Opera VPN Pro Error 87 Fix: Reset Winsock, Reinstall WAN Miniports

Opera's free browser VPN and VPN Pro need different fixes​

Opera has two VPNs, and they work differently. In a July 2025 post on the Opera desktop blog, the company describes VPN Pro as its premium service. It "offers device-wide protection," covers up to six devices, and runs on Opera One, Opera GX and Opera for Android across Windows, macOS and Android. Opera presents VPN Pro as the paid alternative to its free browser VPN, which has fewer locations and only covers the Opera browser app. VPN Pro now uses the Lightway protocol, and Opera says it has 48 server locations.

Where the VPN runs affects what can break. Opera's help documentation describes the free VPN as a browser feature: when it is on, you connect to websites through a VPN server, so websites see the server's location instead of yours. Nothing else on the PC goes through it. If a desktop app, Windows Update or another browser has connection problems, Opera's free VPN is not the cause.

VPN Pro installs a Windows-level component. On Opera's community forums, VPN Pro users have posted Windows event errors in which "the user SYSTEM dialed a connection named OperaVPNService." That is a Windows dial-up/RAS-style connection, which the browser-only VPN does not create. The rest of this piece keeps the two products separate.

Before you change anything, find out how far the problem goes. Check whether all Opera pages fail with the VPN on, whether only certain sites fail, or whether the whole PC's internet connection is down. If the whole connection is down, fix the network first. If only one site fails, you may be dealing with a site that blocks VPN traffic, not a VPN that won't connect.

Switching locations and toggling the VPN in Opera settings​

Start by changing the virtual location. With the VPN on, click the VPN badge next to the address bar. When you enable VPN, it starts automatically, and the blue VPN badge appears in the combined address and search bar. Click/tap on the badge, and you will see an on/off switch, information about the amount of data transferred, the virtual location, and the the virtual IP address. Choose a different region from the location list, or the optimal/automatic option if your version has one. When Opera brought the VPN to Android, TechCrunch reported an "optimal" setting that connects to the fastest available server, but the exact label depends on the build. Test several sites afterwards. If a different endpoint works, the problem was with one location, and nothing on your PC needs fixing.

Next, turn the feature off and on again in Settings. Opera's menus have moved over the years, so the path depends on your version. Opera's current desktop FAQ puts the switch under Settings > Features > VPN > Enable VPN. An older Opera help page gives a different route: In Opera, go to Settings. In the sidebar, click Advanced, then click Privacy & security. Under VPN, click Enable VPN. Whichever layout you have, switch Enable VPN off, wait about a minute, switch it back on, and test again. Once it's enabled, the VPN button reappears on the left side of the combined address and search bar.

The same settings page also has options that can make a working VPN look broken. Guides describe two more options: Bypass VPN for default search engines and Connect to VPN when starting the browser. Newer versions also add enabling intranet sites by bypassing VPN, plus the ability to manage additional VPN bypass rules. Check these before deciding the VPN has failed.

The search-engine bypass that looks like a VPN failure​

A common false alarm goes like this: you search for something and the results match your real city, even though the VPN badge shows another country. Opera does this on purpose. According to Opera's help documentation, Bypass VPN for default search engines allows you to use default search engines to find web inquiries relevant to your actual location with protection in an https:// connection. The VPN service will resume when you navigate to a web page.

Tutorials on the setting say the bypass is turned on by default in at least some versions, so many users have it switched on without knowing. If you want searches to go through the VPN too, go to the VPN section of settings and turn off Bypass VPN for default search engines. Opera notes that this is not supported in Private Mode.

The intranet bypass matters most on work machines. One Opera forum user asked for custom bypass rules because the company has internal advanced networking and protected access to internal servers, and since they cannot be accessed from outside the network with the VPN enabled it does not exist. If internal company sites stop loading when the VPN is on, the VPN is doing its job: your traffic is leaving through an external server that has no route to your intranet. Turn on the intranet bypass if your version has it, or turn the VPN off for those sites. Don't try network repairs for this.

Updating Opera and isolating conflicts with other VPNs and antivirus​

A stale build is easy to rule out. Opera's help says to check manually under Menu > Update & Recovery > Check for update, then choose Relaunch now once the update downloads. Opera updates often. On September 24, 2026, the Opera desktop blog listed the stable channel at Opera 136.0.6008.52, and the 135.0.5973.x stable builds shipped earlier that month. If your version is well behind that, update first.

Running another VPN client at the same time is a common source of trouble. Some troubleshooting guides name NordVPN as an example. They say the browser may show a message that the VPN is temporarily unavailable while Opera "is resolving the problem," and that some users only fixed it by uninstalling the other client, not just disconnecting it. That comes from user reports. Nothing establishes that every third-party VPN interferes with Opera. Test in order of risk:

1. Disconnect the other VPN client and test Opera's VPN again.
2. If that doesn't help, exit the other client completely so its background service stops, then test again.
3. Uninstall it only if the first two steps fail. Open Run with Windows + R, enter appwiz.cpl to open Programs and Features, uninstall the client, restart Windows and test.

For security software, set up an exception instead of turning protection off. Some guides name Bitdefender's Advanced Threat Defense as the product most often blocking Opera's VPN. That is one outlet's research finding, and no other source confirms it. The broader advice is supported by Opera's own VPN Pro team. On Opera's forums, a staff member wrote that the company has noticed antivirus software is often the most common reason for VPN Pro installation problems, and recommended adding VPN Pro to the antivirus exceptions list as the long-term fix. For the free browser VPN, the equivalent step is to add Opera's executable to your security product's application exceptions and, if a firewall is involved, allow Opera through Windows Defender Firewall. Don't leave antivirus or the firewall switched off to see whether that helps. On a managed PC, exceptions are set in policy, so talk to your IT team.

Windows network reset for Opera VPN Pro error 87​

This is the fix that tends to get presented as a cure-all: resetting the TCP/IP stack and Winsock, then removing and re-detecting the WAN Miniport adapters. It comes from a thread on Opera's forums titled "My Opera VPN pro is not working." A VPN Pro user posted a Windows event entry saying that the SYSTEM user's connection named OperaVPNService had failed with error code 87. A member of Opera's VPN Pro team replied that error 87 can be fixed by clearing the networking cache and resetting the network adapters.

The steps she gave:

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Type cmd in Start search, right-click it and choose Run as Administrator, or press Windows + R, type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter, then accept the UAC prompt.
2. Run these commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each:

netsh int ip reset
netsh int ipv6 reset
netsh winsock reset

1. Restart the computer. The Opera staffer said not to skip this step.
2. After the restart, open Device Manager (Windows + X, then Device Manager) and expand Network adapters.
3. Right-click each WAN Miniport entry (IKEv2, IP, IPv6 and the others) and choose Uninstall device, confirming each prompt.
4. Click Action > Scan for hardware changes. The WAN Miniport adapters should come back.
5. Try connecting to VPN Pro again.

If it worked, the WAN Miniport entries are back in Device Manager after the scan and VPN Pro connects without the error 87 event. Results in the thread were mixed. Several users said the steps fixed error 87, and one called it the only thing that worked. Others reported the same error afterwards, and one asked for a refund. One user also wrote that the procedure "deleted all my data." That claim wasn't explained, and nobody else in the thread reported it. Still, back up and save your work before you start. Some users in the same thread later posted a different code, error 13868, and got no documented fix.

This procedure changes Windows networking configuration and briefly removes virtual adapters that other VPN software and Windows' built-in VPN client may also rely on. That makes it a late step for VPN Pro connection failures, and a poor first move for the free browser VPN, which doesn't use a Windows connection. On company-managed Windows 10 or Windows 11 machines, a Winsock and IP reset can affect corporate VPN clients and network policy. Get IT's approval first.

The same thread lists less drastic steps for VPN Pro. The Opera staffer suggested logging out of your Opera account and back in, confirming the subscription appears in the VPN Pro settings inside Opera's settings, and pressing Reconnect. You don't need to enter credentials in Windows network settings or any Windows Security login pop-up, because VPN Pro checks your subscription through the Opera account you're signed into in the browser. If that fails, she suggested deleting the contents of the Opera profile folder (the location is listed under Paths > Profile at opera://about) and signing in again so the files are rebuilt. Only after that did she recommend a full reinstall. Deleting the profile folder removes local browser data, so sync or back up first. Her main point was to click the blue Error details text on the VPN Pro error message, because the specific code decides which fix applies.

Opera VPN on Android follows different rules​

Some guides also cover Android, and the Windows steps don't transfer. Opera's Android help says that, depending on your country and browser version, the VPN may only be available in private mode. It also says server load can affect browsing speed. If the VPN option seems to be missing on a phone, check the private-mode start page and the app menu before assuming anything is broken. Command Prompt, Device Manager and WAN Miniport steps don't apply on Android. The practical steps there are updating the Opera app and closing any other VPN app on the phone, since Android allows only one active VPN connection at a time. Opera's Android documentation does not say whether the country- and version-based limit on where the VPN appears also affects Windows.

What this means for you​

Your first job is to work out which product you have. Then work through the steps in order of risk, and stop as soon as one works. If you use the free VPN in Opera or Opera GX on Windows, you should be able to fix most problems inside the browser. If you pay for VPN Pro and see an OperaVPNService error, get the error code before trying anything else. IT administrators should know that the free VPN only affects Opera traffic, while VPN Pro adds a system-level connection that interacts with Windows networking.

• Switch to another virtual location, then turn Enable VPN off and on in Opera's settings. The menu path varies between Settings > Features and Settings > Advanced > Privacy & security, depending on your version.
• If search results show your real location, check Bypass VPN for default search engines before assuming the VPN has failed. If internal company sites break with the VPN on, use the intranet bypass instead of repairing the network.
• Update Opera under Menu > Update & Recovery and relaunch. As of September 24, 2026, the current stable desktop release was 136.0.6008.52.
• Disconnect, then close, then if necessary uninstall any other VPN client, and add Opera to your security software's exceptions instead of turning protection off.
• Only use the netsh int ip reset, netsh int ipv6 reset and netsh winsock reset commands and the WAN Miniport reinstall for VPN Pro error 87. Save your work first, and get IT's approval on managed PCs.
• If nothing works, report the problem through Menu > Help > Report an issue on Windows. VPN Pro subscribers can also use Opera's VPN Pro help center, which has live chat Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm CET.

In most cases, Opera's free VPN failing to connect comes down to a bad server location, an old build or a conflicting security tool, and each of those takes a few minutes and a browser restart to rule out. The Windows network reset is a genuine Opera-staff fix, but for one VPN Pro error. Using it as a first step for the free VPN puts system networking at risk for a product that never touches it. If the simple steps don't help, go through Opera's official support channels next, and give them the specific error code, your Opera version and your Windows build.