Tuesday, April 11, 2017

[SOLVED] Cisco VPN Client on Windows 10 (Including the new build April 2018 Update) - This works!

***Updated 05/14/18 **
***Please see my edits below for notes on builds 1803, 1709, and back.**

Here's how to get it working in 2 easy steps:

1. Download and install the Sonicwall 64-bit VPN client from HERE (as of this writing).

2. Install the Cisco VPN client.  Edit:  If you get an error that it cannot run on this operating system then just extract the .exe file using WinRar or a similar program and run the .msi file.  Problem solved.
3. Perform a quick registry edit: (This step is almost always not optional any longer)
  • Open Regedit
  • Browse to the registry key HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CVirtA
  • Select the display name to modify:
    • x86 - "@oem8.ifn,%CVirtA_Desc%;Cisco Systems VPN Adapter" to "Cisco Systems VPN Adapter"
    • x64 - "@oem8.ifn,%CVirtA_Desc%;Cisco Systems VPN Adapter for 64-bit Windows" to "Cisco Systems VPN Adapter for 64-bit Windows"
  • Reboot

The first two steps worked for me without the need for registry edit.  I checked and the settings were already spelled correctly on my machine.  Full disclosure my systems are clean Windows 10 installs without being upgrades.

Without installing the Sonicwall client first you will get Error 433 after trying to connect.  Checking the logs shows that it cannot download the key to complete the secure connection.

What happens is that the Sonicwall client adds the DNE Lightweight filter network client on the machine.  I tried getting it directly from Citrix and installing it that way but was unsuccessful.

Using this method you can now get some more use out of the Cisco VPN client.  If you prefer you can uninstall the Sonicwall client afterward.  I've been told by several people that the DNE software remains even after the Sonicwall client is removed.

Build 1803

WARNING:  You should uninstall the Cisco VPN client prior to running this upgrade so repairing it afterward will make it much easier.  All of the steps above still work on this latest build 1803 (OS Build 17134.1).  No other edits required to keep it running.

Build 1709 Fall Creator's Update

WARNING:  You should uninstall the Cisco VPN client prior to running this upgrade so repairing it afterward will make it much easier.  All of the steps above still work on this latest "Fall Creator's Update" upgrade of Windows 10.

Build 1703 Creator's Update EDIT: Updated 04/11/2017

WARNING:  You should uninstall the Cisco VPN client prior to running this upgrade so repairing it afterward will make it much easier.  All of the steps above still work on this latest "Creator's Build" upgrade of Windows 10.

Now for the not-so-fun-details.  I didn't uninstall prior to the upgrade and proceeded to spend the next 30 minutes clearing out registry entries until I finally found the right one to let me reinstall the product using the .MSI file.  After doing that, and making the registry edit, my VPN client is again working properly.

Version 1607 Build 14393.10 EDIT: Updated 08/03/2016

All of the steps above still work on this latest "Anniversary" build of Windows 10.  As with the 1511 build mentioned below, you will have to run a repair on the program or just do a clean install to get it working because Microsoft yet again determined that they would control which program we use.

You can go HERE to download the latest version of the media downloader and get version 1607.

And not to be left out HERE is a link to all of the new features in 1607 for IT pros.

As I update my Windows 10 machines I'll post updates if there are any issues or errors I run across with this build.  As I always say.... good luck.

BUILD 1511 EDIT: Updated 1/20/2016

I'm getting a lot of feedback about networking being broken after 1511.  I would highly advise you remove the Cisco VPN client and Sonic Global client software prior to installing build 1511.

I have now upgraded three different systems to 1511.  By removing both the Sonicwall and Cisco VPN software first, I had zero issues with it working properly afterward.

However, if the upgrade went through already, here's what you can do to help mitigate these issues.  There's no guarantee this is going to work but I have had two instances where the Cisco VPN software was removed by the 1511 upgrade and I was able to get it working by following the next steps below:

First just reinstall the VPN client using the .MSI file and not the .EXE file.  This will bypass Windows 10 checking the compatibility as I listed at the top.  Next just make the registry edits again and you'll be good to go.  After the registry edits, I have not had to restart but you can if you feel the need just to be sure.

If this does not work as an extra effort you will need to reset all networking on Windows 10.  Luckily this is pretty easy to do.

- Open an administrator command prompt
- Run "netcfg -d"
- Reboot and reconfigure your networking as needed.

Here's a sample of the output you will see:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.10586]
(c) 2016 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32\netcfg -d
SetupDiCallClassInstaller Erorr: 0x6
SetupDiCallClassInstaller Erorr: 0x6
SetupDiCallClassInstaller Erorr: 0x6
SetupDiCallClassInstaller Erorr: 0x6
SetupDiCallClassInstaller Erorr: 0x6
SetupDiCallClassInstaller Erorr: 0x6
SetupDiCallClassInstaller Erorr: 0x6
SetupDiCallClassInstaller Erorr: 0x6
NetSetup object deleted successfully on MUX
Successfully commited changes to the registry
Successfully commited changes to the registry
We are going to reboot now to complete the clean up. Save all of your work.

Press any key to continue…

I hope this helps out with the additional headaches caused by 1511.  As always if I find any more useful information with future updates to Windows 10 that affect this software, I'll be sure to update the post.

Good luck!