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TAP-Windows Adapter is a network driver through which VPN services can allow your computer to connect to the VPN servers. Unfortunately, when connecting to a VPN, you may get the error that says,
There are no TAP-Windows adapters installed on this system.
Similar to the All TAP-Windows adapters on this system are currently in use error, this is not a crucial error, and the message states precisely what is wrong with the connection.
You can repair this TAP driver issue in three stages. The troubleshooting guide will list these stages and explain how to go about them.
- Restart the TAP-Windows adapter.
- Reinstall TAP-Windows drivers.
- Create a new TAP-Windows adapter.
Below is the full guide. I advise that you follow the steps in the order in which I’ve listed them here.
1] Restart the TAP-Windows adapter
The recommended way to fix this TAP driver error is to restart the TAP adapter. To do this, follow the steps below:
Right-click on the network icon on your taskbar and click on Open Network & Internet settings.
In the network status window that opens, select Change adapter options.
Find the TAP adapter on this screen. They are named differently based on the VPNs, so you can only look out for an adapter or connection with TAP in its description.
Right-click on the TAP and hit the Disable option.
After disabling the network adapter, right-click on it again and re-name it.
2] Reinstall TAP-Windows drivers
If you restart the TAP network adapter and still receive the error, then you should go ahead and reinstall the TAP drivers. You can do this in several ways.
First, you may uninstall your VPN software and reinstall it again. Ensure that you restart your computer after uninstalling the VPN.
When the machine comes back on, install the VPN software, and the installation will most likely come with TAP drivers.
Press the Windows key + R combination, type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog box and hit ENTER.
In Device Manager, expand the Network adapters section and find the TAP-Windows adapter listed under it.
Right-click on the driver and choose the Uninstall device option.
Complete the uninstall process by following the on-screen instructions.
With the driver uninstalled, launch your VPN client, and it may ask you to install the missing TAP network drivers.
Some VPNs will only prompt you that the driver is missing. If this is the case, you need to download the driver off the internet or download the VPN client’s latest version.
Alternatively, you download the TAP-Windows driver software and install it on your computer manually. If you’re unsure where to download the drivers or even how to use them, this guide is a great starting point.
3] Create a new TAP-Windows adapter
Windows says that it couldn’t find TAP-Windows adapters on your system. The most straightforward method is to create a new TAP-Windows adapter.
Windows creates a new TAP-Windows adapter when you create a hyper-machine or connect to a VPN service.
Also, note that you can have only one TAP-Windows adapter active at a given time.
Keshi Ile is a seasoned technology expert who holds a Bachelors’s degree in Electronics Engineering and a Master’s in Digital Marketing. He runs several internet companies and contributes to technology blogs.
If you are using a VPN in Windows then you have definitely heard about the TAP-Windows adapters. Most of the VPN software install a particular network driver called TAP-Windows driver. This driver, install automatically while installing the VPN software. This TAP adapter appears in Device Manager after the installation of the VPN Client. Mostly this adapter is used by the VPN suites for connecting to the internet privately. If you encountered an error “There are no TAP-Windows adapters installed on this system” while connecting to VPN then this article will guide you to fix this issue. TAP-Windows driver comes in two types:
- NDIS 6 (TAP-windows6, version 9.21.x) for Windows 10/8/7/Vista.
- NDIS 5 driver (TAP-windows, version 9.9.x) for Windows XP.
Once you encountered this error then follow the recommended solutions one by one in order.
Restart TAP-Windows adapter:
The first and basic troubleshooting method to fix this error is to restart the TAP-Windows adapter.
Open Run command by pressing Windows + R and type ncpa.cpl and hit enter. This command will open the adapter options.
Now look for the TAP adapter and right-click on it and choose Disable.
Next right click on the TAP adapter and rename it. Now restart the system once and Enable the TAP adapter again.
Reinstall TAP-Windows Drivers.
After Restarting the TAP-Windows adapter, if you are facing the error, then reinstalling the TAP-Windows Drivers will fix the issue. If the TAP-Windows adapter is part of your VPN software then you have to uninstall your VPN software from Programs and Features. Next restart the system once and Install the VPN software again. This will bring back the TAP drivers. Some VPN software won’t allow you to install or uninstall without the TAP-Windows adapter in that case you need to completely remove the TAP drivers and then install it back manually.
Open run command and type devmgmt.msc and hit enter. This command will open the Device Manager.
Expand the Network adapters and right-click on the TAP-Windows Adapter and choose Uninstall.
Once the Uninstallation is done then restart the system once and download the TAP windows driver from this link. Install the driver and now try to install your VPN software. Mostly this will fix the issue.
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The error of No TAP Adapter Available Error On OpenVPN or All TAP-Windows adapters on this system are currently in use usually happens when the OpenVPN TAP (Network Adapter) has been disabled by you (mistakenly) or by your system.
To resolve this, please follow the steps below, please try the workaround as per below.
All TAP-Windows Adapters On This System Are Currently In Use
First of all, click on the OK button when you see Connecting to (Your VPN) has failed error.
How Do I Enable the TAP Adapter?
At the search box at the bottom left, type in Control Panel and open it.
In the Control Panel menu, click on Network and Internet.
Now, click on Network and Sharing Center
Next, click on Change adapter settings on the left side of your screen.
Find the one that is called ‘Local Area Connection XX or Ethernet XX (XX denoting a number) and that has a description of TAP-Windows Adapter V9.
If it’s disabled, right-click on it and choose Enable and you can now use OpenVPN again.
Adding OpenVPN TAP Adapter Manually
If you don’t see the TAP-Windows Adapter V9, it could have been deleted and you will need to add it back again manually.
To do so, please follow the steps below:
Windows XP, Vista & 7: Go to Start – All Programs – Tap-Windows
Windows 8, 8.1, & 10: Windows + Q, and look for Add a New Tap
Right-click on Add a New Tap Virtual Ethernet Adapter and select Run as Administrator.
If you do not have the Run as Administrator option (Windows 8, 8.1 & 10), select Open File Location, right-click on Add a New Tap Virtual Ethernet Adapter and select Run as Administrator.
Follow through the instructions and you’ll end up with the following screen:
Now, press any key on your keyboard to continue and give the VPN another try.
Note: If you are still on an older version of the OpenVPN application, you can find the tool in the location below:
Start – All Programs – OpenVPN – Utilities
Can’t Setup A TAP Network Adapter?
If you can’t find the option to add the OpenVPN TAP adapter or the installation has failed as per the error below, Please re-install OpenVPN to the latest version.
Re-install OpenVPN
We suggest that you download a free application removal tool called Revo Uninstaller. This is a great tool to remove applications, leftover files and broken registry keys.
Once OpenVPN has been removed, please scan for leftover files and registry keys. Remove them and restart your computer.
Finally, download the latest version of OpenVPN from the official website and install it on your computer.
Best VPN Provider
If you’re looking for a secured and trusted VPN provider, we would recommend you that you try hide.me VPN
hide.me VPN client app supports OpenVPN in their app so you don’t need to configure the VPN connection manually and their app is so easy to use.
The free service provides the same level of protection as the paid service. They don’t keep logs of their user activities and there are no ADs!
Conclusion
Adding/re-enabling the OpenVPN TAP adapter should be pretty straight forward but often, VPN providers don’t update the OpenVPN client on their site which can lead to such issues.
Chris is a blogger based in Kuala Lumpur, where he dives into a broad spectrum of topics related to technology and travel. Known for his approachable style, Chris is committed to providing valuable advice and answering questions. Read more about Chris.
No TAP adapters installed on your device? Unable to connect to your VPN service?
Let’s explore everything about what are TAP adapters, why they are crucial for connecting to a VPN server, and how to resume TAP adapters functioning on a Windows device.
Also read: 11 Best VPN For Windows 10, 8, 7 PC In 2020 – (Free & Paid)
What are TAP Adapters?
TAP adapters are a type of network drivers that are required by a VPN service to establish a connection between your device and the remote server. TAP adapters play a crucial role in the VPN framework by acting as endpoints or nodes that are created and destroyed as they are needed. You can think of the TAP adapter as a network bridge created between your device and the VPN server.
So, if your device is missing the TAP adapters, you can simply reset or re-install the network drivers to make the VPN service functional again.
Here are 3 useful ways that will allow you to resolve the “No TAP adapters installed on this system” issue on Windows 10 machine.
Let’s get started.
How to Fix “No TAP Adapters Installed on this System” Issue
Solution #1: Reset TAP Drivers
Before reinstalling the TAP network drivers on your device, we will first try a simpler fix, i.e. to restart the drivers. This can easily be done by making a few tweaks in Windows settings. Here’s what you need to do:
Right-click on the network (WiFi) icon placed on the taskbar, select “Open Network and Internet Settings”.
Select the “Change Adapter Settings” option.
On the next window, you will see various options listed on the screen. Look for the TP adapter icon of your associated VPN service. Right-click on it and hit the “Disable” option.
After a few seconds, right-click on the TAP adapter and enable the service again.
Solution #2: Re-install TAP Drivers
If resetting the TAP network driver did not work out too well for you, you can try reinstalling the drivers.
Press the Windows + R key cobination., to open the Run dialog box.
Type “devmgmt.msc” in the text box and hit Enter.
In the Device Manager window, look for the Network Adapters section.
Under the Network Adapter section, right-click on the TAP adapters and select “Uninstall Device”.
Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the existing TAP drivers installed on your device.
To start afresh, download and re-install the TAP drivers from the web and install it on your Windows PC. You can easily find the network drivers of your desired VPN service by making a quick Google search.
Solution #3: Use a new TAP Adapter
Each time you connect to a VPN service, the Windows device creates a new TAP adapter that is required to set up a secured connection.
To overcome the “No TAP adapters installed on this system” issue, you can try a different VPN service alternative. We might have an ideal suggestion for you. Read on!
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Getting the all TAP-Windows adapters are currently in use error? No problem!
I’ll help you fix it and explain why it happens so you don’t have to worry about this anymore.
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What is the all TAP-Windows adapters on this system are currently in use error?
The “All TAP-Windows Adapters Are Currently in Use” error is a system network glitch that prevents your VPN from connecting. This mostly happens when the TAP-Windows adapter is already in use. Double-check to ensure you don’t have another VPN running. Or else reinstall/upgrade the drivers to fix any underlying issues.
How do you fix all TAP-Windows adapters on this system are currently in use?
How do I enable the TAP adapter in Windows 10 is a common question for a lot of Windows users who claim that sometimes this might be confusing.
After installing a VPN client, the TAP Adapter often shows up in Device Manager or in Network Connections and is utilized as an alias by the majority of VPN services to access the Internet privately.
Depending on how you actually installed your VPN client software you might be facing this issue while adding an additional client configuration for another connection.
Thus you might see the error message OpenVpn all TAP-Windows adapters on this system are currently in use. Fret not and follow the steps below to resolve it in a couple of minutes.
1. Disable and re-enable the TAP adapter
- Open Control Panel and go to Network and sharing center.
- Now, click on Change adapter settings.
- Find the one that says TAP-Windows adapter.
- Right-click on it and select Disable.
- Right-click on it again, but this time select Enable.
- Restart your VPN application and that’s it.
2. Update your TAP adapter drivers
- Open Device Manager.
- Find the Network Adapters section.
- Expand the list and select your TAP adapter.
- Right-click on it and select Update.
3. Reinstall TAP Windows adapter
- In Windows, right-click the Start button, select Device Manager and go to Network adapters.
- Find the TAP Windows adapter, right-click on it and click Uninstall device.
- Restart your VPN application. When it starts, it should prompt you to download and install the driver for TAP Windows adapter.
- Reinstall and the problem should be solved.
We know how important privacy and security are on the Internet. So follow our recommendation and get the best VPN solution. Download PIA VPN and don’t worry about your security anymore.
These are the fixes for all tap windows adapters are currently in use error message. Try them and let us know in the comment section which worked for you.
If you need support for Windows 7 OpenVPN Tap driver issues, check our guide on how to fix the driver unsigned error.
Vladimir Popescu
Windows and VPN expert
Being an artist his entire life while also playing handball at a professional level, Vladimir has also developed a passion for all things computer-related.
With an innate fascination for research and analysis, and realizing many other people share his passion for this subject, he delved into writing VPN-related articles, so other people can also benefit from the acquired information.
When not writing kick-ass articles, Vladimir likes to spend his time doing Crossfit and creating art.