# Connecting to a VPN restarts the machine



## alex.house (Jan 13, 2008)

Hi there,

I've been looking everywhere for a solution to this but it seems they don't exist, or are hidden very well.
I've got Windows Vista Business edition installed on my laptop which I use for all my Uni work. To connect to the internet from within the University network, however, you have to connect to a PPTP VPN server using network login credentials.
I have setup the VPN connection within Vista down to every detail, so I know it _should_ work, but whenever I try and connect with it, the laptop shuts itself down, waits about a second then boots up again presenting the "Select Boot Configuration Mode" window as if it wasn't shut down properly.

Does anyone know of any fix for this at all? It's driving me nuts. I need Vista on the laptop but I'd also like to be able to connect to the internet from Uni, so don't particularly want to reinstall XP Pro on here...

If you need any more info, just let me know.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Alex.


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi Alex


See if checking in your Event Viewer logs shows errors that correspond with the system restarts. You can simply type *Event* into the "Start Search" box on the Vista Start Menu, and it will produce an icon-shortcut to Event Viewer for you to select.

I suspect you have the system set to "automatically restart" on a system error. To change this default behavior, on the Vista Start Menu, right-click on *Computer*, and select *Properties*. Then select *Advanced System Settings*, and in the *Startup and Recovery* area, select *Settings*. Then remove the checkmark from the option-box in front of *Automatically Restart* in the *System Failure* section. Then click *OK*. Should the restarts be triggered by a fatal error during your attempt at the VPN connection, you will now see an error message. (It will likely match those in the Event Viewer logs).

I imagine that during setup, and during your VPN logon attempts, you've been logged on with administrative rights?
. . . Gary


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## alex.house (Jan 13, 2008)

Hey again,

The computer was set to automatically restart, so I unchecked that and then rebooted the machine. Logged in as Administrator, and tried the VPN connection again and this time the computer got to the "Verifying Username and Password" stage before blanking out to a simple blue screen. No writing or anything, just a blue screen (like that of the background of the old 2000 logon screen) and then froze.

There's also nothing in the Event Viewer logs...at least nothing that I can see in any of the sections which could relate to a system restart, apart from one in the System logs which says:
The previous system shutdown at [time] on [date] was unexpected.
And that's it...

Alex


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## OldGrayGary (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi again


Strange enough! It's a bit surprising that no errors at all are recorded - but it certainly sounds like a low-level error type of behavior.

Perhaps your best next step might be to try whatever tech support your university has -- they just might have seen something like this before (though it might not have turned up in your searches). They also are the ones most familiar with any quirks in their particular setup.

Should they not have anything that brings a stable connection: I suppose your next steps might be ---
1) Scan as thoroughly as possible for malware (it's not uncommon for connectivity issues to result from infections).
2) Try looking for updated drivers for your ethernet adapter(s) (download them ahead of the next steps)
3) Try uninstalling your current VPN and your current ethernet adapter(s)' drivers.
4) Try CCleaner to untangle any leftover drivers/settings/temp-files/registry-values that might be causing trouble. I only recommend the use of CCleaner for this purpose, and only when the repair calls for it (we don't recommend the casual use of Registry cleaners). Run the "Issues" function of CCleaner until it reports "no issues found". You can get CCleaner (it's a free program) many places, download.com is one --- http://www.download.com/CCleaner/3000-2144_4-10315544.html
5) Install/reinstall drivers for the ethernet adapter(s).
6) Recreate/reconfigure the university VPN setup.

Interesting puzzle you've got there.
. . . Gary


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