How to enable and test DNS over HTTPS on Windows 10 devices
Microsoft revealed plans to integrate DNS over HTTPS in Windows 10 in November 2019. DNS over HTTPS encrypts DNS lookups to improve privacy, security and reliability of the connection.
Most devices that are connected to the Internet rely on plain text DNS lookups. These lookups "translate" domain names, e.g. ghacks.net, to IP addresses that devices use to establish connections. Anyone listening on the network, including the ISP, knows exactly which sites and services are opened on the device because of this.
Browser makers such as Mozilla, Google, and Opera announced support for DNS over HTTPS and have started to integrate the feature into browsers. The solutions would allow users of these browsers to make use of the feature but it would only apply to the browser.
Microsoft's plan to introduce support for DNS over HTTPS in the operating system would enable support for all programs (including browsers) on that system.
The company decided to enable or disable the functionality based on the selected provider. If the DNS provider supports DNS over HTTPS, it would be used and otherwise, it would not. In other words: many users will see the privacy and security of DNS lookups improved once the feature lands in Windows without even noticing that this happened.
Microsoft has integrated DNS over HTTPs in recent Insider versions of Windows 10. Note that the feature has not yet been implemented in stable versions of Windows 10. It is not clear when this will be the case as Microsoft provides no schedule for that.
Note: The build number needs to be at least 19628. You can check the build number by loading winver from the Start menu.
How to enable DNS over HTTPS on Windows 10
Only Insider builds require that DNS over HTTPS is enabled in the Registry. Microsoft notes that this won't be necessary once the feature lands in stable versions of Windows 10.
- Tap on Start.
- Type regedit.exe and hit Enter to load the Registry Editor.
- Confirm the UAC prompt if it is displayed.
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters.
- Right-click on Parameters and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
- Name it EnableAutoDOH.
- Set its value to 2.
- Restart the Windows system.
You need to make sure that a provider that supports DNS over HTTPS is selected. Microsoft highlights three providers on its Tech Community website:
| Server Owner | Server IP addresses |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1
1.0.0.1 2606:4700:4700::1111 2606:4700:4700::1001 |
| 8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4 2001:4860:4860::8888 2001:4860:4860::8844 |
|
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9
149.112.112.112 2620:fe::fe 2620:fe::fe:9 |
These servers need to be set as the DNS server addresses on the system as these are the servers that get auto-promoted.
Administrators may add other DNS over HTTPS capable servers to the system so that these may be used as well.
The following commands need to be run with elevated privileges to add DNS over HTTPS capable servers to the system:
- netsh dns add encryption server=<your-server’s-IP-address> dohtemplate=<your-server’s-DoH-URI-template>
To verify the template, run the following command:
- netsh dns show encryption server=<your-server’s-IP-address>
Here is how you change DNS settings:
- Select Start > Settings > Network & Internet > Change adapter settings.
- Right-click on the adapter that is used and select Properties.
- Double-click on either Internet Protocol Version 4 or 6 (or both one after the other) to set a new DNS provider.
- Select "Use the following DNS server addresses".
- Enter the addresses listed above.
- Click ok to apply the changes.
Note that you can revert the changes at any time by switching to the "automatically" option or editing DNS servers.
How to test DNS over HTTPS on Windows 10
Windows 10 comes with built-in functionality to test whether DNS over HTTPS is working.
- Open a PowerShell window.
- Run the following commands one after the other:
- pktmon filter remove // removes any existing filters.
- pktmon filter add -p 53 // adds traffic filter for port 53, the port that classic DNS uses.
- pktmon start --etw -m real-time // start real-time logging of traffic.
- If DNS over HTTPS is used, it show "little to no traffic".
Now You: What is your take on DNS over HTTPS? Will you use it?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help