Can't install OpenVPN (Service OpenVPN Interactive Service failed to start)

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Bass
OpenVpn Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:14 pm

Can't install OpenVPN (Service OpenVPN Interactive Service failed to start)

Post by Bass » Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:34 pm

Hello

I am trying to install OpenVPN (OpenVPN-2.5.5-I602-amd64.msi) on Windows 7 x64 and I get the error message:
"Service 'OpenVPN Interactive Service' (OpenVPNServiceInteractive) failed to start. Verify that you have sufficient privileger to start system services."

I saw the same problem on this forum and the advice is to run the installer as an administrator.

However, the installer asks for the administrator password, so I think it works with administrator rights.

But I also tried to run the installer from administrator forcibly.
The .msi file doesn't have the "Run as administrator" option, so I run cmd.exe as administrator, and then runs OpenVPN-2.5.5-I602-amd64 from there - and get the same error

Please help

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openvpn_inc
OpenVPN Inc.
Posts: 1332
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2021 10:41 am

Re: Can't install OpenVPN (Service OpenVPN Interactive Service failed to start)

Post by openvpn_inc » Sat Mar 19, 2022 3:46 pm

Hi Bass (is that the fish or the musical term?)

This is basically a Windows question, not an openvpn one. But you seem to be misunderstanding the difference between running the installer and starting the service. Sure, you ran as Administrator when you did the install. You must also start the service as Administrator.

I know you can right-click the icon to get a context menu which will include a "Run as Administrator" option. I don't know anything about starting services on Windows 7, except that it is the same idea: only Administrator can run services which require Administrator privileges.

regards, rob0
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Bass
OpenVpn Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 5:14 pm

Re: Can't install OpenVPN (Service OpenVPN Interactive Service failed to start)

Post by Bass » Sat Mar 19, 2022 5:53 pm

Thanks for the answer, Rob0!
Musical :)

I figured it out myself.

I'm logged in as an administrator and repeated the installation and saw error messages about unsigned drivers.
(when I'm logged in as regular user, and doing Run As - these messages were not shown)
The service didn't start, because the drivers were not installed.

I install version 2.5.3 - with signed drivers, and it works fine

B.

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