OpenVPN Connect not opening

yv1993

Hi everyone,

I tried a bit around with the cmd line options.
I can't launch it anymore now.

Even after uninstall and restart it just doesn't open anymore.
No Process is running nothing

ovpn.log is empty and agent.log says:
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 OpenVPN Agent 0.1.0 [OpenSSL]
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 HTTP Listen: http-listen \\.\pipe\agent_ovpnconnect NamedPipe 4 !ssl
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 HTTP Listen: http-listen \\.\pipe\agent_ovpnconnect NamedPipe 4 !ssl
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 HTTP Listen: http-listen \\.\pipe\agent_ovpnconnect NamedPipe 4 !ssl
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 HTTP Listen: http-listen \\.\pipe\agent_ovpnconnect NamedPipe 4 !ssl

I installed openvpn-connect-3.3.2.2475_signed.msi

Anyone any idea?

Thank you and best regards

theflakes

I am seeing the same issue on Windows 11 right now. I've run through all the manual troubleshooting I can find. Uninstall / reinstall, remove and readd TAP driver, reset Winsock, ...

Both services are running ok and I can't find any relevant logs pointing to an error as yet.

theflakes

Switching to the older GUi client works.

theflakes

This fixed it for me from OVPN support: You might need to clean Temp folder if client doesn't start.
Win+R > %Temp% > Ctrl+A > Shift + Delete > Enter

thetick33

yv1993 wrote Hi everyone,

I tried a bit around with the cmd line options.
I can't launch it anymore now.

Even after uninstall and restart it just doesn't open anymore.
No Process is running nothing

ovpn.log is empty and agent.log says:
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 OpenVPN Agent 0.1.0 [OpenSSL]
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 HTTP Listen: http-listen \\.\pipe\agent_ovpnconnect NamedPipe 4 !ssl
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 HTTP Listen: http-listen \\.\pipe\agent_ovpnconnect NamedPipe 4 !ssl
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 HTTP Listen: http-listen \\.\pipe\agent_ovpnconnect NamedPipe 4 !ssl
Tue Oct 26 12:26:21 2021 HTTP Listen: http-listen \\.\pipe\agent_ovpnconnect NamedPipe 4 !ssl

I installed openvpn-connect-3.3.2.2475_signed.msi

Anyone any idea?

Thank you and best regards

exact same problem ive done everything netsh config ip install delete everything reinstall etc...startup client crashes within a minute that i open it....goes nowhere...downloaded proton vpn up instantly have removed taps etc...every suggestion i can find except below but this is a BRAND new set up so shoudnt have temp issues at all . so did check the temp files only files notepad is for proton vpn just started..have probably 60 folders empty 100% on msi for openvpn from past usage....also all folders probably 20 openinstaller openvpn is each empty....any suggestions is appreciated im only user on VPN i only need to work for me period.....need a good vpn and like that its open etc...

lopr

same happened to me..
I either cannot open it at all or just with setting compatability mode to "vista sp2"
however it crashes constantly is is not really usable. both 3.3.1 and 3.3.2 are not working (the problem started with upgrading from 3.3.1 to 3.3.2)
however 3.2.3 is still working.

I will try cleaning the temp folder now.
edit: yeah cleaning the temp folder out did the trick. there was a lock file from openvpn connect that probably shutdown the startup process entirely

cdysthe

theflakes wrote This fixed it for me from OVPN support: You might need to clean Temp folder if client doesn't start.
Win+R > %Temp% > Ctrl+A > Shift + Delete > Enter

I had the same problem. I tried "everything", uninstall, clean out all entries in the registry and reboot. Safe mode. No go. When I deleted everything in Temp I can open and set up the client up again. It's a bug and need to be addressed.

rchak

One of my users on Win10 Enterprise had the same problem and clearing the Temp folder has fixed the issue for him. Thanks for posting the solution here.

ci7alex1

hi all,
Unfortunately, in my case OpenVPN Connect.exe isn't starting. It was working only recently. I've installed the fresh version today. When clicked, nothing comes up. I can observe it in the Task Manager on Windows 10 how it momentarily appears in the apps and disappears again.
What is more interesting, it seems to work in another account on this same PC and GUI appears. I've cleared the Temp folder. No luck.

ANything else I could try? Reinstalling and manually obtaining --list-profiles or --version doesn't work either.
Thanks!

Elerphore

cdysthe wrote
theflakes wrote This fixed it for me from OVPN support: You might need to clean Temp folder if client doesn't start.
Win+R > %Temp% > Ctrl+A > Shift + Delete > Enter
I had the same problem. I tried "everything", uninstall, clean out all entries in the registry and reboot. Safe mode. No go. When I deleted everything in Temp I can open and set up the client up again. It's a bug and need to be addressed.

It did actually worked out for me, thanks!

pace_car

theflakes wrote This fixed it for me from OVPN support: You might need to clean Temp folder if client doesn't start.
Win+R > %Temp% > Ctrl+A > Shift + Delete > Enter

thanks, i have found a lock file in that folder...after removing that file , i was able to launch the client

many thanks!

mikehoopes

theflakes wrote This fixed it for me from OVPN support: You might need to clean Temp folder if client doesn't start.
Win+R > %Temp% > Ctrl+A > Shift + Delete > Enter

I encountered this issue after a Windows 11 update. I'm on Version 10.0.22616 Build 22616. Deleting files in the %Temp% folder worked for me.

ateebwaqar

This fixed it for me from OVPN support: You might need to clean Temp folder if client doesn't start.
Win+R > %Temp% > Ctrl+A > Shift + Delete > Enter

nerdjuice

Has this bug been addressed yet?

It seems most people have had success clearing their %temp% folder but that hasn't solved the problem for me. To clarify I deleted all files and folders in c:\windows\temp and C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\Temp

I even deleted the files in Safe Mode so there weren't any other locks.

Still no go.

Yes i am on Windows 11

kuamojes

Agree, clearing the temp file, works for me in windows 11 and windows 10. Thank you,

openvpn_inc

nerdjuice wrote Has this bug been addressed yet?

Hi nerd,

The issue of an orphaned lockfile isn't necessarily a bug. The purpose of a lockfile is to ensure that more than one instance of the software cannot run at the same time. Ignoring an existing lockfile is not a fix; that would be a bug in itself.

Granted, there could be ways to check and determine that a lockfile is not valid; that it was associated with an instance which has gone away without cleaning up after itself, but in any case that could not be your issue. ...

nerdjuice wrote
It seems most people have had success clearing their %temp% folder but that hasn't solved the problem for me. To clarify I deleted all files and folders in c:\windows\temp and C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\Temp

I even deleted the files in Safe Mode so there weren't any other locks.

... Your issue, obviously, is something else.

nerdjuice wrote Still no go.

Yes i am on Windows 11

One thing that works sometimes, to try to get information about a process not starting in a GUI, is to try starting it at a command line. Start a PowerShell and run (in the proper path of course) this command:

OpenVPNConnect.exe

Perhaps you will see an error message the GUI has been hiding from you. Maybe PowerShell has a cmdlet for application debugging?

good luck, rob0

nerdjuice

In case anyone with my very specific scenario lands here. Aronis Backup comes with a Cyber Security/AV Protection. I determined that by disabling this OpenVPN worked. However Whitelisting every openVPN Executable and every folder did NOT work. Only disabling protection all together. Also there is nothing in Acronis logs to indicate it blocked anything. I have opened a ticket with their support but I expect it will never reach anyone of importance.

openvpn_inc

Thank you nerd,

In a broader sense it's quite often the case that AV and other "security" software will interfere with things. And not just OpenVPN. Please let us know if you get some information from their Support desk.

(Too bad so few companies are like OpenVPN, with real, technically competent people answering every support query. You don't even have to say Shibboleet!)

regards, rob0

andrevianabcl

theflakes wrote This fixed it for me from OVPN support: You might need to clean Temp folder if client doesn't start.
Win+R > %Temp% > Ctrl+A > Shift + Delete > Enter

Works, thanks

GreenArrow

theflakes wrote This fixed it for me from OVPN support: You might need to clean Temp folder if client doesn't start.
Win+R > %Temp% > Ctrl+A > Shift + Delete > Enter

So this is almost mid-2023 and I could not get the latest version of OpenVPN Connect to even open... like the whole app wouldn't work at all... I tried updating my laptop and that opened Pandora's box... i see this solution, try it, and wth, the app works... how has this been over two years and not been fixed...