What is ‘TAP Windows Adapter V9’ and How To Remove It?

Are you a VPN user? If Yes, then TAP-Windows Adapter is something that you should be familiar with to guard your private connection. Basically, A virtual private network (VPN) connection provides you with a more secure connection to your network and the internet and is better than any proxy server.

TAP Windows Adapter V9 is a virtual network interface installed by most VPN programs as a special network driver. It gets automatically installed with the VPN clients as it is a significant network driver that needs to be present.

TAP Windows Adapter V9

The adapter can typically be found in the Device Manager after the installation of VPN clients (such as NordVPN, CyberGhost, SoftEther, ExpressVPN, Hamachi, etc.). Moreover, the default folder path of the driver is C:/Program Files/Tap-Windows.

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It should be noted that there are two different TAP-Windows Adapter driver depending on the version of Windows running on your PC:

  • On Windows XP – NDIS 5 Driver (TAP-Windows, version 9.9x)
  • On Windows Vista/7/8/10 – NDIS 6 Driver (TAP-Windows, version 9.21x)

Unfortunately, the worst part is that some users face internet connectivity issues when TAP-Windows is activated. In spite of disabling the TAP-Windows network driver, it re-enables itself automatically every time the system reboots itself.

This causes network connectivity problems to persist. Because of this, it gets annoying for users to fix the issue. So, here we will dive deep into all the possible solutions to fix the connection issues faced due to the adapter:

Contents

When to Reinstall or Delete the TAP-Windows Adapter?

First and foremost, it is important to know when to reinstall or delete the TAP-Windows Adapter. If you are using a VPN and facing network connectivity issues, it could be most probably due to the Adapter used.

Now what you have to do is to figure out whether you are using a well-functioning driver or a corrupted one. If the driver turns out to be corrupted then it is strongly recommended to re-install the TAP-Windows Adapter.

Moreover, if you are having a configured VPN connectivity and you have not taken it in use for a long time then there is a high probability of the adapter to hinder your internet connection. In this condition, we advise you to delete the TAP Window Adapter.

In spite of deleting the adapter, it will install itself again because of the VPN clients on your PC. Want to know why? It’s because these VPN clients have their own start-up services that inspect for all lost drivers and automatically install all the essential drivers that had been lost.

Well, this issue is a little embarrassing and there are ways to resolve it too. Now let’s know how to re-install and delete the TAP-Windows Adapter.

How to Reinstall the TAP-Windows Adapter V9?

On finding the adapter corrupt, you need to reinstall it by proceeding with these steps :

Step 1: Firstly, close your VPN connection and all the programs linked to the VPN software.

Step 2: Press Windows key + R to open the Run window. In the text box input msc and then press OK to open the Device Manager window.

Step 3: You can also go to the start menu and type Control Panel. In the control panel window select Hardware and Sound. From the options in Devices and Printers, select Device Manager.

Step 4: From the window that opens up, double click on Network adaptors and expand the drop-down

Step 5: In the drop-down menu find the TAP-Windows adapter. Check whether it contains a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark on its icon or not.

Step 6: If it has an exclamation mark then it is not safe for your PC as it is corrupt, and you should reinstall the driver.

Step 7: Right-click on Tap Windows Adapter V9 option, and then select the Uninstall device.

Step 8: Now open the VPN client again and you might view a missing driver error message asking you to install the Network Adapter driver. Undoubtedly, you can install the software from here only.

Step 9: Apart from this, there is also a possibility of not getting any such type of message. In this case, go to the website of the VPN you use and download the TAP-Windows Adapter from there.

Step 10: Now, last but not the least, go back again to the Device Manager and check whether the exclamation mark is still there or not. If the exclamation mark is there the problem is still not resolved and we recommend you contact your VPN support to assist you.

How to Remove the TAP-Windows Adapter V9?

Re-installing the adapter every time after rebooting your PC because of the start-up service of your VPN software makes it a messy issue. So in case if you want to remove the TAP-Windows V9 driver from your PC, you need to proceed with the following steps :

Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run window. In the text box input cpl, and then press OK to open the Program and Features window.

Step 2: You can also go to the start menu and type Control Panel. In the control panel window select Programs. Double-click on the Programs and Features.

Step 3: A list of programs will open up which will allow you to uninstall or change the desired programs.

Step 4: Find your VPN client on the list. Then right-click on it and select the Uninstall option to remove the TAP-Windows adapter from your PC completely.

Step 5: If you have used any other VPN programs before then make sure to remove all the clients from those programs too so that none of the software would be able to reinstall the TAP-Windows adapter again.

Following these steps, you can successfully remove the TAP-Windows V9 adapter from your computer. Now check for your internet connectivity and you will find that the issue is resolved.

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Conclusion

So, this was all about the Tap Windows V9 adapter and the network connectivity problems faced because of it. Even after reinstalling or removing the adapter if you are facing connectivity issues because of the adapter then we suggest you contact your VPN support.

Else, visit the official website of the VPN you use for further options to resolve the issue.