▷ Solution: Avast VPN does not work

Avast VPN (o SecureLine VPN) is a subscription-based virtual private network system. This application is available on Windows operating systems, macOS, Android e iOS. It is part of the large Avast suite that also contains other applications, like antivirus software.

Avast VPN does not work

Despite being one of the most widely used VPN systems, there are still some cases where Avast VPN doesn't work. In some cases, connection could not be established with message “We're sorry, connection cannot be established” or is there somewhere the client refuses to connect. In this article, We will go over all the possible causes of this problem and the solutions to fix it.

What makes Avast VPN not work?

How Avast is known for its problematic apps, no wonder your VPN app is unstable too. We have analyzed several user cases and have deduced that this problem is due to several different reasons. Some of them are listed here:

• Location issues: Avast has the option to manually select your location when establishing a connection. If the VPNs in that location are overloaded or full, will not be able to connect. The trick is to change the location.

• Third party interference: several cases have been reported where the VPN app is not working due to interference with third party apps. In this case, I would have to troubleshoot the application.

• Internet problems: Since the VPN requires a proper internet connection; If there are any problems with the network, VPN service won't work.

• Installation problems: We also found several cases where the VPN system was not working because the installed application was corrupted or out of date. Reinstalling from scratch solves the problem.

• Subscription: Avast SecureLine requires an active subscription to function. If not provided, the application will not work as expected.

Before continuing with the solutions, make sure you have an active and open internet without firewalls or proxy servers. What's more, make sure you are logged in as administrator.

Note: try to start the application in an elevated environment (administrative) and see if this fixes the problem.

Solution 1: change the VPN location

AVG SecureLine offers a feature where you can specifically select the location of the VPN. It can be the United States or Australia, etc. There have been several cases where certain VPN locations were overloaded or not working. This is a very common scenario, since most of the people who use the app tend to select the same location. Here, in this solution, you can try changing the VPN location and see if it works for you.

1. Open the VPN app and select the Privacy option on the left side of the screen.

2. Now to the right, click the Change Location button and select another location that has not been selected before.

Change Avast VPN location

1. Save your changes and exit. Now restart your computer and see if the problem is fixed and the VPN works again.

Solution 2: check internet connection

You may also not be able to connect your VPN client if your internet is not working properly. There are several cases where the ISP itself does not allow VPN clients to work on the network. What's more, you should also verify that none of the proxy servers are active.

You can also test the power cycle of your router. Unplug the main power cord from the router and wait approximately 1 minute before reconnecting everything. This clears all temporary settings and restarts everything. Now connect your computer to the internet again and see if this worked.

Solution 3: check your subscription

Since this app is subscription-enabled, you need to have a subscription remaining in your account to be able to use this application. If your access is revoked, you will not be able to use the VPN client. Therefore, you will need to navigate to the official Avast account and check if you have the subscription activated.

Access your Avast account

Subscriptions are usually canceled when they cannot charge the account entered. Check your account and payment details and make sure you have the subscription activated.

Solution 4: clean boot computer

Another interesting finding we collected was that Avast SecureLine does not seem to work properly if there are other similar applications or services running in the background. This also includes other antivirus programs. In this solution, We will clean your computer's boot and try to determine which one of them was causing the problem.

1. Press Windows + R to start the application Run. Type »msconfig» in the dialog box and press Enter.

2. Navigate to the Services tab present at the top of the screen. Check the line that says “Hide all Microsoft services”. Once you click this, all Microsoft related services will be disabled leaving behind all third party services.

3. Now click on the button »Deactivate all» present at the bottom near the left of the window. All third party services will now be disabled.

4. Click Apply to save changes and exit.

Clean boot computer

1. Now navigate to the Startup tab and click on the option »Open Task Manager«. You will be redirected to the task manager where all the apps will be listed / services that run when the computer starts.

2. Select each service one by one and click »Deactivate» at the bottom right of the window.

Disable startup applications

1. Now restart your computer and restart Avast VPN. Now try to connect. If it works properly, means that some service or application caused the problem. You can start the task manager again and try to enable each app one by one and check the behavior. Try to locate the application that was causing the problem.

Solution 5: reinstall the app

If all the above methods don't work, it probably means there is something wrong with the app installation. Installations often fail after manually moving between units or when the application is interrupted during an update. In this solution, we will completely uninstall the application from your computer and install a fresh copy.

1. Press Windows + R, type »appwiz.cpl» in the dialog box and press Enter.

2. Once in the application manager, look for the Avast SecureLine VPN entry, right click and select Uninstall. Descarga Avast SecureLine VPN

3. Now restart your computer and navigate to the official Avast download page. Download a fresh installation copy to an accessible location and install it. Now run it and enter your credentials. Now run the VPN and see if it connects successfully without problems.

Note: If even after following all the above methods you still cannot use the VPN app, it is recommended that you contact official Avast customer service. You are paying for the application that will help you configure your computer so that it works perfectly without problems of any kind.