The Cisco VPN client v5.0 does not work out-of-the-box on Windows 7 and 8. Starting the VPN will result in an error:

Error

Reason 442: Failed to enable Virtual Adapter

This is because of a malfunctioning installer, creating an invalid connection to the Cisco VPN Adapter. To resolve, follow the steps below.

1. Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CVirtA.
2. Look for the DisplayName value and change it to remove all leading characters up to and including %;:
   • For x86, the value change from something like @oem8.inf,%CVirtA_Desc%;Cisco Systems VPN Adapter to Cisco Systems VPN Adapter
   • For x64, the value would change from something like @oem8.inf,%CVirtA_Desc%;Cisco Systems VPN Adapter for 64-bit Windows to Cisco Systems VPN Adapter for 64-bit Windows
3. A reboot is not required as the change is effective immediately. Restart the VPN client and try to connect again.

For other versions, the key name in services may not be CVirtA. Certain users on the internet have reported the name to be vpnva.

This method has been verified to work on version 5.0.07.0440 on Windows 8 x64.