How to Fix Windows VPN Connecting Only After Restart Issue

Many Windows users who rely on VPNs for remote work, gaming, or enhanced online privacy often face a frustrating issue: the VPN only connects properly after restarting the computer. While this might seem like a minor nuisance, it can seriously disrupt workflow and productivity. Fortunately, this issue is typically resolvable with a few adjustments and troubleshooting steps.

This guide explores the most common causes and provides practical solutions to help you fix the problem without needing to restart your computer every time you want to connect to your VPN.

Why Does the VPN Only Work After Restart?

This issue can stem from a range of system or software problems. Some of the most common causes include:

• Conflicts with network adapters or drivers
• Misconfigured VPN settings
• Problems with Windows services that the VPN depends on
• Outdated or corrupted VPN client software

By understanding these common causes, you can implement targeted fixes and reclaim control over your VPN connection.

1. Restart the VPN-Related Services Manually

One simple workaround is manually restarting the VPN-related services without rebooting your computer. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Locate the following services and restart them one by one:
   • IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
   • IPsec Policy Agent
   • Remote Access Connection Manager
   • Routing and Remote Access (if installed)

Restarting these services often restores the VPN functionality immediately and saves you from rebooting your system.

2. Update or Reinstall Network and VPN Drivers

Corrupted or outdated network drivers can interfere with VPN connectivity. Follow these steps to ensure your drivers are up to date:

1. Press Win + X and choose Device Manager.
2. Expand the Network adapters section.
3. Right-click on your VPN adapter (this could be named after your VPN provider or called “WAN Miniport”) and choose Update driver.
4. You can also try choosing Uninstall device and then restart your PC to allow Windows to reinstall it automatically.

In many cases, simply updating or reinstalling the drivers corrects the startup sequence and allows connections to occur normally without needing a full reboot.

3. Check VPN Application Settings

Some VPN clients may not initialize correctly unless given administrator privileges or started manually. Here’s what you can do:

• Right-click your VPN application icon and choose Properties.
• Go to the Compatibility tab.
• Check the box that says Run this program as an administrator.
• Click Apply and then OK.

This ensures the app gets the necessary permissions to initialize required services during launch.

4. Disable Fast Startup

Windows Fast Startup is designed to reduce boot time, but it can interfere with network configurations. To disable it:

1. Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
2. Click Choose what the power buttons do.
3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
4. Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended).
5. Click Save changes.

Disabling Fast Startup can give your VPN a better environment to launch upon boot.

5. Flush DNS and Reset Network Stack

Sometimes, cached DNS entries or misconfigured network stacks prevent VPNs from initializing correctly. You can reset these with a few commands:

ipconfig /flushdns
netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset

Run these commands in a Command Prompt window (Run as Administrator). This will clear the DNS cache and reset the TCP/IP stack, often resolving hidden networking issues.

Conclusion

While it’s certainly inconvenient to rely on restarts just to get your VPN running, the good news is that it’s usually easy to fix with a few system-level configurations.

Start by restarting related services manually, updating your drivers, and checking your VPN settings. Getting your VPN to connect consistently without restart is often just a few tweaks away.

If you’ve tried everything and the issue persists, consider reinstalling the VPN software entirely or switching to a different, more compatible VPN client. Windows has come a long way in terms of VPN support, and with a bit of patience, you can get everything working smoothly.