
- #Reinstall tap driver windows 10 pia how to#
- #Reinstall tap driver windows 10 pia install#
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Disable the NordVPN TAP adapter, for instance, and its app can't connect via OpenVPN. If you still can't solve your problem, it's possible you can bypass it. But be careful: messing up here can damage your PC, so don't even think of it unless you're confident in your disaster recovery abilities.
#Reinstall tap driver windows 10 pia how to#
If you really know what you're doing, follow our guide on how to completely uninstall a VPN (particularly the Network Adaptors and System Drivers sections) to clean up any old VPN files and settings.

#Reinstall tap driver windows 10 pia install#
We've previously been unable to install a new TAP adapter because it was blocked by a previous, damaged version, for instance. Stubborn TAP adapter problems can be due to leftovers from a previous installation. (Image credit: NordVPN) (opens in new tab) More TAP tricks Even if you absolutely must run a couple of VPNs side-by-side, for some reason, uninstall one of them temporarily to see if that fixes the problem. If you have two or more VPNs installed, we'd recommend uninstalling any that you don't really need, to reduce the chance of conflicts. Reboot again, launch the app, and see if you have any more connection success.
#Reinstall tap driver windows 10 pia download#
Reboot, then download and install the latest app. If it's still there, uninstall that, too. Sometimes there's a second item representing the TAP adapter, something like 'MyVPNName network TAP'. Find the entry for your Windows VPN app, click it and select Uninstall. Most VPN apps automatically install a TAP adapter with their own files, so reinstalling the app often fixes any TAP issues.Ĭlick Start, type and launch Control Panel, then click Programs, Uninstall a Program.
#Reinstall tap driver windows 10 pia Pc#
Wait a few seconds, right-click Enable Device, reboot your PC and try connecting to the VPN again. Right-click your VPN's TAP adapter in Device Manager that you found earlier, choose Disable Device, and click Yes when you're asked to confirm that.

#Reinstall tap driver windows 10 pia software#
You can also try resetting a TAP adapter by disabling and enabling it, the software equivalent of turning it off and on again. In the IPVanish Windows app, for instance, click Settings, Connection, and you'll find an Install/ Repair OpenVPN Driver option which could solve the problem. VPN providers recognize that this is a problem, and some apps include an option to 'repair' the TAP adapter, restoring its regular settings to help the app find it again. One VPN app might try to use an adapter belonging to another VPN, for instance, leaving the second app to complain that there are no adapters available. Having two or more TAP adapters installed can sometimes cause problems, especially if you've also installed more than one VPN. (Image credit: IPVanish) Multiple TAP adapters

If you're unsure, double-click a driver, click the Driver tab, then Driver Details: if the Provider or Copyright mentions OpenVPN then it's probably a TAP adapter. If you see 'TAP-Windows Adapter V9' then you have the generic TAP adapter installed.īut custom versions often have the VPN name included, too, like 'TAP-NordVPN Windows Adapter V9.' if you're a NordVPN user. To check your setup, click start, type DEVMGMT.MSC and press Enter to launch Device Manager.Ĭlick the arrowhead to the left of Network Adapters to expand the tree, and look down the list of adapters. You might even have two or more versions installed at the same time. Some VPNs install a plain, ordinary, generic TAP adapter, but others have specially patched ones which only work with their own service. TAP adapters come in many different flavors, which can make life confusing.

It's such a fundamental component that if the TAP adapter isn't installed or working then some VPNs won't work at all, resulting in all those pesky error messages you know so well. Do I have a TAP adapter?Ī TAP adapter is a software-based network device which allows a VPN to securely communicate with its servers. And once you understand just some of the background, you'll find you can fix most TAP issues very quickly. In this article, we'll explain what TAP adapters are, what they're for and why they matter when you're running a Windows 10 VPN on PC. Whether it's 'All Windows TAP adapters in use', 'No TAP adapter available', or 'An error occurred installing the TAP device driver', there's often a TAP problem somewhere with your name on it!Īnd the messages usually give you little or no advice on how to figure out the problem, either, so the best you can do is pop them into a search engine and see what comes up.īut this isn't quite as bad as it seems. Unfortunately, you're most likely to have seen it in some unhelpful error message. If you've ever used a VPN service on desktop then you've probably come across the term TAP Adapter.
