A Beginner’s Guide to What is Tap Windows and How to Manage it?
If you are using a windows VPN to protect your data, then you need to be familiar with tap windows 9.21 2. It’s a windows adapter that acts as a virtual network interface, allowing VPN clients access to create a VPN connection.
Table of Content
1 . What Is Tap Windows Adapter?
2. When to Remove or Reinstall Tap Windows Adapter
3. How to Restart Tap Windows 9.21 2
4. How to Reinstall Tap Windows 9.21 2?
5. How to Remove Tap Windows 9.21 2?
As good as this sounds, some users have complained about having internet connection issues when tap windows are enabled. If you are suffering from the same fate, we tell you all you need to know about tap windows, and how to uninstall and reinstall it.
What Is Tap Windows Adapter?
Tap windows driver is usually installed by most VPN software. The driver adapter is usually seen in the device manager after the VPN client has been installed on your device, and is commonly used for private internet connection by most VPN suites.
There are two different versions of tap windows adapter you will come across, depending on the windows version you are running:
- On Windows XP – NDIS 5 driver (tap windows 9.9.x)
- On windows vista / 7 / 8 / 10 – NDIS 6 driver (tap windows 9.21.x)
Its recommended that you use a VPN that is compatible with windows to ensure that your data is secure and your connection is private. LimeVPN ensures you get both security and anonymity, plus fast speed and a 30-day money-back guarantee amongst others.
When to Remove or Reinstall Tap Windows Adapter
If you have connection issues frequently when you use a VPN to connect to the internet, your tap windows driver may be corrupt. If that is the case, you will need to reinstall the driver. If, however you configured a VPN connection in the past but are no longer using it, the tap windows adapter could be the reason you are not having a good internet connection. In this case, you would have to remove the tap windows adapter altogether.
Interesting Read : Microsoft Windows 10 Has A Keylogger Enabled By Default – Here’s How To Disable It
The tap windows adapter might reinstall automatically though if you don’t uninstall the VPN software from your device and allow it to continue running.
If this error “All Tap-Windows adapters on this system are currently in use” appears on your system, you may be required to restart the tap windows adapter to fix the error.
How to Restart Tap Windows 9.21 2
The “All Tap-Windows adapters on this system are currently in use” error is a pointer that your tap windows adapter has a problem, and you can solve it by restarting the adapter. The guide below will take you on the easy process step by step:
- Go to control panel
- Click on network and internet
- Select Change adapter options
- In the network connections window, right-click on local area connection associated with TAP-Windows Adapter V9 and disable it
- Wait for a few seconds, then right-click on the local area connection again and enable it
- Launch your VPN client
How to Reinstall Tap Windows 9.21 2?
If you are having issues connecting to the internet with your VPN, try troubleshooting to check that your tap windows adapter driver is properly installed. You may find signs that point to a corrupted driver and if that’s the case, follow this detailed guide to reinstall tap windows driver:
- Disconnect the VPN and close the app
- Use the short cut windows + R to open the run window
- Type in ‘devmgmt.msc’ command and click on okay to open the device manager
- Once in the device manager, scroll down and search for ‘Network Adapters’. Then click the forward-pointing arrow to expand.
- Look for Tap-Windows Adapter V9. Uninstall the driver if you find it by right-clicking on the driver and selecting ‘Uninstall’
- Once you have deleted Windows Tap Manager, launch your VPN client. The deleted driver would either be installed automatically or you would be prompted to install the missing Tap Windows adapter. Note that if your VPN software shows a ‘missing driver’ error after you have uninstalled tap windows from the device manager, reinstall the VPN client also.
- Go to the device manager and check that the issue has been fixed. If it persists, as your VPN’s customer support for assistance.
How to Remove Tap Windows 9.21 2?
Unlike the process of uninstalling and reinstalling your tap windows driver, removing this driver can be a bit troublesome. You might notice that the driver returns in the device manager every time you put your PC off and on and it however depends on the VPN client you use.
Interesting Read : Free vs Paid VPN service on Windows and Android
Ever wondered why this happens? As we saw in the guide to reinstalling tap windows where the driver would be automatically installed, most VPN programs check for missing drivers and install them without prompting you. so if you want to remove tap windows driver, follow this detailed guide:
- Go to program files
- Click on Tap-Windows
- Double click on ‘exe’ and follow the resulting instructions that will guide you to removing the driver
If you end it here, the tap windows driver will come back again when you boot your computer or when you launch your VPN software. To prevent automatic reinstallation of the driver, take down the program that needs it, and keeps installing it.
- Use the shortcut Windows + R to open Run Windows
- Type in the command ‘appwiz.cpl’ and click Ok to have access to programs and features
- From the list, find and uninstall your VPN client
Please note that if you have used multiple VPN programs in the past, find and uninstall all of them so that no software requires a tap windows adapter. This way, the driver won’t be reinstalled whenever you boot your PC.
Conclusion
For an internet connection from your laptop or computer over a VPN, you will need to have a functioning tap windows 9.21 2 adapters. This driver is needed by the VPN client to run successfully but sometimes causes problems as it prevents you from having access to the internet.
In such a scenario you will either uninstall and reinstall tap windows. If you are no longer using a VPN with your device but tap windows still block you from an internet connection, you may have to delete it altogether.
This guide is simple and takes you through all you need to fix the issues you might have.
Rachael Chapman
A Complete gamer and a Tech Geek. Brings out all her thoughts and love in writing blogs on IOT, software, technology etc
