"Windows Couldn't Connect to the Proxy Server"? Reset Your Proxy Settings

Web pages won’t load and you see “Windows couldn’t connect to the proxy server” (or “There is something wrong with the proxy server, or the address is incorrect”).

Why: Something configured your PC to route traffic through a proxy server that no longer exists or never did — often left behind by adware, a VPN app, or an old corporate setting. With no working proxy to reach, every connection fails. The fix is to turn the proxy off (unless your workplace genuinely requires one) and reset the underlying WinHTTP proxy back to direct.

Fix 1: Turn off the proxy in Settings

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy.
2. Under Automatic proxy setup, leave Automatically detect settings on, but turn Use setup script off (unless your IT department gave you a script address).
3. Under Manual proxy setup, select Set up next to Use a proxy server, turn the Use a proxy server toggle off, and select Save.

Restart your browser and retry. For most home PCs this is the whole fix.

Fix 2: Reset the WinHTTP proxy to direct

The Settings page above controls the per-user (WinInet) proxy. Windows also has a separate WinHTTP proxy that system services and many apps use, and it can hold a stale entry. Reset it.

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

netsh winhttp show proxy
netsh winhttp reset proxy

• show proxy displays what’s currently set (you may see a leftover server).
• reset proxy resets the WinHTTP proxy setting to DIRECT, removing any configured proxy so apps connect to the internet directly.

Close and reopen your browser, or reboot, then retry.

Fix 3: Remove what keeps turning the proxy back on

If the proxy re-enables itself after you turn it off, an app or unwanted program is setting it:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps and remove anything you don’t recognize (toolbars, “browser security” or “speed-up” tools, ad-supported software).
2. Run a malware scan (Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Quick scan).
3. Then redo Fix 1 and Fix 2.

FAQ

Should I leave “Automatically detect settings” on? Yes, that’s the normal default and is fine on home networks. The problem setting is usually a stale manual proxy or a bad setup script URL — those are what to clear.

My work PC needs the proxy. Then don’t disable it — get the correct proxy address (or PAC/setup-script URL) from your IT department and re-enter it under Manual proxy setup or Use setup script.

Difference between the Settings proxy and WinHTTP? The Settings proxy applies to your user/browser; WinHTTP is a system-level proxy used by services and updates. A stale value in either can cause failures, so clear both.

Sources: Microsoft Support — Use a proxy server in Windows · Microsoft Learn — netsh winhttp