OpenVPN is an excellent open-source VPN that lets us browse the internet anonymously. But, like other VPN apps, it also sometimes faces issues in working. For instance, some users in the online forums mentioned that the OpenVPN isn’t working properly on their Windows 11 PC.
If that’s the same with the OpenVPN app on your Windows 11 PC, then read this in-depth fixes guide until the end. Here in this guide, we’ll share some working fixes to fix OpenVPN not working in Windows 11. Let’s get into and fix this issue with ease.
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Why Is OpenVPN Not Working in Windows 11?
Various reasons could make the OpenVPN program inoperable on your Windows 11 computer. Below, we’ll mention the most prevalent reasons for OpenVPN not working in Windows 11. So, check all the possible reasons for the ill-functioning OpenVPN app below:
- Interruption by Windows Defender Firewall
- Bugs and Glitches in the PC
- Lack of Administrative Rights
- Misconfigured OpenVPN Config File
- Azure VM Isn’t Correctly Configured
- DHCP Client Service Isn’t Working
- Third-Party Antivirus Programs
- Corrupted DNS Cache
- Corrupted Temporary Files
Fix OpenVPN Not Working in Windows 11
In this section, we’ll share the most working workarounds to fix OpenVPN not working in Windows 11. So try all of them one by one and check what works for you and what doesn’t:
1. Restart Your PC
One of the most effective yet easy-to-apply workarounds in this troubleshooting guide is to restart the affected PC. Doing so will fix all the problems that may be causing this issue with it. To know if it fixes the issue for you, follow the below steps to restart your Windows 11 PC:
1. Use the Alt + F4 keyboard shortcut to open the Shut Down Windows prompt on your PC.
2. In the Shut Down Windows prompt, pick the Restart option from the menu and hit Enter.
3. Once done, your PC or laptop will restart, and once it’s started, check if the OpenVPN is working.
2. Run OpenVPN as an Administrator
It may be possible that the OpenVPN isn’t opening or launching on your Windows 11 PC due to a lack of administrative rights. We suggest you run the OpenVPN program with admin privileges to check the same. We’ve mentioned the steps to do so, so follow them:
1. Open the Windows Search Box on your Windows 11 PC by pressing the Windows key.
2. In the Windows Search Box, type OpenVPN and choose Run as administrator from it.
3. In the User Action Control window, click the Yes button to open it with administrative rights.
Another way to launch OpenVPN with admin rights is from the context menu. To open it from the contextual menu, right-click the app’s shortcut and select Run as administrator from it. Then, click the Yes button in the UAC window to launch it with admin rights on your PC.
3. Disable Windows Defender Firewall
A set of users in the online forums mentioned that the Windows 11 PC’s built-in Windows firewall could also be the one stopping the OpenVPN program from launching or working on it. Thus, to check whether it’s true, consider turning off the integrated firewall on your Windows 11 computer. You can check the below-mentioned prompts to know how to do so:
1. Press the Windows key to open Windows Search Box, and type Firewall & network protection in it.
2. Choose the Firewall & network protection option from the search to open the firewall settings.
3. In the Firewall & network protection window, select Private network and disable the toggle on the next screen.
4. Once done, go back to the previous window, and this time, select the Public network option.
5. In the Public network window, turn off the toggle and exit the window to see the change.
4. Whitelist OpenVPN and OpenVPN GUI
If you don’t want to disable your PC’s integrated firewall due to security reasons, we suggest you whitelist OpenVPN Connect and OpenVPN GUI through it. It’ll allow them to work properly without any issues. So, learn to do the same by following the below-listed steps:
1. Open the Firewall & network protection app on your Windows 11 PC and click the below option:
Allow an app through firewall
2. On the next screen, click the Change settings button and then Allow another app… button.
3. In the Add an app window, click Browse… and move to the location where the VPN is saved.
4. Choose the app, click the Open button, and then select the Add button to import the location.
5. Tick both checkboxes next to it in the box and click OK at the bottom to save the change.
6. After doing so, restart your Windows PC and check whether the OpenVPN is working now.
5. Edit the OpenVPN Config File
Some users in the online forums said that making some necessary changes to the OpenVPN configuration file fixed the issue for them. Thus, we suggest you do the same and check if it works for you. You can need to enter the below lines in your config file:
push "redirect-gateway def1 bypass-dhcp"push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.222.222"push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.220.220"6. Force Close & Restart OpenVPN
It may be possible that your OpenVPN app is facing some issues in working, which is why the OpenVPN not working issue is appearing on your Windows 11 PC. In that case, force close and restart OpenVPN on your PC. You can follow the below steps to try out the same:
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager program on your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
2. In the Task Manager window, search for the OpenVPN Connect app and right-click on it.
3. Right-click the OpenVPN Connect process and choose the End task option from the menu.
4. In the end, reopen the OpenVPN Connect and check whether it opens or works well now.
7. Make Sure Your Azure VM Is Correctly Configured
Some users in the online forums said that they’re only facing issues with Azure VM. If that’s the same with you, you need to make sure that your Azure VM is properly working now. We hope you find and fix the OpenVPN not working issue on your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
8. Ensure the DHCP Client Service Is Running
The DHCP Client service is an integral Windows service that registers and updates IP addresses and DNS records for the PC. If this service is stopped, this computer will not receive dynamic IP addresses and DNS updates.
Also, components that depend on it will fail to work. So, this could be the same in your case. So, make sure that the DHCP Client service is working properly. You can check the same by following the below process:
1. Press Windows + R to open the Run program and type Services.msc in its search box.
2. In the Services window, look for the DHCP Client service, choose it, and right-click on it.
3. From the right-click menu, choose the Properties option and ensure Stopped is written next to Service status:. If there’s nothing mentioned like that, click the Start button to restart it. In case it was already enabled, choose the Stop button and then Start to restart it.
9. Uninstall Third-party Antivirus
If you’re using a third-party antivirus app on your Windows 11 PC, it could be possible that it’s causing this issue, as sometimes, they prevent the VPNs from working due to security concerns.
So, we suggest you uninstall the third-party antivirus program from your PC. You can check the below-mentioned steps to know how to uninstall apps in Windows 11:
1. Open the Windows Search Box by pressing the Windows key and enter the name in it.
2. Select the Uninstall option from the Windows search results to open the Installed apps window.
3. On the next screen, search the antivirus app you want to delete from your Windows 11 PC.
4. Click the three dots (…) next to it, and from the dropdown menu, choose the Uninstall option.
5. In the new prompt, choose the Uninstall button and let the app uninstall from your device.
After removing the antivirus app from your device, check if the OpenVPN app is working now.
10. Clean the Temp Folder
Some users in the OpenVPN forum mentioned that cleaning the Temp folder of the user in which the OpenVPN Connect App is not starting/opening can also fix the OpenVPN not working issue. Considering this, we suggest you also do the same and check whether it works. We’ve mentioned the instructions to delete the Temp folder from your computer below:
1. Press the Windows + R hotkey to open the Run utility and type %temp% in the search field.
2. In the Temp folder, use the Ctrl + A keyboard shortcut to select all the files and folders in it.
3. Select the Bin icon in the top navigation menu to delete the selected folders from the folder.
4. Once done, exit the File Explorer window on your PC and restart your Windows 11 PC.
11. Flush Your DNS Cache
One way to resolve OpenVPN-related issues is to clear the system’s DNS cache, as it could be possible that it has been corrupted. Thus, to check this, we suggest flushing your PC’s DNS cache. To know how to clear the DNS cache in Windows 11, check the below steps:
1. In the search, type Command Prompt, and then select it from the search results with admin rights.
2. In the Command Prompt utility, run the below-mentioned commands and press the Enter key:
netsh winsock resetnetsh int ip resetipconfig /releaseipconfig /renewipconfig /flushdns3. After running the above command, confirm if OpenVPN is working on your Windows PC.
12. Update Windows
It may be possible that the OpenVPN not working is appearing because of some bugs and glitches in the PC. In that case, we suggest you update your Windows 11 PC and see if the new updates fix these problems. Below are the right steps to update Windows 11:
1. Launch the Settings app on your Windows computer and choose Windows Update at the top.
2. In the Windows Update window, choose the Check for updates button to search for updates.
3. If you find new updates to install after clicking Check for updates, click Download & install next to them to do so. Otherwise, click Download & install all to install all at once.
13. Reinstall OpenVPN
If none of the above-mentioned workarounds help you get rid of the OpenVPN not working issue in Windows 11 until now, consider reinstalling the OpenVPN app on your PC. Doing so will eliminate all the issues and, hopefully, also resolve the issues with it. You can follow the below-mentioned prompts to reinstall the OpenVPN app on your PC:
1. Get the Windows Search Box on your Windows 11 PC and type OpenVPN Connect in it.
2. From the search results, choose the Uninstall button and search the OpenVPN Connect app.
3. Click the three dots (…) next to it, and choose the Uninstall button from the dropdown menu.
4. Click the Uninstall button in the new prompt to delete the program from your Windows PC.
5. Once you’ve uninstalled it, click here to get the OpenVPN Connect installer on your PC.
14. Roll Back to Windows 10
For some users, the issue with OpenVPN started appearing after upgrading the Windows 10 PC to Windows 11. If that’s the same with you, consider rolling it back to Windows 10, as doing so will fix all the issues that are causing OpenVPN not working in Windows 11. So, follow the below-mentioned steps to easily revert your Windows 11 PC to Windows 10:
1. Launch the Settings app on your Windows 11 PC and head to the Recovery section of it.
2. In the Recovery window, click the Go back button next to Go Back under Recovery options.
3. After clicking the respective button, follow the on-screen prompts to revert to Windows 10.
15. Submit a Support Ticket to OpenVPN Support
If you still can’t use the OpenVPN Connect program on your Windows 11 PC, you should submit a support ticket to its support. Hopefully, they’ll provide you with some working workarounds to eliminate all the issues with the OpenVPN Connect app on your Windows 11 PC. Check the below-mentioned steps to know how to contact the OpenVPN support:
1. Click here to visit the OpenVPN official site in your browser and click Support at the top.
2. Click the Submit A Support Ticket button and choose the appropriate option from the menu.
3. Enter your email address in the Your email address text box and then enter the subject.
4. Choose the right option from the OpenVPN Product (Required) and Server Instance Type menu.
5. Enter the OpenVPN Connect client version and then choose the OS you’re using the VPN on.
6. Write a detailed description in the Detailed Description (Required) box and fill in other fields.
7. Once done, click the Submit button and then wait for the support to revert back with a fix.
FAQs
Does OpenVPN Work With Windows 11?
The OpenVPN app works on Windows 11. You can download it on your PC by clicking here.
Why Is VPN Not Working on Windows 11?
It could be possible that the computer has some bugs and glitches, which is why the VPN isn’t working properly. Other new reasons could be the computer’s Firewall, third-party apps, etc.
Why Is OpenVPN Not Working?
It could be possible that OpenVPN has some bugs and glitches, which is why it isn’t working. Otherwise, it could be possible that the Windows Defender Firewall is stopping it from working.
Does Windows 11 Support VPN?
Yes, the new Windows 11 also supports the VPN. You can access it by going to the below path:
Settings App on your PC > VPN > Add VPN > Follow the On-Screen Instruction
How Do I Enable VPN in Windows 11?
You can follow the below-mentioned steps to turn on the VPN function on your Windows 11 PC:
1. Launch the Settings app on your computer and choose Network & internet from the left.
2. In the Network & internet window, choose the VPN option and enable the toggle next to VPN.
Hopefully, OpenVPN Not Working in Windows 11 Is Fixed Now
OpenVPN is a great Windows VPN program with many useful features to let us browse the internet while being anonymous. However, at times, it faces issues in working properly.
If your OpenVPN app was also not behaving properly on your Windows 11 PC, we hope this troubleshooting guide helped you resolve the issue. If yes, then do let us know which mentioned workaround assisted you in fixing OpenVPN not working in Windows 11.
