7 Ways to Fix Windows Can't Communicate With the Device or Resource

The Domain Name System (DNS) is responsible for translating web addresses into IP addresses.
addresses. It is basically a type of phonebook where public IP addresses and their host names are stored.

When trying to access the internet, windows users are experiencing an unusual error, That is the,

'' Windows can't communicate with device or resource ''

What this error means is that the computer was unable to establish a connection with the primary DNS server. Therefore, you have to find a way for your computer to reach the DNS server. Users may receive this error irrespective of how the connection is made (wireless or ethernet). Through any means you will not be able to access the internet.

Even though there are lots of reasons why your computer cannot make a connection, the good news is that there are several troubleshooting solutions which can easily resolve this error.

In this article, I will be describing about the 7 Ways to Fix Windows Can't Communicate With the Device or Resource. These solutions are highly effective to resolve this error. Keep trying everything until you find the one works for you.

Let's get started,

1. Change DNS Server

The DNS server which your computer uses is provided by the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Apart from the default DNS server you can use other options to check if it fixes the issue. Some popular options for public DNS are the OpenDNS, Google DNS and Cloudflare. This way you can make sure that DNS issues are not the reason for this error.

To change DNS server,

Go to Start
Type '' network connections '' and right click on it
Select '' Properties ''
Select '' Local Area Connection ''
Press '' Properties ''
Choose '' Use the following DNS server address ''
Type - 8.8.8.8 for the preferred DNS server
Type - 8.8.4.4 for the alternate DNS server
Check '' Validate Settings upon exit ''
Press Ok

2. Flush DNS

When you browse the web, your computer's DNS cache stores IP address of websites. This information is essential for name resolution. Over a certain period of time it can get accumulated and cause complications. One good way to fix this is by flushing DNS cache. Flushing DNS cache makes your computer release existing DNS data.

To flush DNS,

Press '' Windows + R ''
Type '' cmd '' Right click on it and select the option Run as Administrator
Type the command and Press Enter

ipconfig /flush dns

ipconfig /renew

3. Switch IP Settings

Windows will not be able to establish a connection if the adapter settings are incorrect. Especially this happens if your computer is with static IP address of either IPv4 or IPv6. So you must change both IPv4 and IPv6 settings. This can instantly fix windows can't communicate with the device or resource error.

For switch IP settings,

Press '' Windows + R ''
Type '' ncpa.cpl ''
Choose your network adapter
Right click on it and Select Properties
Select Internet Protocol Version 4 ( TCP/IPv4 )
Go to General tab
Check the boxes,

Obtain an IP address automatically

Obtain DNS address automatically

8. Press Ok

4. Update Drivers

There is a possibility for this error to occur if your computer is with outdated drivers. To avoid such network connectivity issues it is essential to update the drivers. Especially, the network adapter drivers. Once the drivers are updated, the error windows can't communicate with the device or resource will be resolved. Since you cannot connect to the internet directly, you must find a different PC and download the required drivers from there.

5. Reset TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP//IP) is an important protocol in the field of communication. This protocol allows different devices to communicate with each other. Once this protocol gets corrupted, your computer can no longer transfer data packets successfully. For this you will need to reset the TCP/IP settings.

To reset TCP/IP,

Go to Start
Type '' cmd '' and right click on it
Choose '' Run as Administrator ''
Type and press Enter after the command

'' netsh int ip reset ''

6. Edit Host File

The windows operating system uses host files to store a database of host names as well as their IP addresses. Certain changes in the host file can trigger such connectivity problems. Deleting everything inside the host file has proved to fix this error.

To edit host files,

Open Windows Explorer
Go to C drive → Windows → System32 → drivers → etc
Right click on host file
Select Open with
Choose the option Notepad
Press '' Ctrl + A ''
Press the Delete button
Press '' Ctrl + S ''

7. Restart Router

If your router is with incorrect configuration it can also be the reason for this error. Any unnecessary can make the router to not work properly. So restarting the router is the solution to revert the changes made. Once you restart the router, everything will change back to defaults. Some routers comes with the reset button on its back. Pressing this button, resets the router.