If you’re a Windows 11 user and have noticed that your VPN has been acting up over the last few days, then there’s a good chance that Microsoft has inadvertently broken it.
Microsoft acknowledged this week that its April Windows 11 update may stop users’ VPNs from working correctly, and right now, there’s no obvious fix.
Affected users have to wait for a future update to get their VPN functionality back, but are waiting to hear when this will be rolled out.
Windows 11 Update Upsets VPNs
This week, Microsoft released a standard Windows 11 update, with one small blemish – it seems to have stopped some VPNs from working correctly.
In the official update notes on Microsoft’s site, the company acknowledged that with its latest software rollout ‘Windows devices might face VPN connection failures after installing the April 2024 security update’.
🔎 Want to browse the web privately? 🌎 Or appear as if you're in another country?
Get a huge 86% off Surfshark with this special tech.co offer.
Microsoft hasn’t provided a list of those VPNs affected, so before you panic, we’d suggest giving your VPN of choice a whirl and seeing if it works as normal. If it does, then great! If not, then we’ve got some slightly bad news for you…
How Can I Fix the Windows VPN Issue?
If you’re running into issues with your VPN after the Windows 11 April update, the official advice from Microsoft is to use the Windows help function. However, given that Microsoft acknowledges that it is still working on a fix, this is unlikely to resolve the issue.
Another option would be to rollback the update to the previous version of Windows, which you can do by following these steps:
Click the Start menu > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View Update History > Uninstall updates
It’s worth noting though that this generally isn’t recommended, as Windows updates usually carry essential security updates, so rolling back the latest update could leave your device vulnerable.
If you desperately need a VPN and can’t wait for a fix, you might want to consider trying a different VPN – it seems not all providers are impacted, so switching may be the key for now.
Microsoft is working on a solution to the issue, which it will roll out in a future update – fingers crossed it comes quickly.
