Investigate these to see what's left, and whether the folders can safely be deleted. Open the client folder you noted in the previous step, if it still exists, and search your system for folders with similar names. There are often plenty of leftovers, ranging from stray DLLs to detailed logs of all your recent VPN connections.

Uninstalling a VPN won't necessarily remove all of its files. Once you've run the regular uninstaller and removed any associated TAP files, reboot your PC to make sure Windows is able to delete locked program files. If you don't find anything, search your system for the VPN name and look for an Uninstall shortcut. Remove these by right-clicking and selecting Uninstall. If the list is sorted alphabetically, scroll to the T's and look for items beginning 'TAP-' (our test system included TAP-NordVPN and TAP-ProtonVPN). The installed programs list might also include a TAP driver (a virtual network adapter) for your VPN provider. Make a note of the folder name – you'll need it later.Ĭlose the client completely (don't just minimize it), then try to uninstall it from the regular Control Panel applet (Control Panel > Programs and Features > Uninstall a Program). Open a client window, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to launch Task Manager, right-click the app name and select Open File Location. Start by finding where the program files are stored on your hard drive.

The first step in removing a VPN is to clear away its client.

(Image credit: Microsoft) Uninstall VPN clients

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