OpenVPN for Win7 Pro 64b won't create log files or connect

NewtownGuy2013

I installed the latest 64b OpenVPN executable (openvpn-install-2.3.2-I003-x86_64.exe) on Windows 7 Pro 64b with SP1. I installed it to c:\openvpn, not the usual c:\Program Files\OpenVPN, to try to avoid permissions issues with Win7. I set the OpenVPN GUI to run as administrator even though I am running with administrator privileges. I copied a working <client>.ovpn from another Windows machine and modified it to use the current path to the keys. But when I try to run OpenVPN GUI, it opens a window but does absolutely nothing, until it times out a few minutes later, when it says failed to connect. No log file is created, which is suspicious.

This looks like a permissions or path problem to me. I've been trying for three days to solve it to no avail. I've never seen an empty window or no log file before. One of the README's tells where to put the keys and config files for the 32b version but not the 64b version. However, my configs are listed and can be viewed and edited using OpenVPN GUI.

Initially, I installed the I001, 64-bit version using the default path, and was able to make a client connection. However, I could not get it to work as a server, which is my real objective. I just got the blank window and no log file, same as now. So I uninstalled it then reinstalled it to the new location. But something went wrong and it kept using the old path. so I uninstalled it again, and deleted an OpenVPN-GUI entry in the registry as described in a post to clean up a glitch in an earlier installation and removal.

I then reinstalled it to the new location. But now, it won't even work as a client. How do I fix this ?

Also, should I use OpenVPN GUI to run a server ? It says "connecting" as though it's trying to activate a client.

What device name do I use in server.ovpn for myTap ? Is it the one within { } that has several hyphens and 32 hex characters in ipconfig ?

Thank you in advance for your help.

NewtownGuy2013

Continuing...

There's a statement here:

http://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation/install.html?start=1

That says "Only TAP virtual devices are supported by Windows. OpenVPN on Windows can only connect to other platforms which also support the TAP device."

Does that mean that if I'm able to get OpenVPN server (not client) working on Windows 7 Pro, and thus using a TAP device, that a client Linux machine cannot connect to it ? Or do I just have to set the OpenVPN config file on the client Linux machine to use TAP not TUN ?