Norton VPN may not connect on Windows 10 if the DNS settings of your system are not optimal. Moreover, corrupt WAN drivers or conflicting applications (like Cisco Any Connect) may also cause the error under discussion. The VPN issue arises (usually, after a Norton update) when the user tries to connect the VPN but fails to do so with the following type of message:

“Connection Error: Secure VPN has experienced a connection failure. Please try again later.”

Norton VPN Failing to Connect - 1

Norton VPN Failing to Connect Fix

Before moving on to fix the Norton VPN, check if your internet connection is working. If you are using a home server, check if the expired certificates of the server are not causing the issue. Also, it will be a good idea to make sure if the Norton Services are up and working. Moreover, make sure to update the Windows & Norton VPN to the latest builds. Last but not least, check if changing the region (or setting it to Automatic) in the VPN settings solves the connection problem.

Solution 1: Delete the Temp Files and Old Norton Installers

Norton VPN may fail to connect if any of the temporary files on your system or old Norton installers are interfering with the VPN modules. In this case, deleting the temp files of your system & older Norton installers may solve the problem.

  1. Right-click on the Window/Start menu button & choose Run .
  2. Now navigate to the following: temp Open the Temp Folder
  3. Then delete all the contents of the folder & open the Run command box. Delete the files in the Temp Folder
  4. Now navigate to the following: %temp% Open the %temp% Folder
  5. Then delete all the contents of the folder & open the Run command box.
  6. Now navigate to the following: \users\ Open Users’ Folder Through the Run Box
  7. Then double-click on the Public user & open the Public Downloads folder. Open the Public Downloads Folder and Delete its Contents
  8. Now delete the contents of the folder (if you need the folder, then place it on a USB/external drive & detach that drive from the system) & reboot your PC.
  9. Upon reboot, check if the Norton VPN is working fine.
  10. If not, navigate to the following path: %USERPROFILE%\ Open the Current User Profile Through the Run Box
  11. Now open the Downloads folder & delete the old Norton Installer (you may have to open the Programs folder). If you have placed an old installer on some other place, delete the installers from there as well e.g., the desktop of your system. You can also search for the installer and delete them as well.
  12. Once the system is clear of old installers, reboot your PC & check if the Norton VPN can successfully connect.

Solution 2: Change the DNS Settings of Your System

The Norton VPN may fail to connect if the DNS settings of your system are not properly configured. In this scenario, changing the DNS settings of your system may solve the problem.

  1. Press the Windows key & open Settings .
  2. Now select Network & Internet and in the right pane, open Change Adapter Options . Open Change Adapter Options
  3. Then right-click on the network adapter & in the context menu, choose Properties . Open Properties of the Network Adapter
  4. Now choose Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) & near the bottom of the window, click on the Properties button. Open Properties of Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
  5. Now select Use the Following DNS Servers Addresses & in the Preferred DNS Server , enter: 1.1.1.1
  6. Then, in the Alternate DNS Address , enter: 8.8.8.8 Enter the DNS Server Addresses
  7. Now apply your changes & reboot your PC to check if the Norton VPN is working fine.

Solution 3: Clear the Network Caches and Reset Winsock

Norton VPN issue may arise if the network caches or Winsock Catalog of your system is corrupt. In this case, clearing the network cache & Winsock may solve the problem.

  1. Hit the Windows key & in the search, type: CMD. Now, right-click on Command Prompt , & in the context menu, choose Run as Administrator . Open Command Prompt as Administrator
  2. Now execute the following one by one (make sure to press the Enter key after each cmdlet): netsh int ip reset netsh int ipv6 reset netsh winsock reset Reset the Network Caches
  3. Then reboot your PC & check if the Norton VPN can successfully make the connection.

Moreover, check if installing the Surf Easy VPN (as it is part of the Norton Lifelock) & then repeating the above solution resolves the issue.

Solution 4: Reinstall the WAN Drivers/Adapters

The Norton VPN might fail to connect if the WAN network drivers are corrupt. In this scenario, reinstalling the WAN drivers/adapters may solve the problem.

  1. Launch the Power User menu by simultaneously pressing Windows + X keys & then open the Device Manager . Open Device Manager
  2. Then expand Network Adapters & right-click on the first adapter that starts with WAN e.g., WAN Miniport (IKEv2).
  3. Now select Uninstall Device & then confirm to uninstall the WAN device. Uninstall WAN Miniport
  4. Then repeat the same to remove all the WAN devices & then right-click on Network Adapters .
  5. Now choose ‘ Scan for Hardware Changes ’ and the WAN devices will re-appear.
  6. Then restart your PC & check if the Norton VPN is working fine.

If the issue persists, then enable Show Hidden Devices in the Device Manager and retry the above solution.

[FIX] Norton VPN Failing to Connect - 2

Show Hidden Devices in Device Manager

Solution 5: Disable the Fast Startup of Your System

The Fast Startup feature is quite useful as it tremendously decreases the boot time of your system. But during this process, an essential source for the operation of the Norton VPN may get into an error state & thus cause the issue at hand. In this context, disabling the Fast Startup of your system may solve the problem.

  1. Press the Windows key & in the Windows search box, type: Control Panel. Then select Control Panel . Open Control Panel
  2. Now select Hardware & Sound & open Power Options . Open Power Options
  3. Then, in the left pane, open Choose What the Power Buttons Do and click on Change Settings That Are Currently Unavailable . Choose What the Power Buttons Do
  4. Now, remove the checkmark of the Turn on Fast Startup and click on Save Changes . Disable Fast Startup
  5. Then reboot your PC & check if the Norton VPN is working fine.

Solution 6: Remove/Disable Conflicting Applications

Norton VPN might not work if an application or its service (especially, other VPN clients) is hindering the operation of the Norton VPN. In this case, removing/disabling the conflicting applications (or services) may solve the problem.

  1. Clean boot your system (but make sure Norton-related processes/services are allowed to function) and check if the issue is resolved.
  2. If so, then enable the processes/services/applications (that were disabled during the clean boot process) one by one till you find the problematic one .
  3. Once the problematic process/application is found, either keep it disabled at the system’s startup or uninstall it.

Cisco Any Connect is reported by some users to create the issue, so, disabling its service or reinstalling it may solve the problem.

  1. Press the Windows key & in the search bar, type: Services . Now, right-click on the Services, & in the mini-menu, choose Run as Administrator . Open Services as Administrator
  2. Now, double-click on the CiscoAnyConnect VPN service & change the startup type to Manual . Open the Properties of the Cisco AnyConnect Service
  3. Then click on the Stop button & apply your changes.
  4. Now check if the Norton VPN issue is resolved. If not, then check if rebooting the system resolves the VPN issue.
  5. If not, press the Windows key & open Settings .
  6. Then select Apps & expand CiscoAnyConnect .
  7. Now click on Uninstall & then confirm to uninstall the CiscoAnyConnect application.
  8. Then follow the prompts to complete the uninstall process & reboot your PC.
  9. Upon reboot, check if the Norton VPN issue is resolved.
  10. If so, then check if reinstalling the CiscoAnyConnect application does not bring back the issue.

Solution 7: Edit the Essential Services’ Settings

The Norton VPN may keep failing to connect if the Services essential (e.g., IPsec Policy Agent Service) for the operation of the VPN are not properly configured. In this case, editing the relevant Services’ settings may solve the problem.

  1. Click on the Windows/Start menu button & type: Services . Then, right-click on the result, & in the context menu, choose Run as Administrator.
  2. Now, double-click on the Network Location Service & set its Startup type to Automatic . Open Properties of the Network Location Awareness
  3. Then click on the Start button (if the Start button is greyed out, then click on Stop and then Start). Set the Startup Type of the Network Location Service as Automatic and Start it
  4. Now repeat the same to the following Services: Remote Access Connection Manager Norton Security Norton WSC Service IP Helper IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
  5. Then repeat the same to the Secure Socket Tunnelling Protocol Service but set its Startup type to Manual .
  6. Now repeat the same to the IPsec Policy Agent but set its Startup type to Manual (Triggered) & then check if the Norton VPN has started to work fine. Change the Properties of Services

Solution 8: Edit the Router Settings

Norton VPN may show the current behavior if the settings of your router (e.g., Firewall of your router) are blocking access to a resource essential for the operation of the Norton VPN. In this case, editing the settings of your router may solve the problem. But keep in mind that some of these settings may not be available to all users or may be available with some other name.

Enable IPSec/VPN PassThrough

  1. Launch a web browser & steer to the admin portal/ IP address of your router (e.g., 10.0.0.1).
  2. Now log in using your credentials & steer to the Security tab.
  3. Now select VPN PassThrough & make sure the following options are enabled IPSec Passthrough PPTP Passthrough L2TP Passthrough Enable IPSec PassThrough
  4. Then apply your changes & check if the Norton VPN is working fine.

Change Firewall Settings to Typical Security

  1. Steer to the admin portal of the router & open the Firewall settings (you may have to open Gateway).
  2. Now open IPV4 or IPV6 and select Typical Security (Medium) . Set the Firewall to Typical Security
  3. Then save your settings & check if the Norton VPN is working fine.

Disable Parental Control/KidSafe/ Content Controls Profile Feature

  1. In the web portal of the router or the service provider, open My Services & open View HomeSafe Settings .
  2. Then click on the button of Turn KidSafe Off & exit the portal after applying the changes. Turn Off KidSafe
  3. Now reboot your PC & router to check if the Norton VPN is clear of the connection error.

Disable Broadband Shield (Sky Users Only)

  1. Steer and sign-in to the Broadband Shield portal with your Sky credentials.
  2. Now, scroll down till the option of switch-off is found.
  3. Then select Switch Off & apply changes. Disable Sky Broadband Shield
  4. Now, check if the Norton VPN has started to operate fine. If not, then wait for 15 minutes (so, the changes could be propagated) & try again.

Solution 9: Reinstall the Norton Suite

The Norton VPN issue may arise if its installation is corrupt. In this case, reinstalling the Norton product may solve the problem.

  1. Launch a web browser & download the Norton R&R (Remove & Reinstall) tool.
  2. Then launch the downloaded file & Agree to the license terms by Norton.
  3. Now click on Remove and Reinstall & click on Continue (or Remove). Remove & Reinstall the Norton Product
  4. When prompted, click on Restart Now and upon restart, check if the VPN is working fine.
  5. If not, launch the Norton R&R tool & just use Remove . Click on Remove Only in the Norton R&R Tool
  6. Now reboot your PC & download/install the latest version of your Norton product.
  7. Then apply the Norton LiveUpdate (without running the VPN) & hopefully, the Norton VPN is working fine.

If the issue persists, check if it is caused by the blockage of a resource essential for the operation of the Norton VPN is blocked by your ISP (e.g., UDP protocol).

How to Fix “Printer is in an error state” Issue?

The error “ WinRAR Error: Next Volume Is Required ” usually appears when you’re extracting a multi-part RAR archive and WinRAR can’t find (or can’t correctly identify) the next file in the sequence . This often happens when a volume is missing , stored in a different folder , or renamed in a way that breaks the archive’s expected order .

[FIX] Norton VPN Failing to Connect - 3

In this guide, we’ll go over the most reliable fixes confirmed by affected users, along with what each method is doing behind the scenes so you can choose the right one for your situation.

Important: To extract multi-volume archives, you should always start extraction from the first file in the set. This is usually file.part1.rar , or (in older sets) the main .rar file that comes before .r01 , .r02 , and so on.

1. Download and Place the Missing RAR File

WinRAR needs all parts of a multi-volume archive to complete extraction. This error usually appears when one of the volumes in a set like .part2.rar , .r01 , .r02 , .001 , and similar naming formats is missing . Downloading the missing volume and placing it in the same folder as the other parts allows WinRAR to continue extracting normally .

  1. Look at the error message or review the list of archive parts in the folder.
  2. Identify which volume is missing (for example, part2.rar , .r02 , .001 , etc.).
  3. Go back to the website or source where you downloaded the archive.
  4. Locate and download the exact missing file using the same naming format as the others.
  5. Make sure the new file name matches the pattern of the rest. Example: If you have file.part1.rar and file.part3.rar , the missing one must be file.part2.rar .
  6. Move the downloaded missing volume into the same folder as the other archive parts.
  7. Confirm that all parts are in a single folder before extracting.
  8. Right-click the first file in the series (usually part1 or the main .rar file) and select Extract Here or Extract to Folder .
  9. WinRAR should now detect all volumes and continue extraction normally .

2. Manually Browse & Select the Next Volume

Use this method only if the next volume already exists , but WinRAR is failing to detect it automatically. This can happen due to incorrect naming , the file being in a different location , or a temporary file access issue. Manually browsing helps WinRAR locate the correct volume and resume extraction without interruption .

  1. Right-click the first file in the series (usually .rar or part1.rar ) and select Extract Here or Extract to Folder .
  2. When WinRAR cannot find the next volume, it will show the “ Next Volume Is Required ” message.
  3. A small window will appear, allowing you to manually select the next volume .
  4. Use the file explorer window to locate the folder where the other archive parts are saved.
  5. Select the next part based on the naming order (example: select file.part2.rar after file.part1.rar ).
  6. Make sure the selected file matches the naming format of the archive (no extra characters like (1) and no mismatched numbering).
  7. WinRAR will resume extraction using the selected volume .
  8. If additional volumes are missing or stored separately, WinRAR may prompt you again. Repeat the same process until extraction completes.

3. Rename the RAR files in Order

WinRAR relies on a proper naming sequence (such as file.part1.rar , file.part2.rar , file.part3.rar ) to extract multi-volume archives. If a file is named incorrectly, contains extra characters, or is out of order, WinRAR may fail to locate the next volume and show this error. Renaming the files correctly helps WinRAR follow the sequence and extract the archive without interruptions .

Note: Renaming only changes the file name , not the file contents. The goal is to restore the correct sequence so WinRAR can detect the next volume.

  1. Go to the folder where all the RAR files are saved.
  2. Make sure all parts of the archive are present and stored in the same folder .
  3. Check how the parts are currently named . Common patterns include:
file.part1.rar, file.part2.rar, file.part3.rar
file.rar, file.r01, file.r02, file.r03
  1. Look for files that don’t match the expected numbering pattern (for example, file.part01.rar , file.part1(1).rar , or unrelated names).
  2. Rename each file so it follows the same order without extra characters or mismatched numbering. Example:
Incorrect: file.part1.rar, file.part3.rar, file.part2(1).rar
Correct: file.part1.rar, file.part2.rar, file.part3.rar
  1. Make sure the text before the number is exactly the same for all files.
  2. Only the last part number should change.
  3. Right-click the first file in the series (usually part1.rar or the main .rar file) and select Extract Here .
  4. WinRAR should now recognize the sequence and continue extraction normally .

If you still get the same prompt: the archive set is likely incomplete (a part was never downloaded or was removed), or one of the volumes is corrupt and must be re-downloaded from the original source.