Easy Fix: NordVPN Background Process is not Running [Updated 2023]

“NordVPN Background Process is not Running” – Seen this error before?

Don’t you just have it? No matter how many times you click on the “Start process” button, nothing seems to work

As annoying as this error really is, it is actually quite simple to fix. Now the easiest option you have is to just uninstall the NordVPN app and then reinstall back to see if that fixes the issue.

However, if you’re still encountering connectivity issues, you can try a couple of easy troubleshooting steps.

To make your life easier, I’ve listed down a couple of common troubleshooting steps to help you solve the connectivity issues of NordVPN.

Let’s start with clearing NordVPN’s application cache to fix the NordVPN background process is not running error.

Step#1- Clear NordVPN’s app cache

In order to clear NordVPN’s app cache, just follow the quick steps below. This should take less than five minutes max.

1. First things first, open up the task manager by hitting Ctrl+Alt+Del at the same time and then click on the processes tab.
2. Now, you should see a list of processes running. Just find “nordvpn-service.exe” and “NordVPN.exe” from the list, right-click on it, and then click on the End process tree for both of them.
3. Now that you’ve all the background processes associated with NordVPN, go ahead and close your task manager and open up the “Run menu” by hitting the “Windows” (Start) key and “R” simultaneously.
4. Now when the tiny little window pops up, type in %localappdata% and click on “OK”.
5. Now you should see a rather lengthy list of application folders currently installed on your computer. From this list, look for the NordVPN folder and delete it. This will not harm the app and will only clear up the app cache.
6. Now just restart your NordVPN app and hopefully, it should fix the problem.

Step#2 – Connected to the VPN server but still no internet access

Another issue that you might come across is no internet access despite being connected to NordVPN servers. This issue is also rather easy to fix. Just follow the steps below and you should be done in no time.

1. Start by selecting a specific server location rather than just connecting to a certain country. So instead of just connecting to the United States and let the app pick a city, you can specify it from the list. This should help with the no internet access issue.
2. If that didn’t work, maybe the security software installed on your computer is messing with NordVPN. Try disabling or uninstalling your antivirus or firewall apps to see if that helps.

Step# 3 – Change DNS server when connected to the NordVPN App

If that didn’t work either, try changing the DNS server you are using when connected to the NordVPN. To do that, just follow the steps below.

1. Click on the Settings tab of the NordVPN application.
2. Scroll down and click on “Advanced settings” and “I know what I’m doing”.
3. Next, look for Custom DNS, and turn it on.
4. After that, click on “Add another DNS” and type in 8.8.8.
5. Next, click on “Add another DNS” once again and type in 8.4.4.
6. Finally, try connecting to a server location and check if you can access the internet now.

If the above-mentioned steps didn’t work, follow these steps:

1. Launch the NordVPN application.
2. Head into the Settings menu.
3. Scroll down a bit and click on Show advanced settings.
4. Next, scroll down a bit again and run the Diagnostics tool.
5. Now, when a window pops up, select Network flush.
6. Finally, restart your PC and try connecting to the NordVPN servers again.

If still, nothing seems to work, contact NordVPN’s customer support. You can talk to their support representatives that are available 24/7 and get your issue resolved that way.

As a last resort, you simply consider switching to a different VPN service altogether. ExpressVPN is a good option to go for. You may notice its performance to be marginally better than NordVPN.

It offers 3000+ servers and top-notch security features such as a Network lock (kill switch), powerful VPN protocols, 24/7 support, and plenty of other features.

If you’re interested in ExpressVPN, you can purchase it right now for just $6.67/mo (Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan). Their regular plan without the exclusive discount costs $12.95/mo.