Dealing with the ‘Error Code 4: no internet connection detected’ message even when your connection clearly works can be downright frustrating. Especially with Spotify, because of course, Windows has to make fixing it more complicated than it needs to be, right? Sometimes, it’s just a weird glitch or a firewall blocking stuff, or even DNS hiccups. The goal here is to get Spotify to realize your internet is actually fine and remove that pesky error. The methods below are a mix of tweaks—some might fix it right away, others might take a bit longer, but they’re worth trying.
How to Fix Spotify Error Code 4: No Internet Connection in Windows
Modify the Registry Settings
This one seems odd, but tweaking the registry has helped quite a few folks. It’s about making sure Windows isn’t blocking or disabling some network probing that Spotify relies on. Especially useful if your internet connection works just fine elsewhere but Spotify throws that error.
- Hit the Windows key and type Registry Editor. Open it as admin (right-click, Run as administrator).
- Navigate to this path:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet - Look for EnableActiveProbing, right-click it, and choose Modify.
- Change its value to 1 — that basically tells Windows to be proactive about checking for internet connectivity.
- Close the registry editor and restart your PC. Sometimes, on some setups, this isn’t instant but should help Spotify ‘see’ your internet properly. Not sure why it works, but it did on a few machines.
Unblock Spotify from Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall can be a sneaky culprit. It might block Spotify even if your internet is functioning fine. Grabbing it from the firewall’s blocklist can fix the connection errors pretty easily.
- Open Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall.
- Click on Allowed Apps.
- Scroll through the list and find Spotify. If it’s not there, you might need to add it manually or just check your antivirus firewall settings if you’ve got one.
- Check the box next to Spotify and click OK.
Sometimes, adding it explicitly makes Spotify behave. Or at least stops Windows from blocking it behind the scenes. Works in some cases, but on other setups, you might need to also check network rules or your third-party security software.
Flush the DNS Cache
DNS cache issues can lead to weird connectivity errors. Flushing it is simple and often overlooked. It clears out any old or corrupt DNS info that might be confusing your system about where Spotify’s servers are.
- Open Command Prompt as admin (search for CMD, right-click, Run as administrator).
- Type in
ipconfig /flushdnsand press Enter. - When done, restart Spotify and see if it connects. This fix is quick and usually harmless.
Disable Windows Defender or Antivirus Temporarily
Security tools, especially some third-party antiviruses, can block Spotify’s access or interfere with its network detection—kind of weird, but it happens. Turning off real-time protection temporarily or creating an explicit exception for Spotify can fix the problem.
- Open your antivirus app.
- Find the real-time protection toggle—sometimes called Malware Protection or similar. Turn it off temporarily.
- Or add Spotify as an exception in the firewall rules/allowed apps.
Just be aware, turning off security isn’t recommended long-term, but it can tell if the software is the culprit. If that fixes it, then make sure to re-enable protection or add Spotify to your safe list.
Change DNS Settings to Google DNS
If your DNS server is acting wonky, it might not resolve Spotify’s servers correctly, leading to that ‘no internet’ message. Switching over to reliable DNS like Google’s is straightforward and often fixes connection hiccups.
- Open the Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center.
- Click on Change Adapter Settings on the left.
- Right-click your active network connection and choose Properties.
- Scroll down to Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), select it, then click Properties.
- Choose Use the following DNS server addresses.
- Input 8.8.8.8 for Preferred DNS server and 8.8.4.4 for Alternate DNS server.
- Hit OK and restart Spotify. Sometimes, it just needs a clean DNS slate.
Reinstall Spotify
If all else fails, doing a fresh install might wipe out any corrupted files or bad configs causing the error. Just remember, if you’ve got playlists saved locally or offline, back those up first. Reinstalling resets everything and might fix whatever sneaky bug is causing the code 4 error.
- Uninstall Spotify via Apps & Features or from Control Panel.
- Download the latest version from the official Spotify website.
- Install and log in fresh. Cross fingers—it helps on a surprising number of setups.
These are some of the common fixes that have worked in real-world scenarios. Tinkering around these can sometimes feel like trial and error, but a few tweaks here and there tend to clear up the connection issues.
Summary
- Changed registry settings to enable active probing
- Unblocked Spotify in Windows Firewall
- Flushed DNS cache
- Disabled antivirus temporarily
- Switched to Google DNS
- Reinstalled Spotify if needed
Wrap-up
Handling that error isn’t always straightforward, but these fixes cover the common culprits. Depending on your setup, one of these might do the trick. Sometimes it’s just a matter of catching Windows at the right moment or tweaking a setting that it decided to block without telling you. Fingers crossed that something in this list helps get Spotify back to working normally. If this gets one update moving, mission accomplished.