How to Fix “Proxy Server Isn’t Responding” Error

This tutorial breaks the treatment down into easy-to-follow steps. You’ll learn how to discover apps that look suspicious, fix faulty browsers, and get rid of hidden proxy settings that could interrupt your connection. All the steps are safe, quick, and easy for regular people, not network engineers, and they work for all types of internet connections.
Please stay with us, go through the list, and then come back to a fast, clear web browsers connection. To fix it now, scroll down. Your browser – and its newly liberated proxy – will be happy. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Uninstall Suspicious Programs

Many proxy server problems occur when garbage applications are quickly installed. After they’ve gotten onto your system via drive-by installers, toolbars, coupon pop-ups, and “PC boosters” mess with browser settings and deactivate your proxy server. Some bundles hide a residential proxy that routes all traffic through unknown IPs. Remove them this way. Remove all proxy server settings in minutes.

Go to Settings ▸ Apps (or Control Panel ▸ Programs and Features on older Windows). After installation, organise the list. Putting anything before “no response” seems suspicious. Consider “Updater,” “Optimiser,” or “Helper,” which are unclear. Click Uninstall and continue for each. To remove leftover memory files, restart your computer after the list looks good.

Step 2: Disable Proxy in System Settings

If your system proxy server is set up incorrectly—perhaps while configuring proxy for a VPN—it can prevent all browser requests from accessing any site. It can be diagnosed fastest by turning it off. Fast proxy server checks can run on any desktop. Select computer-friendly items:

Windows 10/11

1. Choose Proxy in Settings, Network, and Internet.
2. Add the proxy address automatically with Automatic proxy server setup.
3. Use a proxy server and disable Address and Port fields in Manual proxy server configuration.
4. Shut the window after saving.

macOS

1. Choose Wi-Fi or Ethernet in System Settings’ Network.
2. Choose Details/Advanced Proxies.
3. Uncheck “HTTP” and “HTTPS” Web Proxy.
4. Click OK, Apply. All macOS system-level proxy servers are controlled by one panel.

Page refresh. If everything loads, the bad proxy server was to blame; if your browser is not connecting, continue.

Step 3: Reset Internet Explorer Settings

Your computer keeps Internet Explorer even if you never use it. It can secretly change system-wide network connections. An outdated add-on or policy may send all requests through a broken proxy server, freezing apps with a not responding message. Resetting undoes changes, fixing it.

1. Launch Internet Explorer. If no icon appears, type “iexplore” into Start.
2. Select Gear > Internet Options. Legacy corporate script proxy server directives are often hidden in this menu.
3. Click Reset after selecting Advanced.
4. Then check Delete personal settings and click Reset again to remove toolbars and custom settings.
5. Close Internet Explorer, restart Windows, and visit a website. Outdated settings loaded with pages. If not, continue 4.

Step 4: Reset Google Chrome Settings

Chrome restricts networks and add-ons. One profile failing can cause all tabs to use a broken proxy server, displaying an infinite “waiting for answer” spinner. The most obvious silent proxy server failure sign. Reset the browser to factory faults, addressing the issue and keep your bookmarks and passwords.

1. Type chrome://settings/reset in Chrome’s address bar.
2. Click Restore settings to their original defaults → Reset settings.
3. Hold on. Turn off add-ons, clear cache, and refresh the homepage to see if Chrome responds.

Cookies, bookmarks, and site preferences are deleted. Try a new page after Chrome restarts before reinstalling extensions.

Step 5: Remove Harmful Chrome Extensions

Free proxy proxy services can silently change your connection settings without passing any security checks, sending all requests through a rogue proxy server and cutting off the normal response chain. A quick audit helps.

1. Enable Developer mode at chrome://extensions.
2. Last update sort. Automatic pre-event updates and installs.
3. Look for warnings:
4. Unknown or blank publisher

• “Needs access to all websites” but offers no clear benefit
• Sudden spikes in CPU, memory, or network use
• Poor ratings or many recent 1-star reviews

5. Each suspect on/off If the web loads again, click Remove to permanently delete it.
6. Close Chrome and try. Keep only reliable, daily extensions.

Step 6: Reset Network Configuration Manually

Resetting browser, DNS settings, or networking settings may not fix the issue. Computers usually connect to web servers after a command line cleanup. Ran these two commands sequentially using Command Prompt as an administrator and issuing each line exactly:

DNS servers that cache outdated, or corrupt IP addresses may redirect traffic. Ipconfig /flushdns stales dns addresses from your cache.

Netsh winsock reset recreates the Windows socket catalogue to disable malware hooks that hijack proxies or stop answers. Proxy server handshakes are restored by these commands.

When the desktop appears after closing and restarting, try a page to see if it connects. Page loading again indicates network stack issues. Continue last registry sweep if not.

Step 7: Clean Proxy Entries from Windows Registry

Even after changing all other settings, Windows can send all traffic through a dead proxy server, blocking all responses, due to old registry proxy configurations. Slow registry changes are safe:

1. Type regedit and press Enter while holding Windows and R.
2. Browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings.
3. In the right pane, click twice to set ProxyEnable to 0.
4. Delete any ProxyServer or ProxyOverride strings that list unknown addresses or ports.

Before changing anything, go to File > Export to backup or restore. It creates proxy server entries after rebooting. Close Regedit and launch a website. The last issue was the bad entry, if it works.

Final Thoughts

We just spoke about seven ways to fix the “Proxy server isn’t responding” problem. To fix the misconfigured proxy server that stops your browser from making and receiving requests, delete any suspicious apps and stubborn registry keys.If any of these fixes restored your internet service, please send this article to a friend or coworker who might be having common problems. Happy browsing!