TAP Driver Troubleshooting
TAP (network TUN/TAP) drivers are virtual network adapters used by OpenVPN. Issues typically arise from conflicts with other VPN software, security applications, or Windows registry corruption.
Common TAP Driver Errors
Typical Error Messages:
- "All TAP-Windows adapters are currently in use"
- "There are no TAP-Windows adapters available"
- "CreateFile failed on TAP device"
- "TAP driver installation failed"
- "Error opening TAP adapter"
Quick Fix Steps
Try These First
- Run as Administrator: Right-click TorGuard → Run as administrator
- Restart Network Adapter:
- Open Network Connections (ncpa.cpl)
- Right-click TAP adapter → Disable
- Right-click again → Enable
- Reboot Computer: Often resolves temporary conflicts
Step 1: Check for Conflicting Software
Identify Conflicts
Common Conflicting Applications:
- Other VPN clients (ExpressVPN, NordVPN, CyberGhost, etc.)
- Antivirus with VPN features (Avast, Norton, McAfee)
- Network monitoring tools
- Virtual machine software (VMware, VirtualBox)
Resolution:
- Temporarily disable security software
- Uninstall other VPN clients
- Reboot after uninstalling
- Test TorGuard connection
Note: Simply disabling security software may not be enough. Some continue running services in the background.
Step 2: Remove Existing TAP Drivers
Clean Uninstall Process
Method 1: Device Manager
- Press Win + X → Select Device Manager
- Expand Network adapters
- Look for entries containing:
- TAP-Windows Adapter
- TAP-Win32 Adapter
- TAP-ProtonVPN
- TAP-NordVPN
- Any other TAP adapters
- Right-click each TAP adapter → Uninstall device
- Check "Delete the driver software for this device"
- Click Uninstall
Method 2: Command Line (Advanced)
Run as Administrator:
pnputil /delete-driver oem*.inf /uninstall /force
Important: Always reboot after removing TAP drivers!
Step 3: Reinstall TAP Driver
Install Fresh Driver
Automatic Installation:
- Launch TorGuard client
- When prompted to install TAP driver, click Yes
- Allow administrator permissions
- Wait for installation to complete
Manual Installation:
If automatic installation fails, try manual installation:
Step 4: Registry Cleanup (Advanced)
Clean Registry Entries
Warning: Editing the registry can damage Windows. Create a backup first!
- Press Win + R, type
regedit, press Enter - Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services - Look for and delete these keys if present:
- tap0901
- tap0901t
- tapoas
- Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products - Delete any TAP-related entries
- Reboot computer
Alternative Solutions
If TAP Issues Persist
1. Use WireGuard Instead
WireGuard doesn't use TAP drivers and often resolves driver conflicts:
- Modern, lightweight protocol
- No TAP driver required
- Better performance
2. Windows Network Reset
- Open Settings → Network & Internet
- Click Network reset
- Click Reset now
- Restart computer
3. Clean Boot Windows
Start Windows with minimal drivers to identify conflicts:
- Press Win + R, type
msconfig - Check "Selective startup"
- Uncheck "Load startup items"
- Go to Services tab → Check "Hide all Microsoft services"
- Click "Disable all"
- Restart and test
Diagnostic Commands
Useful Commands
Run these in Command Prompt (Admin) for diagnostics:
List all network adapters:
ipconfig /all
Show TAP driver info:
pnputil /enum-drivers | findstr /i tap
Reset network stack:
netsh winsock reset
Prevention Tips
Avoid Future Issues
- One VPN at a time: Uninstall other VPN clients completely
- Regular updates: Keep TorGuard client updated
- Clean uninstalls: Use official uninstallers
- Driver updates: Keep Windows and drivers updated
- Backup registry: Before making system changes
Still Having Issues?
Get Support
If TAP driver issues persist after trying these solutions:
- Collect diagnostic information:
- Windows version (winver)
- Error messages (screenshots)
- List of installed VPN/security software
- Contact TorGuard Support
- Consider using WireGuard as an alternative