The most recent update to ProtonVPN is causing a headache for some of its users, as it’s reportedly leading to Windows 10 crashing and the fabled ‘blue screen of death’.
The issue arose after users on social media started posting screengrabs of the Windows error message, and it became clear that these weren’t isolated incidents.
ProtonVPN says it has identified the issue and is working on a fix.
Why is ProtonVPN Crashing Windows 10?
The latest build of ProtonVPN is causing some users to experience the Windows 10 ‘blue screen of death’, an error message immediately after launching the software. The issue has been identified as being unique to the 1.18.2 version of the software, and the early access 1.18.3 build.
While it appears that this issue doesn’t affect all users, it does mean that those who are having trouble are unable to access the VPN at all.
We have received reports that in particular circumstances the latest versions of ProtonVPN Windows clients (the stable version 1.18.2, and the early access version 1.18.3) might lead to Blue Screen crashes in Windows – ProtonVPN
Those who are experiencing the issue have been told to disable their anti-virus software, or install an older version of ProtonVPN.
How Can I Fix the ProtonVPN Issue?
In a statement issued by ProtonVPN, the company states that it is currently investigating and attempting to fix the issue. Users who are experiencing issues can try two different methods to get their VPN up and working again:
Disable your anti-virus software
ProtonVPN believe that the issue may be the result of its VPN software conflicting with anti-virus software installed on the users machine. In this scenario, it has advised customers to try disabling their anti-virus software, although understandably, they may be reluctant to do so.
Should you disable your anti-virus? In our view, you’re better off disabling the VPN, unless it is absolutely essential to your privacy, at least until Proton issues a fix.
Downgrade to the previous version of ProtonVPN
As the previous build of ProtonVPN doesn’t seem to cause this error, the company has recommended reverting to the older version of its software. Downloadable from the ProtonVPN website, the Windows 1.17.6 build may well resolve the issue for affected users.
For those that don’t want to do either of these, ProtonVPN is currently working on a fix, although there is not firm date for this yet.
Should I Switch VPN Provider?
If you find yourself unable to use ProtonVPN, then it may be time for a change. In our in-depth testing, we found that ProtonVPN was a competent VPN package, although we felt that it was a little too complex for those looking for an easy to use VPN solution.
This isn’t the VPN to go for if you want something simple and easy-to-use. – Tech.co ProtonVPN review
The good news is there are plenty of excellent VPN packages to choose from, including some that we rated higher than ProtonVPN.
Our highest rated VPN, NordVPN, offers a full feature set, whilst also being easy to use for those who don’t want to navigate and tweak multiple menus (don’t worry, you can still do that if you want). With over 3,600 servers in 62 countries, fast speeds and ad-blocking
It’s excellent value too, from $2.99 per a month, and there’s a 30 day money back guarantee if you try it out and you’re not satisfied.
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Zero Data Logging
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Kill Switch
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$3.39/user/month (Up to 72% off!) |
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$3.00/month min. ($1 per location) |
~$4.87 per month |
$2.19/month |
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Super fast and easy to use, NordVPN is among the best we’ve tested. Advanced features like Onion-Over-VPN make it stand out from the crowd. |
A fast VPN that performed well on our speed tests, and also owns a lot of its own server infrastructure. |
A safe, easy-to-use and relatively robust VPN app that performed really well on our 2024 unblocking tests. |
Affordably priced ultra-secure VPN that has great privacy features but is a little slow. |
A reliable, widely-used VPN that has decent privacy controls, but it performed very poorly on our speed tests. |
A decently-priced VPN that does all the basics well, but has an incredibly small server network compared to PureVPN and Co. |
A decent option for seasoned torrenters, but a little pricier than PureVPN and Private Internet Access. |
A user-friendly VPN based in Romania with servers optimized for streaming, but no obfuscation technology. |
A highly reliable VPN with servers in more than 100 countries – but it comes with one of the heftiest price tags on the market. |
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