at the workplace as the change in these settings can cause connectivity problems.
As the DNS servers provided by the ISP’s are quite slow so you can use the public DNS servers that are fast and more responsive. Some of the good public DNS servers are offered by Google and the rest you can check out here.
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I hope the above steps were helpful and now you can easily change DNS settings on Windows 10 but if you still have any questions regarding this post then feel free to ask them in the comment section.
Fix Printer Driver is unavailable on Windows 10: If you’re not able to use your Printer and you face the error message that says “Driver is unavailable” then this means that the driver installed for your Printer is not compatible, outdated or corrupted. In any case, until you resolve this error you won’t be able to access your Printer. To view this message you need to head over to Devices and Printers then select your Printer and under Status, you will see “Driver is unavailable”.
This error message can be annoying, especially is you need to use the printer urgently. But don’t worry there are few easy fixes which can resolve this error and in no time you will be able to use your printer. So without wasting any time let’s see How to Fix Printer Driver is unavailable on Windows 10 with the help of the below-listed troubleshooting guide.
- Fix Printer Driver is unavailable on Windows 10
- Method 1: Uninstall the Printer Drivers
- Method 2: Make sure Windows is up to date
- Method 3: Verify the Admin Account
- Method 4: Install the Printer Drivers in Compatibility mode
- Method 5: Reinstall your Printer Drivers
- Method 6: Reset your PC
Fix Printer Driver is unavailable on Windows 10
Make sure to create a restore point just in case something goes wrong.
Method 1: Uninstall the Printer Drivers
1.Type control in Windows Search then click on the search result which says Control Panel.
2.From the Control Panel click on Hardware and Sound.
3.Next, click on Device and Printers.
4.Right-click on the printer device which shows the error “ Driver is unavailable ” and select Remove device.
5.Press Windows Key + R then type devmgmt.msc and hit Enter to open Device Manager.
6.Expand Print queues then right-click on your Printer device and select Uninstall.
Note: If you don’t have your device listed then don’t worry as it may already be removed when you remove the printer device from Devices and Printers.
7.Again click on Uninstall to confirm your actions and this will successfully remove the printer drivers from your PC.
8.Now press Windows Key + R then type appwiz.cpl and hit Enter.
9.From the Programs and Features window, uninstall any application related to your printer.
10.Disconnect your Printer from the PC, shut down your PC and router, power off your printer.
11.Wait for a few minutes then plug everything the back as it was earlier, make sure to connect your Printer to the PC using a USB cable and see if you’re able to Fix Printer Driver is unavailable on Windows 10.
Method 2: Make sure Windows is up to date
1.Press Windows Key + I to open Settings then click on Update & Security.
2.From the left-hand side, menu click on Windows Update.
3.Now click on the “ Check for updates ” button to check for any available updates.
4.If any updates are pending then click on Download & Install updates.
Once the updates are downloaded, install them and your Windows will become up-to-date.
Method 3: Verify the Admin Account
1.Press Windows Key + R then type control and hit Enter to open Control Panel.
2.Click on User Accounts then again click on User Accounts.
3.Now click on the “ Make changes to my account in PC settings ” link.
4.Click on the verify link and follow the on-screen instructions to verify your admin account.
5.Once finished, reboot your PC and again install the printer without any issues.
Method 4: Install the Printer Drivers in Compatibility mode
1.Press Windows Key + R then type devmgmt.msc and hit Enter to open Device Manager.
2.Expand Print queues then right-click on your Printer device and select Uninstall.
3.If you’re prompted to confirm then again click on the Uninstall button.
4.Now go to your printers manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers for your printer.
5.Right-click on the setup file and select Properties.
Note: If the drivers are in a zip file make sure to unzip it then right-click on the .exe file.
6.Switch to the Compatibility Tab and checkmark “ Run this program in Compatibility mode “.
7.From the drop-down select Windows 7 or 8 and then checkmark “ Run this program as an administrator “.
8.Finally, double-click on the setup file and let the drivers install.
9.Once finished, reboot your PC and see if you’re able to fix the issue.
Method 5: Reinstall your Printer Drivers
1.Press Windows Key + R then type control printers and hit Enter to open Devices and Printers.
- Right-click on your printer and select “ Remove device ” from the context menu.
3.When the confirm dialog box appears , click Yes.
4.After the device is successfully removed, download the latest drivers from your printer manufacturer website .
5.Then reboot your PC and once the system restarts, press Windows Key + R then type control printers and hit Enter.
Note: Make sure your printer is connected to the PC via USB, Ethernet or wirelessly.
6.Click on the “ Add a printer ” button under Device and Printers window.
7.Windows will automatically detect the printer, select your printer and click Next.
- Set your printer as default and click Finish.
Method 6: Reset your PC
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That’s if you have successfully Fix Printer Driver is unavailable on Windows 10 but if you still have any questions regarding this article then please feel free to ask them in the comment section.
