Warning: NordVPN broke my Wi-Fi in Windows 11 — no internet, no multiplayer

[Paparazzi_Msk]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to share a serious warning for anyone using NordVPN on Windows 11, especially if you're playing games like Company of Heroes 2 or any other online multiplayer titles.

---

What happened to me:

- I installed NordVPN on a clean Windows 11 system.
- Everything worked fine — until I restarted the PC.
- Suddenly, Wi-Fi completely disappeared from Windows.
- The Wi-Fi adapter was disabled in Device Manager and couldn’t be enabled.
- The Wi-Fi section vanished from Settings entirely.
- NordVPN wouldn’t start (no internet), and Kill Switch remained active, cutting off all connectivity.

---

What I tried (unsuccessfully):

With help from a technician, I spent 4 hours trying to fix it:

• Restarted all network services (WLAN AutoConfig, WinHTTP, etc.)
  
• Reinstalled Intel AX211 Wi-Fi driver (manual `.inf` install via USB)
  
• Ran full network resets with `netsh`, `ipconfig`, etc.
  
• Ran `sfc /scannow` and `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth`
  
• Tried PowerShell and Registry fixes to re-enable the adapter
  
• Fully uninstalled NordVPN and all related drivers (TAP, NordLynx, OpenVPN)

Nothing worked.

---

The result?

I had to completely reinstall Windows 11 from a USB stick just to get Wi-Fi back.

---

Why this matters to gamers:

If you play online:

- NordVPN can silently break your networking stack
- Kill Switch is enabled by default and blocks all internet access
- You won’t be able to reconnect, troubleshoot, or even open the app

---

Final thoughts:

I’m not against VPNs — but NordVPN on Windows 11 is unstable and potentially dangerous.
I lost hours of playtime, troubleshooting, and had to rebuild my OS from scratch.

If you use NordVPN:

• Disable Kill Switch immediately
  
• Back up your Wi-Fi drivers offline
  
• Keep a bootable Windows installer ready — just in case

Hope this post helps someone avoid what I went through.

[gzus]

can u also find a solution for error code 4 (unable to connect this ♥♥♥♥) ?

[Paparazzi_Msk]

Originally posted by gzus:

can u also find

How does this relate to the NordVPN app?

[gzus]

it doesnt relate, thought maybe u know couple things about this problem as well since u post this detailed stuff about vpn