Pro-tip: Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client and Windows 8 Consumer Preview

imageIf you’re like me and you use the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client to access corporate resources, you may have noticed that it doesn’t want to work out of the box on Windows 8.

You might see error messages like “The VPN Client driver has encountered an error.” or “Cannot initiate VPN.”

Turns out there is a quick and easy fix for this.

From the Start screen type “regedit” or press the Windows Key+R and type “regedit” and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.

Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesvpnva

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Double-click on the DisplayName key, and remove the INF information from the display name so that it appears as Cisco AnyConnect VPN Virtual Miniport Adapter for Windows x64. (or the 32-bit / x86 equivalent)

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Click OK. Close Registry Editor and launch the AnyConnect client. The connection should work normally.

25 thoughts on “Pro-tip: Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client and Windows 8 Consumer Preview”

  2. +1 – you’re the first Google search result, and this worked perfectly for me.  🙂
    Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Tom:  In the process of starting the “upgrade” of the Windows 8 Release Preview just now I got a flagged message about a potential compatibility issue with my Cisco Anyconnect app.  Since I used your method above to resolve the issue in CP version, do you think it will be okay with this RP version too?  Thanks for the help.

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  7. These are the correct instructions, btw. There is another site, which has something like ‘cvirta’ as the instead of vpnva but that key doesn’t exist in the ‘services’ hive. Thanks!

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  18. As listed above it didn’t work (I had no VPNA listed under my CurrentControlSetServices folder). 

    However, I found the appropriate key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSet001ServicesVPNA

    I made the change recommended and it worked.  Thanks!

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  21. Hi, unfortunately this does not work for me, for everytime i try to connect the Display Name is being set back. The INF information reapears and I can’t connect “The VPN-Client Adapter has encountered an error”.

    Any idea, what to do?

    Display Name: @oem28.inf,%vpnva_Desc%;Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client Virtual Miniport Adapter for Windows x64

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  22. Pingback: Pro-tip: Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client and Windows 8 Consumer Preview | Tom On Tech | priyank's notes
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