TAP-Windows – what is it?

If you find the ‘TAP-Windows’ software on your computer, in most cases you should not remove the programme. We’ll show you what TAP is and what you need it for.

TAP-Windows: What does the software do?

• TAP is a virtual driver. This virtual driver simulates an Ethernet adapter. It makes your computer believe it has a second LAN connection, which in reality does not exist at all.
• Such virtual TAP drivers are used by several programmes on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Among the best-known programmes that use TAP are VirtualBox and OpenVPN.
• With VirtualBox, you can run a second operating system on your computer within the software. To enable you to access the internet whilst using the second operating system, a virtual driver is required – in this case, the TAP driver.
• If you open Device Manager, you should find the TAP driver there. If you do not currently have any software installed that uses the driver, you can uninstall it. However, if the driver is not in use, it does not cause any problems. If you remove the driver and then launch software that requires it, this may lead to significant complications.