How to Fix Windows has Detected an IP Address Conflict on Windows 10

Have you noticed your Windows 10 computer lost Internet connection, displaying an error message “Windows has detected an IP address conflict”. This Network error mostly occurs when two systems are assigned to the same Internet Protocol address using Local Area Network. Therefore, causing IP address conflict. Fortunately, you can easily fix it. In this post, we will discuss the best complete solutions to help you fix the IP address conflict error.

What is PC IP Address?

Internet Protocol address is a unique address which your PC obtains whenever it connects to the Internet.

There are 2 types of IP address:

• Static IP address – assigned manually and it never changes.
• Dynamic IP address – assigned automatically every time your machine connects to the Internet.

What is an IP Address Conflict?

Basically, this network error (IP address conflict) occurs on LAN, where 2 systems are connected to the same network and also assigned to the same IP address.

For example, if you have three machines (machine1, machine2, and machine3) connected to the same network. When machine1 sends a message to machine2 that uses IP address to communicate to machine2. If machine2 and machine3 are using the same IP address, machine1 will not understand where to send the message hence creating the conflict.

What causes an IP Address Conflict?

As mentioned earlier, IP address conflict) occurs on LAN, where 2 systems are connected to the same network and also assigned to the same IP address. This conflict can be caused by:

• Wrong network configuration
• DNS cache
• Malfunctioning DHCP servers

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network management protocol that aids a server to assign an IP address to a computer automatically.

Resolve IP Address Conflict Windows 10

We have collected effective solutions to assist you in fixing IP address conflict error. You do not have to try all the solutions, just work your way down until you fix this network error.

Method #1: Run Advanced System Repair

The easiest way to repair your computer is using Advanced System Repair Tool, we highly recommend it. It is a program that brings you all the tools you need to clean, fix, optimize, protect, and boost the performance of your machine.

Click the button below to download this tool for FREE:

After installation, the application immediately starts gathering crucial data about your PC, such as memory and CPU performance. It also checks for junk files and continues scanning deeper into the system files. After scanning is completed, you are shown the critical issues to fix, items to clean, and the amount of disk space to free up.

Click Fix, Clean & Optimize Now to initiate the cleaning process. All the issues found on your computer will be resolved.

Method #2: Reset Your Router

Sometimes, you need to reset your router to solve IP address conflict error.

Step 1

First of all, shut down your computer.

Step 2

Then switch off your router.

Step 3

Now, unplug the power cables from your router. Wait for a few minutes before you connect back.

Step 4

Connect all your cables back to the router.

Step 5

Switch on the router. Once your router is entirely on, switch on your PC.

Method #3: Run Network Adapter Troubleshooter

Running the network adapter troubleshooter finds and fixes problems with wireless and other network adapters. To do so:

Step 1

Press Windows key + I at the same time to open Settings.

Step 2

Select “Update & Security”

Step 3

From the left pane, choose “Troubleshooter”. Under “Find and fix other problems”, scroll down to “Network Adapter”. Select it then click the “Run the troubleshooter” button.

Step 5

After this, run the Internet troubleshooter. Scroll back up then select “Internet Connections”.

Step 6

Click the “Run the troubleshooter”

Step 7

Restart your system. Now, check if your IP address has a conflict.

Method #4: Release and Renew Your IP Address 

Windows 10 users have reported that this method has helped in solving IP address conflict. To do so:

Step 1

Go to the taskbar, click the search icon then enter command prompt in the search box. Right-click on the cmd then select “Run as administrator”.

After you launch command prompt as administrator, you will see a User Account Control window prompting you with permission to make changes to your device. Click the “Yes” button.

Step 2

In the command prompt window, type the following then press Enter key on your keyboard:

ipconfig/release

The above command line tells the DHCP server that the old IP address is free to be assigned.

Step 3

In the command prompt window, type the following then press Enter:

ipconfig/renew

The above command line requests for a new IP address.

Step 4

After your done entering the commands, type exit then hit Enter to close the cmd.

Check to see if you can connect to the internet, continue to the next method if your IP address has a conflict.

Method #5: Flush Your Windows 10 DNS Cache

DNS cache can corrupt your files causing issues, such as IP address conflict. To clear DNS cache:

Step 1

Go to the taskbar, click the search icon and type command prompt in the search box. Right-click on the cmd then select “Run as administrator”.

After you launch command prompt as administrator, you will see a User Account Control window prompting you with permission to make changes to your device. Click the “Yes” button.

Step 2

In the command prompt window, enter the following then hit Enter key on your keyboard:

ipconfig/flushdns

The above command line clears DNS cache.

Step 3

In the command prompt window, type the following then hit Enter key on your keyboard:

ipconfig/renew

The above command line requests for a new IP address.

Step 4

After your done entering the commands, type exit and hit Enter to close the cmd.

If your IP address has a conflict, continue to the next method.

Method #6: Upgrade Your Network Adapter Drivers

Outdated drivers are incompatible. Updating them and trying to connect to your internet is an excellent way to fix IP address conflict. To do so:

Step 1

Go to the taskbar, click the search icon, type device manager, and then select the first match.

Step 2

In the Device Manager window, you will see a list of device drivers.

Step 3

Select the device you want to upgrade. Right-click on it then choose “Properties” from the menu.

Step 4

In the properties window, select “Driver” tab then click the “Update Driver” button.

Step 5

In the next tab, you will see two options. Select “Search automatically for updated driver software”.

Step 6

Your system will search for updates.

If you have the latest device driver version, you will see a message stating that “The best drivers for your device are already installed.” Otherwise, your PC should perform an automatic update of the driver.

Step 7

Repeat the above steps to update other device drivers you want.

Step 8

Once you are done updating all the drivers, restart your computer. Simply, click the Windows icon on the taskbar, press the power icon, then select “Restart.”

Check to see if you can connect to the internet, continue to the next method if your IP address has a conflict.

Method #7: Reset the TCP/IP

Also, this method is simple; therefore, you should try it out. First, you should create a system restore point before trying this solution.

Step 1

Go to the taskbar, click the search icon then type command prompt in the search box. Right-click on the cmd then select “Run as administrator”.

After you launch command prompt as administrator, you will see a User Account Control window prompting you with permission to make changes to your device. Click the “Yes” button.

Step 2

In the command prompt, type the following then hit Enter key:

netsh winsock reset catalog

The above command line refreshes the network adapter. 

You will see the below confirmation:

“Successfully reset the Winsock Catalog. You must restart the computer in order to complete the reset.”

Step 3

In the command prompt, type the following then hit Enter key:

netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log

A confirmation list will be displayed.

Step 4

 In the command prompt, type the following then hit Enter key:

netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log

Another confirmation list is displayed.

Step 5

After you are done entering the commands, type ‘exit’ then hit Enter to close the command prompt.

Step 6

Finally, you need to restart your machine to allow changes. Click the Windows icon, press the power icon, then select “Restart.”

Step 7

Press the Windows Key + R at the same time to launch Run. Type “services.msc” then click OK.

Step 8

Scroll down the list of services until to find Wired AutoConfig. Double-click to open its properties.

Step 9

In the general tab, set the “Startup type” to “Automatic” then click “Start” to run the service. Also, you need to click the “Apply” and “OK” buttons for the changes to take effect.

Step 10

Again, select Wired AutoConfig service then double-click to open its properties.

Step 11

Make sure the “Startup type” is “Automatic” and the “Service status” is “Running”. After you make changes, click the “Apply” and “OK” buttons. This should fix your IP address conflict error. If it doesn’t solve your issue, proceed to the next solution.

Method #8: Set Your IP Address Manually

When you connect to a network, you are provided with a unique IP address by DHCP. However, if there is a problem with DHCP or with its configuration, you will face IP address conflict error.

You can add an IP address manually to your PC to fix this problem. To do so:

Step 1

Press Windows Key + X simultaneously on your keyboard.

Step 2

Select “Network Connections” from the list.

Step 3

Under “Change your network settings”, choose “Change adapter options” to see network adapters and change connection configuration.

Step 4

In the Network Connections window, select the network you are using. In our case, it is “Wi-Fi”.

Step 5

Right-click on your network then select “Properties” from the menu.

Step 6

In the Wi-Fi Properties window, choose “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” from the list. Then click the “Properties” button.

Step 7

In the IPv4 Properties window, select the radio button next to “Use the following IP address” then enter the IP address, Subnet mask, and Default gateway.

Step 8

Set IP address to 192.168.1.x (you can replace x with any number, in our case we have used 14).

Set Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0. Then set Default gateway to 192.168.1.1.

Step 9

Now, select the radio button next to “Use the following DNS server addresses”. Set Preferred DNS server to 208.67.222.222 then set Alternate DNS server to 208.67.220.220.

Step 10

Click the “OK” button. Check if the solution has fixed your IP address conflict issue. If not, continue to the next solution.

Method #9: Perform a Clean Boot

A clean boot is done to launch OS by using only the essential set of drivers and startup programs. You will need to disable all third-party applications and services to determine if any of these apps is causing IP address conflict error. To do a clean boot:

Step 1

Press Windows Key + R at the same time to launch Run.

Step 2

Type “msconfig” into the Run box then click the “OK” button to open System Configuration.

Step 3

In the System Configuration window, select the radio button next to “Selective startup” then uncheck the checkbox next to “Load startup items”.

Step 4

Select the “Services” tab then mark the checkbox next to “Hide all Microsoft services”. This will hide all Microsoft apps and services since we only need to disable third-party applications.

Step 5

Press the “Disable all” button.

Step 6

Select the “Startup” tab then click the “Open Task Manager” link.

Step 7

In the Task Manager window, you will see a list of startup apps. Right-click each enabled application then disable it. Alternatively, you can select each enabled application then click the “Disable” button.

Step 8

After you are done disabling startup apps, exit the Task Manager, and return to the System Configuration. Click the “Apply” and “OK” buttons.

Step 9

Finally, restart your computer. This should fix your IP address conflict error.

Conclusion

Did these fixes assist you in fixing Windows 10 IP address conflict error? Share with us in the comment section below.