Windows Winsock Reset Commands

How to manually do a Windows winsock reset through the command prompt:

1. Open the command prompt
2. Type netsh winsock reset and hit ‘enter’
3. Type netsh int ip reset log.txt and hit ‘enter

These commands reset TCP/IP and Windows Socket.

What is a Winsock and Do I Wear Them?

Not Quite. Winsock defines how Windows network software should access TCP/IP connections and other network services.

Why a Windows Winsock Reset?

The Windows TCP/IP stack winsock settings can sometimes get corrupted. This causes network and Internet connection errors. So you’ll need to clear it out by resetting it. You’ll be surprise how much this fixes things and how often it’s needed.

What Causes TCP/IP stack Winsock Corruption?

This can be from many reasons like the installation of networking software, malware, VPN clients, or cleanup due to automated scanning tools.

You’ll know when you need to try it when connectivity looks good but your browser is displaying Page cannot be displayed type of error messages.

Conclusion

There you have it. If you still have issues, sometimes the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service shuts down as well.

To reset the Windows Firewall, run this command from a command prompt: netsh firewall reset.

Other things to try:

• Restart your computer.
• Verify your device manager shows your network devices as having drivers.
• Make sure network devices are connected and transmitting. You may need to restart these devices.
• If you’re connecting wirelessly, check out my Windows Wireless Troubleshooting article. I go over a few more network things to try.

Further reading on winsock corruption is available at Microsoft Support.