FIX: TAP-Windows Adapter V9 error (4 foolproof solutions)
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Key notes
- The TAP-Windows Adapter V9 is a network driver that VPNs require in order to establish secure connections.
- From time to time, the TAP adapter driver may fail to work as it should. We'll teach you how to fix it in no time.
- Visit our VPN Troubleshooting section to discover more user-friendly VPN tutorials.
- Check out our Network Hub for more tips on fixing common network issues.
The TAP-Windows Adapter V9 is a network driver that’s essential for VPN connections.
More often than not, this network driver gets automatically installed along with VPN clients.
Usually, the driver’s default path is: C:/Program Files/Tap-Windows
However, certain users noticed that their internet connections don’t always work while the TAP-Windows Adapter driver is enabled.
What’s even more strange is that even disabling it wouldn’t work, as the TAP network driver would re-enable itself shortly after.
Therefore, users were still unable to establish a connection.
If that ever happened to you, check out some easy-to-follow suggestions that could fix your TAP-Windows Adapter V9 error.
How can I fix the TAP-Windows Adapter v9 error?
Use the Internet Connections Troubleshooter
The easiest fix would be using Windows’ built-in Internet Connections troubleshooter.
This tool can usually fix various connectivity issues, so it might be worth checking out.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Press the Win key
- Type troubleshoot
- Select Available Recommended troubleshooting
- Click the Available troubleshooters hyperlink
- Select Internet Connections and click Run the troubleshooter
- Select Troubleshoot my connection to the internet
- Go through the troubleshooting wizard’s steps
Reset the TAP-Windows Adapter Connection
Disabling and re-enabling the TAP adapter driver will (or better yet should) reset its network functions.
Furthermore, it may also fix the TAP-Windows Adapter V9 error and it’s a really simple task.
All you have to do is:
- Press the Win key on your keyboard
- Type network
- Select Network status
- Click on the Network and Sharing Center button
- Select the Change adapter settings option
- Right-click the TAP-Windows Adapter
- Select Disable
- Right-click the TAP-Windows Adapter once more
- Select Enable
- Restart your PC and check if there’s any improvement
Reinstall TAP-Windows Adapter and VPN client
The best resolution for the TAP-Windows Adapter V9 error might be to reinstall the driver altogether.
However, considering that most TAP adapter drivers are a dependency for VPN clients, most VPN providers come with their own version.
Thus, it would be easier to just uninstall the TAP driver and your VPN client, and perform a clean install of both services after you’re done.
This is how you should reinstall your TAP driver and VPN client:
- Right-click the Start button
- Select Device Manager
- Expand the Network adapters category
- Right-click the TAP-Windows Adapter V9
- Click on Uninstall device
- Select Uninstall to confirm
- Press the Windows key + R key combination
- Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter
- Select your VPN software in the window
- Press the Uninstall button to remove it
- Proceed with the uninstallation
- Restart your PC shortly after uninstalling both services
- Reinstall your VPN software + TAP adapter driver
If you notice that reinstalling your VPN client and TAP adapter driver didn’t work, you might consider switching to a better alternative.
Private Internet Access, for instance, is an excellent VPN service that comes with its own TAP driver.
Furthermore, even if it stops working at some point, you can easily reinstall it directly from the VPN client’s configuration screen.
Private Internet Access
Did your TAP adapter driver stop working? Try using PIA as an alternative.Reset Windows 10
Apparently, resetting Windows 10 fixes the TAP-Windows Adapter V9 error in most cases.
You can reset Windows 10 and also keep your files. However, you’ll need to reinstall all the apps and drivers, as those will be swept clean from your PC.
Additionally, you’ll lose any configuration you did before resetting your PC.
Granted, this method is one of the most drastic ones, but it also gets the job done most of the time.
Follow these steps to reset your Windows 10 PC:
- Press the Win key on your keyboard
- Type Reset PC
- Click on the Reset this PC option
- Select Get started
- Press the Keep my files button
- Click the Next button
- Select the Reset option to proceed
- Wait for the process to complete
Conclusion
To wrap things up, if you notice that your TAP-Windows Adapter V9 triggers various connectivity errors, there are some things you could try.
More often than not, reinstalling the TAP driver and VPN client will fix the issue.
However, you may need to go as far as resetting your PC altogether, so buckle up and don’t lose hope.
