How do I fix: Using the Resolve-DNSName cmdlet (alternative)?

Step 1: If you are running Windows 8.1 or later, you can use the Resolve-DNSName cmdlet to perform DNS lookups. This cmdlet is specifically designed to handle non-authoritative answers and will not display an error message.Step 2: However, since some of your target systems are Windows 7-era, this op

Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: NSLookup in PowerShell always throws RemoteException error

Q: Step-by-Step Verified Fixes Suppressing the error using the -ErrorAction parameter?

Step 1: To prevent the 'Non-authoritative answer' error from being displayed, you can use the -ErrorAction parameter with the 'SilentlyContinue' value. This tells PowerShell to suppress any errors that occur during the execution of the command.Step 2: Add the following line to your PowerShell script

PowerShell DNS lookup error fix

Quick Answer: Use the $ErrorActionPreference variable to suppress the error, e.g. $ErrorActionPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'

📋 Table of Contents

💡 Why You Are Getting This Error
🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes
🎯 Final Words

When running nslookup from a PowerShell script, you may encounter an error despite the lookup succeeding. This issue affects users who rely on PowerShell scripts to perform DNS lookups.

The error message 'Non-authoritative answer' can be misleading, as it suggests that something is wrong with the lookup process. However, in many cases, the answer is simply non-authoritative, meaning it comes from a recursive DNS server rather than an authoritative one.

💡 Why You Are Getting This Error

The primary reason for this error is due to the way PowerShell handles non-authoritative answers. When nslookup returns a result that is not provided by an authoritative DNS server, PowerShell treats it as an error and displays the 'Non-authoritative answer' message.
Another possible cause is related to the DNS server configuration on your system. If your system's DNS servers are set up to use recursive DNS servers, they may return non-authoritative answers that cause nslookup to display the error message.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Suppressing the error using the -ErrorAction parameter

Step 1: To prevent the 'Non-authoritative answer' error from being displayed, you can use the -ErrorAction parameter with the 'SilentlyContinue' value. This tells PowerShell to suppress any errors that occur during the execution of the command.
Step 2: Add the following line to your PowerShell script: `$MyOutput = nslookup -q=SOA superuser.com -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue`. This will ensure that the error message is not displayed, even if a non-authoritative answer is returned.

Using the Resolve-DNSName cmdlet (alternative)

Step 1: If you are running Windows 8.1 or later, you can use the Resolve-DNSName cmdlet to perform DNS lookups. This cmdlet is specifically designed to handle non-authoritative answers and will not display an error message.
Step 2: However, since some of your target systems are Windows 7-era, this option may not be feasible.

🎯 Final Words

By using the -ErrorAction parameter or exploring alternative methods like Resolve-DNSName, you can prevent the 'Non-authoritative answer' error from being displayed when performing DNS lookups in PowerShell.

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