Windows 10 & Cisco VPN Client Don’t Play Nicely Together . . . Yet

My #Windows10 upgrade didn’t go as planned, and within 30 minutes, I was able to learn what the problem was and roll back to Windows 8.1.

Thank goodness for old friends and Facebook.

Image Credit: Digital Trends, 27 October 2009

Here’s what happened.

The download and installation appeared to go smoothly, but after booting up with Windows 10, my computer no longer recognized my networking hardware (Problem #1). And when I clicked on the link for the Settings window, the window would appear briefly on my screen, then vanish (Problem #2).

My friend Chuck Hutchings (who I have known since my days at Auburn a “few” years ago) saw my post asked if I had Cisco VPN Client installed, which I do. He let me know that the Cisco VPN Client was the culprit — because he had the same issue. His recommendation? Roll back to Windows 8.1.

That would have been easy to do, except I had Problem #2 also. A quick Google search using my Galaxy Note 4? led me to the Microsoft Community, where another person had the vanishing Setting window, too. I downloaded the recommended troubleshooter to my phone, attached my phone to my computer, then ran the troubleshooter. The troubleshooter fixed the vanishing Settings window, so I was able to the steps Chuck found to go back to Windows 8.1.

Rolling back took fewer than 10 minutes, and everything is now working just like it was before the upgrade debacle.

Now . . . wondering how long until Windows 10 and Cisco VPN Client work together? (I have to use that specific VPN for work, so using another VPN isn’t an option.)