OpenVPN Not Connecting on Windows 10: How to Fix it

1. Press the Win key, type firewall, and open Firewall & network protection
2. Click Allow an app through the firewall
3. Click Change settings (you need admin rights)
4. Search for OpenVPN in this list and check its boxes for Private and Public
5. If it’s not in this list, click Allow another app to browse and select it

It’s possible that your firewall didn’t whitelist OpenVPN when you installed the client. In that case, you have to manually add an exception for it in the system firewall.

If another application is responsible for your computer’s firewall, make sure to adjust the above settings accordingly.

To quickly test this theory, you can temporarily disable the firewall and check if OpenVPN works properly on Windows 10 now.

But don’t forget to turn it back on since you risk exposing your home network to vulnerabilities.

2. Use a reliable VPN client with OpenVPN support

If you’re trying and failing to get the OpenVPN to work on Windows 10, consider getting a commercial VPN app that supports the OpenVPN protocol.

And we can’t think of a better option than Private Internet Access. This software supports multiple protocols, including OpenVPN.

This VPN is compatible with all major operating systems and also has a manual configuration option for OpenVPN for those of you who want to add it directly to a supported router.

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If your anti-malware application throws errors when you try to use OpenVPN on Windows 10, it could mean that it’s blocking the client or protocol.

However, it’s a false positive. In that case, make sure to add OpenVPN to the whitelist to prevent your antivirus from blocking your VPN.

As in the previous solution, you can quickly test it by temporarily deactivating the real-time detection engine of your anti-malware tool.

But we suggest turning it back on as soon as you finish the test and not leave your computer exposed to malware attacks.

If you’re interested in an anti-malware tool with built-in VPN functionality, check out our best picks.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager
2. Expand the Network adapters menu
3. Look for any TAP drivers, right-click and select Uninstall device
4. Open the Action menu and select Scan for hardware changes

The OpenVPN client requires a TAP driver to work properly. If its functionality is broken, it could be the reason why OpenVPN is not working on your Windows 10 PC.

However, you can easily fix this by uninstalling the TAP driver from Device Manager – it should get automatically reinstalled.

As a general rule, it’s essential to keep Windows drivers updated to the latest version.

1. Press the Win key, type services, and open Services
2. Right-click DHCP Client and select Properties
3. Set Startup type to Automatic
4. Click OK

Many OpenVPN users report seeing the Initialization Sequence Completed with errors message on Windows 10.

It signals a problem with the DHCP client, which you can restart using the instructions above.

1. Run Command Prompt as admin: press Ctrl + R, type cmd, hold Ctrl + Shift, and press Enter
2. Copy and paste the next lines (press Enter between each line)

ipconfig /flushdns

ipconfig /registerdns

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

NETSH winsock reset catalog

NETSH int ipv4 reset reset.log

NETSH int ipv6 reset reset.log

exit

Restart your PC to apply the new changes.

The DNS cache and Winsock configuration are responsible for your computer connectivity.

If they’re not initialized properly, it could be the reason why OpenVPN isn’t working on Windows 10.