How to Fix Some Websites Not Opening in Browser (11 Methods)
On average, a computer user opens 20 to 30 websites in one browser session. There is nothing wrong with opening an unlimited number of websites in one browser session, but sometimes certain websites fail to open.
While browsing the web, we often come across a site that won’t load or open in any web browser. This happens for several reasons: the site may have server issues, expired domain, redirect errors, host errors, etc.
Whatever the reason may be, if a particular website won’t open on your computer, there are a few workarounds you need to do. Since there can be multiple reasons why you are unable to open a particular website, we have shared some common methods to fix website related issues on a computer.
Fix a website that won’t load/open in the browser
So let’s take a look at the best methods to solve this websites do not load in Google Chrome or other web browsers.
1. Make sure your device is connected to the Internet
If websites don’t load in any web browser, make sure your device is connected to the internet. Make sure the internet is active even when connected.
There may also be other issues, such as dropped connections, that you need to rule out. So make sure you have a good internet connection and try the following methods.
2. Content Issues
If the website won’t open, check if the ISP or government is blocking it. ISPs and the government often block websites identified as hosting copyrighted content.
You will most likely get an error message that the site has been blocked. You need to use VPN apps or proxy servers to access those sites.
- Solution: You can get around such restrictions using various proxy servers, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and The Onion Router (Tor).
3. Server is misbehaving
Websites use hosting to store and display content on the internet. This is all done by the webmaster who runs the site. So if there is a problem with the servers, you will have problems accessing the site. You get error messages like ‘Host not found’, ‘Service not available’, etc.
A server can go down for various reasons, such as a power outage, a DDoS attack, or a hardware problem. In the case of data centers, there is less chance of power outages as they have different backup options. So, in such situations, you have to wait for the website owner to fix the problem.
4. Web browser glitches
If your friend can visit the site but you can’t, the web browser may be the culprit. This usually happens because of browser cache, cookies, or certificate errors. In such a scenario, you need to reset or reinstall the web browser.
You can read our article – How to Fix Not Enough Memory to Open This Page Error in Chrome to fix Chrome issues. You can also use other web browsers to check if the problem is with the web browser or not.
5. Disable the VPN or Windows Proxy settings
The role of VPN and proxy settings is to hide your IP address. However, both tools can sometimes cause connection problems.
So if you use a VPN to hide your identity online, temporarily disable it and check if the site loads. Also, webmasters often blacklist IP addresses assigned by VPNs.
6. Firewall problems
If you can visit the website from other devices such as smartphones or tablets, but not from your computer, you should check your firewall settings.
A firewall is intended to block incoming/outgoing connections. To resolve firewall issues, you must disable the firewall and antivirus.
7. Router malfunctions
Sometimes router problems also lead to unnecessary errors like websites not opening. The problem depends on the DNS servers that the router uses.
So you need to change the DNS server addresses and reboot the router to fix some websites not opening with the browser issue. To resolve other DNS errors, see the article – Resolve DNS errors and regain Internet access.
8. Flush the DNS cache
Some Windows 10 users have claimed that they have fixed some websites not loading browser error by clearing the DNS cache. So, in this step, you need to clear your computer’s DNS cache.
To flush the DNS cache, right-click on the Windows key and select ‘Command Prompt (Admin). Type in the command prompt window ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter. Once done, restart your PC to fix the problem.
9. Run a Netsh command
The Netsh command on Windows resets your misconfigured Winsock catalog. The same sequence will also uninstall and reinstall the TCP/IP stack. Here’s what to do.
- Click on the Windows search and type command prompt.
- Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- When the command prompt opens, run these commands individually and press Enter after each.
netsh winsock reset netsh int ip reset ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew ipconfig /flushdns
After running all the commands, restart your Windows PC to apply the changes.
10. Use different DNS
Every website you search on the internet is resolved using the DNS server. Sometimes some websites fail to load when the DNS server is not getting the exact answer from your browser or the DNS servers are not working properly due to errors.
You can try switching to a different DNS server; many servers are available to the public, such as Google Public DNS and OpenDNS, etc. For the list of best public DNS servers, check out the article – Best Free and Public DNS Servers
11. Disable network adapters
Desktop computers and laptops now have wired and wireless network cards to connect to the Internet. These two cards are meant to work simultaneously, but they cause a lot of problems, including websites not opening.
Many Windows 10 users on Microsoft forums have claimed that they solved the problems accessing the website by disabling the unused network adapters.
To disable the network adapter, open Network Center > Change adapter settings. On that page, disable all network adapters except the connected one.
So, these are some of the best methods to help you fix some websites not loading/opening in a web browser. I hope this article helped you to share it with your friends as well.