I have a trouble with Windows 2000.

While troubleshooting some VPN connection problems, I uninstalled two hidden network devices: WAN Miniport (PPTP) and WAN Miniport (L2TP). Now I'm not able to get them back. Without those devices, my existing VPN connections don't work ("A device type was specified that does not exist"), and newly created connections display red cross and comment "Unavailable - device missing".

I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling TCP/IP protocol, but this doesn't recreate Miniport devices. Neither does reapplying Service pack 4. "Install new hardware" wizard will also not allow me to install Miniports.

I've also searched thru the web but found nothing. Any ideas?

Wapper

Doh :eek: not exactly the information I needed but thanks anyway.

Wapper

What VPN are you using? If it's an application then have you tried reinstalling it? For instance, Cisco VPN places a device in Device Manager and I would guess that if I uninstalled it I would have to:

a. really know what I'm doing with the settings for that particular client to be able to re-create the device. (doubtful)
b. reinstall the app to get the device back. (best chance)

The built in VPN in Windows shouldn't need any special devices so I'm thinking it's not that either. By your description it doesn't sound like Cisco VPN either. If this is PPTP do you know the IP of the VPN server and have you tried simply creating a PPTP connection using the built in PPTP VPN client in XP? I'm assuming this is XP Pro - it would have to be to try this. Sometimes a VPN server is just interfacing to a MS VPN server...if that happened to be your company's config then you may be able to use the built in VPN client in Windows to connect to a MS RRAS server at your site. Otherwise I'd say you need to reinstall whatever app you're trying to use there.

Thnx antioed,

what we have here is good ol' Microsoft VPN client that comes with every windows since stoneage (win2000 in my case).

Microsoft VPN client needs two devices, named "WAN Miniport (PPTP)" and "WAN Miniport (L2TP)", to function properly. Those devices are installed with OS and you can see them if you open Network adapters branch in Device manager, and check "Show hidden devices" in the View menu.

Stupid as I am, I unistalled those devices. Now my VPN connections are dead, as I already described. The problem is on *my side*, not VPN servers' side.

The problem is, you can't reinstall Microsoft VPN client, its kinda embedded in windows. Nobody seems to know how to get those devices back, in human way. I think I'm going to have to manually restore all registry entries involved. Gosh I hate that thing.

Wapper

I finally managed to solve the problem, a little bit of common sense can work miracles. Just needed some adjustments in windows inf file to get my devices back.

Wapper

I finally managed to solve the problem, a little bit of common sense can work miracles. Just needed some adjustments in windows inf file to get my devices back.

Wapper

So Wapper,
What did you finally do? I have a daughter who did the same thing and doesn't know what to do about it.

I finally managed to solve the problem, a little bit of common sense can work miracles. Just needed some adjustments in windows inf file to get my devices back.

Wapper

I am having the same problem too. Could you explain how you fixed it?

Thank you

Member Avatar for benyoka

Hi!

This is how to do it:
1. Download devcon.exe from some Microsoft site. You can google for it.

2. Open netrasa.inf in c:\windows\inf (c:\winnt\inf on win2k I guess)

3. Look for the section [Msft.NTx86]

4. In the DeviceID column, you can see the installable devices.

5. Run this command to install the WAN Miniport (PPTP):
devcon.exe install c:\windows\inf\netrasa.inf MS_PptpMiniport

6. You can install the other devices similarly. I think you will need MS_L2tpMiniport, MS_PtiMiniport, MS_NdisWanIp, MS_PppoeMiniport additionally

Best Regards
Bence

Hi!

This is how to do it:
1. Download devcon.exe from some Microsoft site. You can google for it.

2. Open netrasa.inf in c:\windows\inf (c:\winnt\inf on win2k I guess)

3. Look for the section [Msft.NTx86]

4. In the DeviceID column, you can see the installable devices.

5. Run this command to install the WAN Miniport (PPTP):
devcon.exe install c:\windows\inf\netrasa.inf MS_PptpMiniport

6. You can install the other devices similarly. I think you will need MS_L2tpMiniport, MS_PtiMiniport, MS_NdisWanIp, MS_PppoeMiniport additionally

Best Regards
Bence

hey~ i got a little same problem like this:

I did the bridge configuration in the ADSL modem + 4 Lan port router and when i created a new connection with broadband option, it should create a broadband connection with device name: WAN Miniport (PPPOE).

But it unfortunately creates a dialup connection with "unavailable - device missing". I just connect 1 pc only. so.. any solution for this ? :rolleyes:

Member Avatar for WhitePhantomX

.

Member Avatar for WhitePhantomX

Hi!

This is how to do it:
1. Download devcon.exe from some Microsoft site. You can google for it.

2. Open netrasa.inf in c:\windows\inf (c:\winnt\inf on win2k I guess)

3. Look for the section [Msft.NTx86]

4. In the DeviceID column, you can see the installable devices.

5. Run this command to install the WAN Miniport (PPTP):
devcon.exe install c:\windows\inf\netrasa.inf MS_PptpMiniport

6. You can install the other devices similarly. I think you will need MS_L2tpMiniport, MS_PtiMiniport, MS_NdisWanIp, MS_PppoeMiniport additionally

Best Regards
Bence

Benyoka, thanks so much! Your steps 5 & 6 (plus one step below) were critical in fixing my problem on WinXP Pro SP3.

In addition to Benyoka's steps 5 & 6 (and rebooting), I had to perform one more step to get mine working.

At a command prompt, type the following:

netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt

After this and rebooting again, my problem is fixed!

Thanks!!
WP

I had to go through this process for Windows 7, 64 bit.

I had to obtain devcon.exe by installing the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) and using the copy in 8.0\Tools\x64. The more commonly found devcon.exe will fail with a terse, unhelpful message.

I installed each of these hardware ID's using "devcon.exe install c:\windows\inf\netrasa.inf <hardwareId>":

MS_AgileVpnMiniport
MS_NdisWanip
MS_NdisWanipv6
MS_L2tpMiniport
MS_ndisWanbh
MS_PppoeMiniport
MS_PptpMiniport
MS_SstpMiniport

After adding these, Device Manager showed them as "Unknown Device".

After a reboot, Windows attempted to install drivers for these. It reported failure for each, but still, Device Manager showed the proper Display Name for each of the above.

My first attempt at using VPN failed due to Network Access Protection (NAP) not getting info it wanted. The second attempt succeeded.

I have Windows 7 64bits, when I use devcon.exe to install wan minport ip & Pptp I got the followinf message :
device node created. Install is complete when drivers are installed ...
Updating drivers for MS_PptpMiniport from c:\windows\inf\netrasa.inf.
devcon.exe failed.
Can YOu please advise how can I sort this out
tnx

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