Why will some websites not load on laptop but work fine on mobile?

Hello，Joe Stoddart

Welcome to the Microsoft Community

Thank you for your feedback. I have read your description of the problem.

I understand the trouble this problem has caused you. According to your description of the problem, this problem may be caused by the DNS server, Host file problem or browsing extension. I suggest that you try the following methods to troubleshoot the error, which may help your current problem.

Reason 1. The DNS server used by the laptop (such as the operator's default DNS) may not correctly resolve the domain name of the target website, resulting in inaccessibility. Please try the following steps.

Right-click the network icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar → Select Open Network and Internet Settings → Click Change Adapter Options.

Right-click the currently connected network (Wi-Fi/Ethernet) → Select Properties → Double-click "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)".

Select Use the following DNS server address and enter:

Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8 (Google)

Alternative DNS: 8.8.4.4

Or use Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1

Click OK to save the settings.

To clear the DNS cache, press Win + R and enter cmd → Enter in the command prompt:

ipconfig /flushdns

You will see a prompt that the DNS resolution cache has been successfully refreshed.

Method 2. The firewall or security software may mistakenly identify the website as a threat and block access.

Go to Control Panel → System and Security → Windows Defender Firewall → Allow apps through the firewall.

Find the browser program (such as Chrome, Edge), and make sure that both private and public networks are checked.

Method 3. Some browser extensions may prevent the website from loading. Please try the following method to disable the extension.

Press Ctrl + Shift + N. If you can open the website in Incognito mode, it means that the problem is related to the cache or extension.

To clear the browser cache, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete → Select the time range as All time → Check the cached images and files → Click Clear data.

To disable all extensions, click the three dots in the upper right corner, select Manage extensions, and turn off the switch for each extension.

Method 4. Malware or some software may modify the HOSTS file and point the domain name to the wrong IP. This results in inaccessibility.

Press Win + R and enter notepad → right-click to run Notepad as an administrator.

Click File → Open → Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc → Change the file type to all files → Select hosts.

Check if there is anything similar to the following, 127.0.0.1 www.example.com

Delete the abnormal line → Save the file

Method 5. Manually configured proxy servers (such as VPN or corporate networks) may cause connection abnormalities and inability to access related websites.

Go to Settings → Network and Internet → Proxy → Make sure that automatic detection is set to On.

In the Manual proxy setting section, confirm that the use of proxy servers is Off.

Method 6. HTTPS certificate verification depends on system time. If the time deviation is too large (such as exceeding the certificate validity period), the connection will fail.

Right-click the time in the lower right corner of the taskbar → Select Adjust date/time → Turn on Automatically set time and Automatically set time zone.

If the time is still wrong, click Sync Now → Select the Other Clocks tab and confirm that the time zone is correct (such as UTC+8).

Best regards

Brian - Microsoft Community Support Specialist