[Solved] Windows - remove duplicate vpn

[uconn34]

Hi, I have windows 10, when double click openvpn GUI, it says "there already exists a config file named "clientnew,ovpn'. You cannot have multiple config files with the same name even if they reside in different folders".

How do I fix this?

When I right click on openvpn in taskbar, I see 2 configs. How do I remove one of them?

[SomeGuy]

Hi, I have windows 10, when double click openvpn GUI, it says "there already exists a config file named "clientnew,ovpn'. You cannot have multiple config files with the same name even if they reside in different folders".

How do I fix this?

When I right click on openvpn in taskbar, I see 2 configs. How do I remove one of them?

For windows, visit the directory where the config files are installed, and then remove them.

On some Windows boxes, it may be here:

[url=file://c:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/OpenVPN/config/]file://c:/Program Files (x86)/OpenVPN/config/[/url] for 32-bit installs

or here:
[url=file://c:/Program%20Files/OpenVPN/config/]file://c:/Program Files/OpenVPN/config/[/url] a common place for 64-bit installs

You may need administrative access to add or remove files from these directories.

if you installed OpenVPN elsewhere, then look for the "config" directory that is contained within its install directory and see if your config files are there.


If you plan to replace one config with another, an "easier" method?
Right-click on the new config, "open with" and choose notepad, "control-a" to select all of the text in the doc, press "control-c" to copy it to a buffer, close the new config.
Visit the "systray" and right click, locate the config you are to replace, and navigate to that config's pop-up menu, and find "edit config" and see the old config open in notepad. In the old config, "control-a" to select all, "control-v" to pasted your new config over the old config, then save.

[johndon]

I am having the exact same issue and your reply does not work SomeGuy.

Specifically, I have a config named myuser.ovpn under C:\Downloads\. I haven't changed the default config directory set by openvpn which is: C:\Users\MYUSERNAME\OpenVPN\config.

So I imported the myuser.ovpn that is at downloads, but it had errors and therefore I couldn't use it.

I manually edited it to fix the errors (with notepad++, not with the "myuser" -> "Edit Config" submenu of the openvpnGUI at the tray) and now when I try to import it again, it displays, "A config named "myuser" already exists.".
The only solution is to rename it and re-import it, as there is no "delete" config option at the gui. Therefore you might end up having a bunch of useless config files (only in the openvpn GUI) and only one of them being a useful one...

How can you remove them??

[SomeGuy]

I am having the exact same issue and your reply does not work SomeGuy.

Specifically, I have a config named myuser.ovpn under C:\Downloads\. I haven't changed the default config directory set by openvpn which is: C:\Users\MYUSERNAME\OpenVPN\config.

So I imported the myuser.ovpn that is at downloads, but it had errors and therefore I couldn't use it.

I manually edited it to fix the errors (with notepad++, not with the "myuser" -> "Edit Config" submenu of the openvpnGUI at the tray) and now when I try to import it again, it displays, "A config named "myuser" already exists.".
The only solution is to rename it and re-import it, as there is no "delete" config option at the gui. Therefore you might end up having a bunch of useless config files (only in the openvpn GUI) and only one of them being a useful one...

How can you remove them??

My config directory is system installed under the application.

When I visit my OpenVPN config directory using the file explorer in windows (explorer.exe), II can see all of the configs, select all that I want to delete, and then I am told I need administrative controls to delete them, which I grant, and then the files are deleted, and OpenVPN GUI no longer lists them as available config.

I can also use notepad to edit existing config in that config directory.

If, when you visit your config directory, you do not see the config files that OpenVPN GUI shows, then there is probably another configuration directory that contains your openvpn config files.

When you use File Explorer (explorer.exe) and visit your OpenVPN config directory, and click and delete each obsolete config, what error is presented to you by the OS that informs you that you can't delete these files?

[johndon]

Thanks, you resolved my issue

[shitalra]

Hello,

Rename the name of file you want to import. This worked for me.

[HandeTech]

Hi, I have windows 10, when double click openvpn GUI, it says "there already exists a config file named "clientnew,ovpn'. You cannot have multiple config files with the same name even if they reside in different folders".

How do I fix this?

When I right click on openvpn in taskbar, I see 2 configs. How do I remove one of them?

Hello uconn34,
Currently I only use one config file and I had the same issue on a Win10 PC.
I'd created a backup of client.ovpn (clientBAK.ovpn) and placed that BAK file into this folder C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config\Backup however, the OpenVPN GUI in the System Tray would display both the client and clientBAK config files.

The issue was resolved by simply moving the Backup folder out of the config folder and into the C:\Program Files\OpenVPN directory. No longer see the clientBAK file listed in the GUI.

FWIW.
Right click on the OpenGUI System Tray icon, select Settings > Advanced. Here you can specify where the config and log files reside.

Cheers.