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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →WSANO_DATA is Winsock error 11004 (0x2AFC): Windows found a valid hostname, but the DNS lookup returned no record of the type the application requested. The name may exist while its IPv4 (A), IPv6 (AAAA), service, or other requested record is missing. To fix it, verify the hostname, identify the requested address family, inspect DNS from the affected network, allow a valid fallback family when possible, and update legacy code that still calls gethostbyname.
What WSANO_DATA means
Microsoft defines WSANO_DATA as error 11004 (0x2AFC): “The requested name is valid, but no data of the requested type was found.” That wording is more precise than saying the server does not exist. The hostname can be correctly spelled and present in DNS, yet the specific record requested by the program can still be absent.
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For example, a game launcher might request an IPv4 address (an A record) while a server publishes only IPv6 (an AAAA record). An IPv6-only request can fail when only an A record exists. A call for a service or other DNS record can likewise return WSANO_DATA when the name is valid but that record type is not available.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsMicrosoft’s gethostbyname documentation gives the same interpretation and notes that the function is deprecated. New Windows Sockets applications should use getaddrinfo or GetAddrInfoW, which can translate names for the address families an application supports.
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How the error appears in games and launchers
Players generally see WSANO_DATA indirectly: a launcher cannot sign in, a multiplayer session cannot find its service, a download endpoint times out, or a dedicated-server browser reports that a host is unavailable. The visible message may say DNS failure, name resolution failed, or Winsock error 11004 rather than displaying WSANO_DATA.
The error is different from a misspelled or nonexistent hostname. Windows uses WSAHOST_NOT_FOUND (11001) when the host itself cannot be found. WSANO_DATA means the name was accepted but the requested data was not returned. That distinction determines whether you should correct the name or investigate record types and address-family handling.
Before changing settings: capture the exact failure
Write down the complete hostname shown by the game, launcher, server browser, or log. Include any subdomain and a trailing dot if one is displayed. A copied hostname can contain a typo, an extra space, or a suffix that changes which DNS zone is queried.
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- Record the game or launcher version, Windows edition, and whether the problem affects one title or every networked application.
- Note whether the failure occurs on home Wi-Fi, wired Ethernet, a school or work network, a VPN, or a mobile hotspot.
- Check whether web browsing works. Working web pages do not prove that the particular game hostname or record family is available.
- Save the exact error text and the time it occurred. DNS records can differ between resolvers and can change during an outage or migration.
Manual fix sequence
1. Confirm the hostname and its intended scope
Check the name character by character. Determine whether it is meant to be a public Internet host, a private company or school host, or a local machine on your LAN. Internal names may resolve only when you are connected to the organization’s DNS or VPN; public resolvers will not necessarily know them.
Also check search-domain behavior. A short name such as match may be expanded differently by different networks, while match.example.net is unambiguous. If the game provides a server address, enter the fully qualified hostname rather than an assumed alias.
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2. Identify what the application requested
Find out whether the failing call requests IPv4, IPv6, or another record type. A developer can inspect the socket call or its address-family hint; a player can look for separate IPv4/IPv6 options in a server browser or launcher log. The important question is not merely “does this name resolve?” but “does it resolve to the type this caller asked for?”
- IPv4: the caller needs an A record and uses
AF_INET. - IPv6: the caller needs an AAAA record and uses
AF_INET6. - Protocol-independent: the caller can request addresses for either family and try the usable result.
- Service or other records: the caller may require a record beyond A or AAAA; the name can be valid even when that record is absent.
If you cannot determine the family, continue with separate A and AAAA tests and ask the game developer or server administrator which family the service supports.
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3. Query A and AAAA records from the affected network
Open Command Prompt and query the exact hostname:
nslookup game-host.examplenslookup -type=A game-host.examplenslookup -type=AAAA game-host.example
Replace game-host.example with the real name; do not include the angle brackets. The first command shows which DNS server answered and the records it returned. The type-specific commands let you see whether IPv4 or IPv6 data exists. Run the same tests while connected to the network where the game fails, because a home resolver, VPN resolver, and mobile provider can return different results.
If an A record is present but the AAAA query has no answer, an IPv6-only request can produce WSANO_DATA even though the host is valid. The reverse is also possible. If neither query returns the needed data, the authoritative DNS configuration or the name itself requires attention. If another network returns a record while the affected network does not, investigate split DNS, filtering, or the resolver assigned by that network.
4. Compare resolvers without guessing
nslookup displays the resolver used by Windows. Repeat the query on a second connection you are allowed to use, such as a phone hotspot, and compare the answers. A difference does not by itself identify which resolver is correct: private names may intentionally be visible only to an internal resolver, and some networks filter categories of traffic.
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For a game on a managed network, ask the administrator whether the hostname is intentionally restricted and whether a VPN is required. For a public game service, provide the operator with the hostname, record type, resolver address, and the returned result rather than reporting only “DNS is broken.”
5. Clear stale local DNS data and retry
After a DNS administrator adds or changes a record, Windows or the game may still hold an older answer. In an elevated Command Prompt, run:
ipconfig /flushdnsClose and reopen the launcher or game after the command completes. If the program maintains its own DNS cache, a full application restart is necessary. Re-run the A and AAAA queries; flushing the cache cannot create a record that the resolver does not publish.
6. Let the application use the family that exists
If testing shows that only one address family is published, configure the game or launcher to use that family when the software offers an IPv4/IPv6 choice. A protocol-independent client should try the available addresses rather than treating the absence of one family as proof that the hostname is invalid.
Do not disable IPv6 system-wide merely because an AAAA query is empty. An empty AAAA response is normal for an IPv4-only service, and disabling a protocol can break other games, Windows features, or local networks. Change a family preference only when the application or network administrator documents that requirement, and restore the original setting if it does not help.
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7. Check the game’s endpoint and server configuration
Launchers sometimes obtain service hostnames from a configuration file or account region setting. Verify that the selected region, custom server address, and port are current. If a community server administrator recently moved the service, an old alias can remain valid in DNS while no longer publishing the record type the client requests.
For a server you administer, verify the DNS zone contains the needed A or AAAA record and that the record is visible from the network where players connect. If the application requires a service record, publish that record as specified by the application rather than substituting an A record. The exact missing record must be confirmed in the affected environment; WSANO_DATA alone does not reveal which record was absent.
8. Check VPN, proxy, and split-DNS behavior
Temporarily compare results with the VPN connected and disconnected, following your organization’s policy. A VPN can intentionally send internal names to an internal resolver, while a public resolver may return no data. A proxy can also route the launcher differently from the game itself, so test the failing executable rather than assuming that a browser result applies.
If the name works only with the VPN, keep the VPN enabled for that service or ask the administrator for the approved public endpoint. If it works only without the VPN, the VPN’s DNS policy or tunnel routing may need correction. Avoid hard-coding a public address for a private service; addresses can change and may bypass required access controls.
9. Distinguish WSANO_DATA from neighboring Winsock errors
| Error | Value | Meaning | First question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSANO_DATA | 11004 (0x2AFC) | The name is valid, but no data of the requested type was found. | Which record or address family did the caller request? |
| WSAHOST_NOT_FOUND | 11001 | The host name could not be found. | Is the hostname spelled correctly and available on this DNS scope? |
Treating 11004 as 11001 can lead you to repeatedly edit the hostname when the real issue is an absent A, AAAA, or service record. Conversely, adding a record will not fix 11001 if the name belongs to the wrong DNS zone.
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For developers: replace legacy lookups and handle the result
gethostbyname is a legacy IPv4-oriented choice
Microsoft marks gethostbyname as deprecated and urges developers creating Windows Sockets 2 applications to use getaddrinfo instead. Legacy code may request only IPv4 data, or may interpret the absence of an IPv4 record as a total hostname failure. That behavior is especially visible when a service is IPv6-only or when the DNS zone publishes families unevenly.
Use getaddrinfo or GetAddrInfoW for protocol-independent translation
Choose address-family hints that match the application’s design. A dual-stack game service should allow both IPv4 and IPv6 and attempt the usable results. An IPv4-only protocol should request IPv4 deliberately and report that the required A record is missing rather than claiming the hostname is invalid. The API can return multiple addresses, so connection code should be prepared to try the returned list according to its timeout and fallback policy.
Do not silently convert every WSANO_DATA result into a generic “Internet disconnected” message. Show the hostname and the requested family in a diagnostic log, while presenting players with an actionable message such as “This server has no IPv6 address; try IPv4 or contact the server operator.”
Asynchronous lookups need completion-status handling
WSAAsyncGetHostByName reports lookup failures through the completion message. Microsoft lists WSANO_DATA there as “Valid name, no data record of requested type.” The window-message handler should inspect that status, associate it with the hostname and request, and avoid using an uninitialized address buffer. A retry is useful only after the underlying DNS or family condition changes; repeated identical asynchronous calls do not create missing records.
API and behavior comparison
| API | Generation | Address-family behavior | Execution model | WSANO_DATA implication |
|---|---|---|---|---|
gethostbyname |
Legacy; deprecated by Microsoft | IPv4-oriented | Synchronous | Can expose a missing IPv4 record even when the name has another usable family. |
getaddrinfo / GetAddrInfoW |
Current recommendation for new Windows Sockets applications | Protocol-independent; use address-family hints appropriate to the application | Synchronous by default | Callers must handle the case where one requested family has no record and use another returned family when supported. |
WSAAsyncGetHostByName |
Legacy asynchronous lookup | Host-name lookup with the requested data type reported in completion status | Asynchronous Windows message | The completion message can report WSANO_DATA when the valid name lacks the requested record. |
Common causes and the matching remedy
- Only one address family is published: confirm A and AAAA separately, then enable the family that exists or implement fallback.
- Wrong DNS scope: connect to the required VPN or internal network, or use the approved resolver.
- Stale cache: flush the Windows DNS cache, restart the affected application, and test again.
- Outdated game endpoint: verify region and server settings with the service operator.
- Legacy client code: migrate from
gethostbynametogetaddrinfoand handle each returned address. - Incorrect diagnosis: compare 11004 with 11001 before changing DNS records.
A narrow historical case that is not a general fix
A 2012 third-party technical report associated WSANO_DATA with a specific 32-bit large-address-aware application scenario on 64-bit Windows and cited Microsoft KB 2588507. That report describes a narrow, historical compatibility case. It should not be treated as the standard remedy for current game, launcher, or DNS failures. Start with the hostname, requested record family, and live DNS responses in the affected environment.
When to contact the game or DNS operator
Escalate when the exact hostname is correct, the required record is absent from authoritative DNS, or different networks consistently show contradictory answers. Include the error number, hostname, requested family, A and AAAA query results, resolver used, and whether the service is public or internal. This evidence lets the operator determine whether to add a record, correct split-DNS policy, publish the intended service record, or document an IPv4/IPv6 requirement.
Quick Recap
Practical checklist
- Copy the exact hostname and determine whether it is public, local, or VPN-only.
- Identify whether the caller needs IPv4, IPv6, a service record, or another type.
- Run
nslookupfor the hostname and separate A and AAAA queries on the failing network. - Compare the result with an approved alternate network or resolver.
- Flush the Windows DNS cache and restart the launcher or game.
- Use the available address family when the application supports fallback; do not disable IPv6 indiscriminately.
- For software you develop, migrate deprecated lookups to
getaddrinfoorGetAddrInfoWand handle WSANO_DATA distinctly from 11001. - Give the operator the hostname, record type, resolver, and captured results if DNS configuration must change.
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