How to Fix Windows Client Not Registering in DNS? 3 Ways Here

Domain Name System (DNS) is able to convert a domain name into an IP address. Windows contains the DNS update feature that allows DNS client computers to register and update the records with a DNS server automatically. However, some people encounter the Windows client not registering in DNS issue, which prevents them from accessing the required data. The following content explains three solutions for you.

Way 1. Clear DNS Records and Register It

Flushing DNS is an easy way to remove bad caches and resolve network issues in some cases. You can clear the DNS records and then register it to resolve the computer not registering with DNS issue. Here is how to complete this operation using the Command Prompt.

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run window.

Step 2. Type cmd into the dialog and press Shift + Ctrl + Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 3. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter to execute it.

Step 4. Type the following command line and press Enter at the end of each one to register to DNS.

• ipconfig /registerdns
• net stop netlogon
• net start netlogon

Once the problem occurs again, you should check if it is triggered by the client not automatically updating DNS with the following method.

Way 2. Enable the DHCP Server to Update the DNS

If the Windows client not register in DNS problem still exists after carrying out the first method, you need to check the DHCP server settings. The DHCP server doesn’t register the DNS information might be the cause. Here is how to configure the DNS dynamic update:

Step 1. Click Start to find the Administrative Tools section and choose DHCP.

Step 2. Right-click on DHCP and choose DNS.

Step 3. For clients that support dynamic DNS update, you can tick the Enable DNS dynamic updates according to the settings below option. For other DHCP clients that don’t support dynamic DNS update, you should choose the Dynamically update DNS A and PTR records for DHCP clients that do not request for updates option.

After this configuration, you can check if the problem occurs again. If yes, please move on to check whether your device has sufficient permission.

Way 3. Check Domain Device Has Permissions

When your device is not included in the Active Directory Domain, any change in DNS will not be registered in your case. Hence, you are possibly encountering the Windows client not registering in DNS issue. You should first check whether your device is joined in the Active Directory and has sufficient permissions then take the corresponding solution.

Step 1. Press Win + X and select System from the WinX menu.

Step 2. Select System Properties on the right pane. In the following window, choose the Computer Name tab.

Step 3. You can check the detailed information in the Workgroup section. If there are no entries in this section, you are not a party of a domain. Thus, you should contact the administrator to add your account to the Active Directory.

If your device has joined the domain, you can check if there are enough permissions to make changes.  

Step 1. Open Windows Administrative Tools on your device.

Step 2. Select the Active Directory Users and Computers option.

Step 3. Click View on the top toolbar and choose Advanced Features.

Step 4. You can now find the target account from the right pane and right-click on it to choose Properties.

Step 5. In the following window, change to the Security tab where you can check the permission of the current account. If needed, you can contact the administrator to add the required permission to your account.

Final Words

This is all about how to fix the Windows client not registering in DNS issue on your device. Hope one of them works on your problem.