After upgrading to Windows 8.1, things were working fine until about 100+ updates came through... and now these TAP-Windows Adapter V9 and TAP-Win32 Adapter OAS drivers are installing over and over again. I uninstall the drivers and they come back, I disable them, and they re-enable themselves. I have looked up answers to this issue, and I do not use a VPN...so none of that applies to me.

The unfortunate part is that I get constant interruptions with my internet and don't even want to touch my laptop hardly anymore because of this...but I need to because I am trying to start a business and get back into school. The only way I can get the internet to work again is to disable the drivers, and troubleshoot my wireless adapter. It renews the wireless adapter, the internet works for anywhere between one minute to an hour before I have to troubleshoot again.

HELP?? How to I block those drivers? There needs to be a Microsoft Removal Tool and a major update...

I tried to add a screenshot, but it took so long to verify me that I had already deleted it after 4 days.

• Edited by JSisthe1 Sunday, September 14, 2014 8:29 AM

Upon further inspection, I found that the only two items that were installed on my Wi-Fi connection was Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv6) ... still looking for IPv5. JK. :D

I went through removing all the TAP drivers, and then I used cmd.exe ran as an administrator:
netsh winsock reset
netsh winsock reset catalog
netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt
ipconfig /flushdns

After that, I installed the following to my Wi-Fi connection:
Client for Microsoft Networks
QoS Packet Scheduler
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
Link-Layer Topology Discovery Responder
Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper I/O Driver

I have restarted my computer, and seemingly things are working better... I certainly hope it stays this way. If it doesn't keep the TAP drivers away, does anyone have a solution I have not tried?

Please, and thank you? :)

• Edited by JSisthe1 Wednesday, September 10, 2014 12:11 PM
• Marked as answer by JSisthe1 Wednesday, September 10, 2014 12:11 PM
• Unmarked as answer by JSisthe1 Friday, September 12, 2014 1:25 PM

Well I've got no unknown accesses to any of my accounts, and don't really have anything for anyone to get into. Plus I'm running AVG and Spybot: Search and Destroy. Nothing had been detected.

But nevertheless, if someone is trying to access my computer... it's their loss since I can't access the internet when that adapter is installed and enabled. This morning one of the TAP-Windows Adapter V9 drivers had installed itself... is there absolutely no one at Microsoft that knows what's going on here? This is absolutely ridiculous.

I've decided to delete WINDOWS\System32\DRIVERS\tap0901.sys and replace it with a blank file to try to immunize it somehow. I will make updates about if it works or not.

• Edited by JSisthe1 Friday, September 12, 2014 4:44 PM

Well, for a while this worked... I have been uninstalling things I don't need and hoping one of them could be the culprit, and to no avail. The driver just now reinstalled itself and was sitting there like a frog on a log waiting for a fly. Grrr. I think I might just uninstall and go back to Windows 7 or even XP... at least I didn't have problems like I do with Windows 8. This is truly ridiculous, and still no one from Microsoft has been here for help or commentary. Not sure why I expected any more.

• Edited by JSisthe1 Sunday, September 14, 2014 8:28 AM

Ok it's more than a week now and I'm not seeing any Tap-adapter, hopefully it will work for you guys too: untick all in IPv4 and IPv6, if another Tap appear, uninstall them both from device manager.

• Marked as answer by Kate LiMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Friday, October 10, 2014 5:49 AM

i disabled it. go to your device manager and check under connections you will see that tap driver then disable it,or uninstall it

• Edited by nyamande Friday, October 03, 2014 10:58 AM
• Marked as answer by Kate LiMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Friday, October 10, 2014 5:49 AM

It's not a solution. I untick all in IPv4 and IPv6 and disable all tap-adapters in ncpa.cpl. Then i uninstall all tap-adapters in devmgmt.msc. Over time (about a week or month) they coming back, it's like clean spam folder in my e-mail box.

One time i've used OpenVPN client, but it was removed a long time ago.

Is deleting WINDOWS\System32\DRIVERS\tap0901.sys and replacing it with a blank file helpful? Somebody testing it or this file come back again?

P.S. sorry for my english.

• Edited by TalaMax Friday, November 28, 2014 6:46 AM

hi 

Install a new Version of openvpn 

run cmd.exe as Admin

cd C:\Program Files\TAP-Windows\bin

deltapall.bat

Happy new Year

• Proposed as answer by TalaMax Wednesday, January 21, 2015 6:16 AM

Hi, I have the same problem....I saw this VPN devises and catch someone copying a file from my PC(I was working normally and next second a little window copying a file from my docs...was just a second)

I'm trying this.... delete any file "tap0901", on safe mode also delete the folder named "vpnplugins" is in "Windows folder"(I'm not sure about this but since I'm not using VPN not need it(better safe than worry)).

I ran a search on all my PC looking for "tap0901" and I found a folder on "C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository" with 4 or 5 files related to "tap0901"....Delete.

THE F*** TAP-Windows Adapter V9 is GONE!

NOTE: Norton Scan didn't see any problem but there is a big one. Disable and uninstall the devise doesn't work  you need to delete any little shit related to "tap0901".

NOTE 2: When U make the Search for "tap0901" files be sure than check the Advance options : File Contents, System Files, Zipped (Compressed) folders... on view also check "hidden items"

• Edited by jckaboom Saturday, January 10, 2015 7:48 PM
• Proposed as answer by jckaboom Saturday, January 10, 2015 7:49 PM

I actually had the same problem, I'm looking for a solution since 2014 september.
And now 4 month later, maybe has come a genius !

Because since september, I've deleted around 40 "local network connection", then I give up. This shit is just like rabbits, they grow faster and faster. I currently have 66 unwanted "local network connection" (connexion au rseau local, because I'm french), with about a half of "TAP Windows adapter V9" and the other half "TAP Win32 Adapter OAS".

Ok, so I deleted both "tap0901 and "tapoas" related files, and I hope it will work.

If any of you wants free connections, I've a lot to give :)

(If this works, I will send you chocolate !)

• Edited by Hello Sylvain Thursday, January 15, 2015 4:10 PM Order of lines

@Bungelaar

I have never installed a VPN client (I thought). 

I tried your solution, but while researching for "tap0901" and "tapoas" in regedit, I found these two key :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\PnpLockdownFiles\%SystemRoot%/System32/drivers/tapoas.sys

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\PnpLockdownFiles\%SystemRoot%/System32/drivers/tap0901.sys

As they were protected, I modified security authorisations, and finally deleted them.

And just after this, my WiFi connection showed "connected" but I was unable to load any page.

And in the notification box, there was a message I've never seen before : AVAST VPN SecureLine : Deconnect (Disconnected). So in fact, do I have a VPN Client ? I don't think because it's not a free option for AVAST Antivirus. Do you think it is the cause of problems ?

I'm currently using my phone 4g->wifi connection sharing with my computer, and it works.
Because even after restarting the computer, the normal WiFi Internet is still unable to load anything (but still shows it is connected).

EDIT : A few minutes after, the Internet was working, but my TAP0901'friend is still here, but TAPOAS has gone.

• Edited by Hello Sylvain Sunday, January 25, 2015 5:34 PM Modification

hi 

Install a new Version of openvpn

run cmd.exe as Admin

cd C:\Program Files\TAP-Windows\bin

deltapall.bat

Happy new Year

This deletes all of them, but they still come back.  ON my device manager, I had over 600 TAP adapters, so this bat file definitely beat deleting them one by one.  It's not a permanent solution though.