--- title: 'Tutorial: Use OpenVPN Service Binary on Windows to Automatically Connect to CloudConnexa on Startup' canonical: https://openvpn.net/cloud-docs/tutorials/configuration-tutorials/connectors/operating-systems/windows/tutorial--use-openvpn-service-binary-on-windows-to-automatically-connect-to-cloudconnexa-on-startup/ product: CloudConnexa Docs description: This tutorial shows you how to use the OpenVPN Service binary to run as a system service. This means that if the service is properly installed and configured, it will establish an OpenVPN connection automatically on system start-up, regardless of whether it was explicitly started or not. keywords: OpenVPN Service Binary --- # Tutorial: Use OpenVPN Service Binary on Windows to Automatically Connect to CloudConnexa on Startup ## Introduction Starting from the OpenVPN Connect app version 3.2, the application includes the OpenVPN Service binary that allows running an OpenVPN connection as a system service. This means that if the service is properly installed and configured it will establish an OpenVPN connection automatically on system start-up, regardless of whether it was explicitly started or not. Follow these steps in order to do that on Windows: ## **Connect App Installation** 1. Go to [https://openvpn.net/client-connect-vpn-for-windows/](https://openvpn.net/client-connect-vpn-for-windows/) and click **Download OpenVPN Connect V3**. > **Note** > > If you are using CloudConnexa or Access Server, you may also download OpenVPN Connect with an already existing OpenVPN Profile from the portal. 2. After the download has been completed, click on the set up in the Downloads pop-up bar in your browser. 3. In the OpenVPN Connect setup Wizard that has just opened, click **Next**. 4. Read the License Agreement and click on the **I accept the terms in the License Agreement** checkmark (in case you accept the terms). 5. Click **Next**. 6. In the Driver Selection window, choose a driver and click **Next**. 7. Click the **Install** button in order to begin the installation process. 8. Finally, click **Finish** in order to finish the setup process after the installation has been completed. ## **Starting System Service** 1. Press **Win+S** on your keyboard in order to open the Search window, then type `cmd` in order to find the Command Prompt. 2. Now, click **Run as Administrator** in the panel on the right. 3. Type `cd/` in the Command Prompt Window in order to go to the top of the directory tree. 4. Next, type `cd %ProgramFiles%/OpenVPN Connect` (if you are using the **x64 version**) or `cd %ProgramFiles(x86)%>/OpenVPN Connect` (if you are using the **x86 version**) in the Command Prompt Window in order to navigate to the default directory where OpenVPN Connect is located. 5. Install the system service by typing the following command into the Command Prompt: `ovpnconnector.exe install`. > **Note** > > The system service will not be automatically installed when you install the OpenVPN Connect app. You will still have to install the service in the Command Prompt after you have installed the app. 6. **Optional** Now, configure the OpenVPN Profile that will be running automatically with system service by typing the following command into the Command Prompt: `ovpnconnector.exe set-config Profile ` > **Important** > > Only autologin profiles are supported at the current moment. Even if the downloaded Profile has been moved to `%ProgramFiles%/OpenVPN Connect`, you still have to enter the full path to the OpenVPN Profile. > **Note** > > If this step was skipped, the service will try to connect via Profile located at the service directory `namedovpnconnector.ovpn`. If Connect client was downloaded from Access Server or CloudConnexa and has a bundled Profile, `ovpnconnector.ovpn` is a copy of a bundled Profile. 7. **Optional** Specify the path to a log file by typing the following command into the Command Prompt: `ovpnconnector.exe set-config log `. > **Important** > > The log file will only appear in the intended directory only after the connection has been established. If there is no log file in the directory, then the connection has not been established. > **Note** > > If not specified, the service will write logs to the file located at the same directory named `ovpnconnector.log`. Apart from writing regular OpenVPN logs to the configured log file service will also report any critical errors to the system **Event Viewer** → **Windows Logs** → **Applications**. (Event source: `OVPNConnectorService`). 8. Start the service by typing the following command into the Command Prompt: `ovpnconnector.exe start`. This command will try to establish a connection via a configured Profile using system service. > **Important** > > OpenVPN Connect client should not be running, otherwise, service startup will abort. 9. Open the log file you specified in Step 7 or the default `%ProgramFiles%/OpenVPN Connect/ovpnconnector.log` in order to verify that the OpenVPN connection was successfully established. Scroll to the very end, and find the line ` EVENT: CONNECTED `, which will confirm the connection's success. > **Important** > > The log file will only appear in the intended directory if the connection was successful. If there is no log file, then the connection has not been established 10. Notice that you can’t use OpenVPN Connect when the service is running, the application UI will be blocked by the corresponding modal window. It will disappear if you stop the service. Notice how now, if you restart your machine, the OpenVPN connection will be established automatically on system start-up thanks to this system service, regardless of whether it was explicitly started or not. ## **Using System Service** 1. You can check service status in **Windows Services** utility by pressing **Win+S** and typing **Services** into the Windows search bar and clicking **Services** in the search results. 2. Here, find the **OpenVPN Connect 3.x Connector** service in the **Windows Services** tab. Notice how now, if you restart your machine, the OpenVPN connection will be established automatically on system start-up thanks to this system service, regardless of whether it was explicitly stated or not. 3. Notice that you can **stop** or **restart** the service from this tab. If you click **Stop**, the OpenVPN connection will be terminated. > **Important** > > Connection will restart automatically after the system reboot unless you remove the service. 4. You will also be able to **start** the service in case it was stopped from the Windows Services tab. ## **Stop and Remove System Service** 1. You can stop the service by entering the following command into the Command Prompt: `ovpnconnector.exe stop`. A OpenVPN connection will be terminated. > **Important** > > Connection will restart automatically after the system reboot unless you remove the service. 2. Configured paths to the connection Profile and the log file can be rolled back to default values using the following commands in the Command Prompt: `ovpnconnector .exe unset-config Profile` and `ovpnconnector.exe unset-config log`. > **Important** > > The service needs to be stopped first to change the configuration. You will be able to use a different CloudConnexa session as a system service only after running `ovpnconnector.exe unset-config` Profile, as a System Service will still be present, but it won’t have the Running status in Windows Services since it will have no OpenVPN Profile associated with it. Afterward, to change the OpenVPN Profile of the system service, simply go through the steps in the section Starting System Service with a new OpenVPN Profile. 3. If you want to remove system service run the command: `ovpnconnector.exe remove` ## **Default Connect App settings for connection** - Connection Timeout: **Continuously retry** (try to connect indefinitely) - Seamless Tunnel: **Enabled** (Block traffic while OpenVPN connection is paused or reconnecting) - The rest of the settings can be configured in the Profile itself ## Related Video [Video: Configure Windows Connect App to Run as a System Service](https://openvpn.net/cloud-docs/videos/configuration/connectors/video--configure-windows-connect-app-to-run-as-a-system-service.md) ## Related Tutorials - [Tutorial: Install a Connector on Windows](https://openvpn.net/cloud-docs/tutorials/configuration-tutorials/connectors/operating-systems/windows/tutorial--install-a-connector-on-windows.md) - [Tutorial: Connect a Network to CloudConnexa Using a Windows Server 2016 as a Router](https://openvpn.net/cloud-docs/tutorials/configuration-tutorials/networking/tutorial--connect-a-network-to-cloudconnexa-using-a-windows-server-2016-as-a-router.md) - [Tutorial: Connect a Network to CloudConnexa Using a Windows Server 2022 as a Router](https://openvpn.net/cloud-docs/tutorials/configuration-tutorials/networking/tutorial--connect-a-network-to-cloudconnexa-using-a-windows-server-2022-as-a-router.md) --- Prev: [Tutorial: Enable routing and NAT on Windows Server 2016](https://openvpn.net/cloud-docs/tutorials/configuration-tutorials/connectors/operating-systems/windows/tutorial--enable-routing-and-nat-on-windows-server-2016.md) Next: [Tutorial: Install a Connector on Windows](https://openvpn.net/cloud-docs/tutorials/configuration-tutorials/connectors/operating-systems/windows/tutorial--install-a-connector-on-windows.md) Index: https://openvpn.net/cloud-docs/llms.txt