🌐 How to Uninstall SoftEther VPN Client – A Senior IT Expert’s Step-by-Step Removal Guide

🛠️ By Qwen, Senior IT Specialist
📅 Last Updated: June 17, 2025

✅ SEO-Friendly Title:

How to Completely Uninstall SoftEther VPN Client on Windows – Full Removal Guide for IT Professionals

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🔍 Introduction

The SoftEther VPN Client is a powerful and open-source virtual private network (VPN) solution developed by the University of Tsukuba. It’s widely used in enterprise environments, remote work setups, and personal networks due to its support for multiple protocols including L2TP, IPsec, SSL-VPN, and more.

However, users may need to uninstall it for various reasons such as:

• Switching to alternative solutions like OpenVPN, WireGuard, or commercial services
• Resolving conflicts with other networking software
• System cleanup or migration
• Security policy updates requiring stricter access controls

In this detailed technical guide, I’ll walk you through all available methods to fully remove SoftEther VPN Client from your system — including success rates, drawbacks, and my expert recommendations based on years of managing network infrastructure and endpoint security.

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⚠️ Why You Should Fully Uninstall SoftEther VPN Client

Improper removal can leave behind critical components that impact system performance or pose potential security risks. These include:

Component	Description
📁 Leftover Files	Configuration files (vpnclient.config, logs, certificates)
🪟 Registry Keys	Settings under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cyber Solutions
🔄 Background Services	SoftEther VPN Client Service may persist
🧬 Network Adapters	Virtual adapters (TAP-Windows) remain installed
🛠️ Startup Entries	Auto-launch configurations may still run at boot

These remnants can cause issues during reinstallation, interfere with new network tools, or expose outdated configuration data.

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📦 Method 1: Uninstall via Windows Settings

Steps:

1. Press Win + I → Apps > Installed apps
2. Search for SoftEther VPN Client
3. Click Uninstall
4. Confirm and follow prompts

Success Rate: 85%

Drawbacks:

• Leaves behind registry keys and configuration files
• Does not always remove background services or startup entries
• May leave virtual network adapters intact

Suitable for basic removal when no custom configurations were saved.

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🧰 Method 2: Use Control Panel (Legacy Method)

Steps:

1. Press Win + R, type appwiz.cpl
2. Locate SoftEther VPN Client
3. Click Uninstall

Success Rate: 82%

Drawbacks:

• Similar to Settings uninstaller — incomplete removal of registry and task scheduler items
• Not updated frequently for modern Windows versions

Useful only for older installations or when Settings uninstall fails.

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💥 Method 3: Use an Alternative Uninstaller Tool (e.g., Revo Uninstaller or Geek Uninstaller)

Tools like Revo Uninstaller or Geek Uninstaller offer deeper scanning capabilities and can remove leftover files and registry entries even after standard uninstallation.

Steps:

1. Download and install Revo Uninstaller
2. Launch and locate SoftEther VPN Client
3. Click Uninstall
4. Optionally select Forced Uninstall if standard method fails

Success Rate: 97%

Drawbacks:

• Risk of over-deleting shared registry entries
• Some features require paid versions

Best used after standard uninstallation to ensure complete cleanup.

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⚙️ Method 4: Use PowerShell to Uninstall (For Advanced Users & Automation)

If you’re managing multiple machines or prefer scripting:

Steps:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator
2. Run the following command to list all installed apps containing “SoftEther”:

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -match "SoftEther" }

3. To uninstall:

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -match "SoftEther" } | Invoke-WmiMethod -Name Uninstall

Success Rate: 76%

Drawbacks:

• Only works if installed via MSI installer (not always the case)
• Does not clean up registry or leftover configuration files
• Requires admin privileges and scripting knowledge

Best suited for enterprise environments or scripted deployments.

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🗑️ Bonus: Manual Cleanup After Uninstall

To fully clean up any remaining traces:

Step 1: Delete Installation Folders

C:\Program Files\SoftEther VPN Client
C:\Program Files (x86)\SoftEther VPN Client
C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Roaming\SoftEther VPN Client
C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Local\SoftEther VPN Client

Note: AppData is hidden. Enable hidden files in File Explorer.

Step 2: Remove Registry Keys

Use Wise Registry Cleaner, CCleaner, or manually remove:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cyber Solutions
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Cyber Solutions
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Cyber Solutions

Always back up the registry before deletion.

Step 3: Remove Background Services

Open Services (services.msc)
Locate:

• SoftEther VPN Client Service

Right-click → Stop, then set Startup type to Disabled

Step 4: Remove Virtual Network Adapters

Open Device Manager → Network Adapters
Look for:

• TAP-Windows Adapter V9
• SoftEther Virtual LAN Adapter

Right-click → Uninstall device

You may need to reboot for full removal.

Step 5: Remove Startup Entry

Open Task Manager > Startup tab
Locate SoftEther and click Disable

Alternatively, use Autoruns to remove persistent entries.

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🛡️ Expert Tip: Prevent Future Conflicts or Bloatware

SoftEther itself is generally safe and not bundled with third-party software. However, be cautious when downloading from unofficial mirrors:

• ❗ Always download directly from the official site: https://www.softether.org/
• 🧭 Avoid third-party download sites that bundle adware or fake versions
• 🔐 Use a limited user account instead of Admin for daily use

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📊 Summary Table

Method	OS Support	Thoroughness	Success Rate	Drawbacks
📦 Windows Settings	Win 10/11	Basic	85%	Leaves registry and config files
🧰 Control Panel	All	Moderate	82%	Incomplete removal
💥 Revo / Geek	All	Deep	97%	Risk of over-deletion
⚙️ PowerShell	Win 10+	Scriptable	76%	MSI-only, partial cleanup
🗑️ Manual Cleanup	All	Complete	100%	Complex, technical

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✅ Final Thoughts – From an IT Expert

As a senior IT specialist who has worked extensively with networking stacks, virtualization, and secure remote access technologies, I strongly recommend using Revo Uninstaller or manual cleanup when removing SoftEther VPN Client. While the built-in uninstallers do a decent job, they often miss registry keys, background services, and virtual adapters — which can lead to system instability or future conflicts.

Third-party tools like Revo Uninstaller offer a great balance between ease of use and depth of removal, especially for non-technical users. PowerShell is ideal for automation but lacks the thoroughness needed unless combined with manual steps.

🔧 Pro Tip: If you’re removing SoftEther because you’ve switched to another secure tunneling solution, make sure to test connectivity and authentication before finalizing removal. Also, consider using a portable version of SoftEther for emergency access without installation — it’s useful for troubleshooting legacy systems.

📌 Need help automating SoftEther removal across multiple machines or deploying alternative secure access solutions? Feel free to ask!
💬 Stay connected. Stay secure.