The TAP Windows Adapter V9 is a network driver that is required so that your computer can use a VPN connection. It is usually included with the installation of the VPN software that you are using. The driver is usually installed in this location C:/Program Files/Tap-Windows. Sometimes connectivity issues can occur when the Tap Windows Adapter V9 is enabled and even if this is disabled it will automatically enabled itself. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will show you how to remove Tap Windows Adapter V9 from your windows 10 computer.
How To Remove Tap Windows Adapter V9
Before performing any of the recommended troubleshooting steps listed below it’s best to restart your computer first. This action refreshes the operating system and remove any corrupt temporary data that could be causing the problem.
Reinstall Tap Windows V9 Adapter
If you are having an issue connecting to the Internet using a VPN connection then the first thing you should do is to try to reinstall the TAP Windows V9 adapter.
- Close the VPN connection and close the associated VPN program.
- Open a Run window (Windows key + R)
- Type “devmgmt.msc” and hit Enter to open Device Manager.
- Scroll down to Network adapters and expand the drop-down menu.
- Search for the Tap– Windows Adapter V9 and check if it has an exclamation mark on its icon. If you see an exclamation point, re-installing the driver will usually fix the issue.
- Right-click on the driver and select Uninstall device.
- Open your VPN client again.
- You will be prompted to install the missing Network Driver (the Tap Windows adapter) or it will automatically install it without asking. If the VPN software shows a “missing driver error” without re-installing the driver automatically (after you uninstalled it from Device Manager), Reinstall the whole VPN client.
Check if the issue still occurs.
Uninstall both TAP Windows Adapter V9 and VPN client
Removing the TAP Windows Adapter V9 could be tricky as you will find out that after uninstalling it from the device manager it will still appear every time you restart your computer. This happens because VPN programs have a startup service that checks for missing drivers and automatically installs any needed driver that is missing. To make sure that it is completely removed from your computer you will have to remove the software that is using it.
- Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
- Double-click Network Adapters to expand that category.
- Right-click TAP-Windows Adapter V9 and select Uninstall device.
- Then press the Uninstall button to remove the device.
- To uninstall the VPN software, press the Windows key + R hotkey.
- Input appwiz.cpl in Run, and press the Return key.
- Select the VPN software listed on the Programs and Features Control Panel applet.
- Press the Uninstall button to remove the selected VPN software.
- Click Yes to further confirm.
- Then restart Windows after uninstalling the TAP adapter and VPN software.
Following the steps listed above you will remove TAP Windows Adapter V9 from your computer system.