Internet completely dies whenever VPN is disconnected or uninstalled
Browser cannot open any websites after disconnecting from NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or ProtonVPN.
Internal desktop parts run on harmless 12V DC voltage and cannot shock you. Simply unplug the wall power cable first, then touch the unpainted metal case frame to ground static electricity.
Common Symptoms & Tells
- Internet works while connected to VPN, but immediately dies when VPN is turned off
- Browser reports 'DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET'
- VPN Kill-Switch remained engaged in Windows network stack
Interactive Fix Checklist
0 of 3 steps completedReopen VPN client and turn off 'Kill Switch'
Launch your VPN app (NordVPN, Proton, Express, Mullvad). Go to Settings -> Connection / Security -> toggle OFF 'Kill Switch' and 'Block non-VPN traffic'. Disconnect properly from within the app.
Reset Windows Firewall and TAP adapters
Open Windows Defender Firewall -> click 'Restore defaults' on the left sidebar. Then open Device Manager -> Network adapters -> right-click any virtual 'TAP-Windows Adapter' or 'Wintun Userspace Tunnel' -> Uninstall device.
Flush DNS and reset TCP/IP and Winsock catalog
Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Run: 'netsh winsock reset', 'netsh int ip reset', 'ipconfig /release', 'ipconfig /flushdns', 'ipconfig /renew'. Reboot PC.
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