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Microsoft Windows Blue Screen Crash

Summary Microsoft Windows crashes with a blue screen when booting or starting the Cisco Systems VPN client. 
Solution

There are 2 services which are known to conflict with the Cisco VPN Client and cause a blue screen crash:

  1. F-Secure Anti Virus and Firewall client software (provided freely to UCL Staff & Students).
  2. Toshiba, Dell, and Hewlett Packard laptops which are shipped with the ConfigFree service. Please refer to the step-by-step solution below.

F-Secure

Pre Cisco VPN Client Installation

The following steps provide instructions for preparing your system for the installation of the Cisco VPN Client. If you have already installed the VPN Client and are experiencing problems, please refer to the Post Cisco VPN Client Installation instructions.

  1. Open the Windows Add or Remove Programs tool (Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs) and uninstall the F-Secure Anti-Virus Client Security - Internet Shield component.
  2. Download and install the Cisco Systems VPN Client.
  3. Run the Cisco Systems VPN Client. Once successfully authenticated, reinstall the latest release of F-Secure available from www.ucl.ac.uk/fsecure
  4. Configure the F-Secure firewall component to permit Cisco VPN Client traffic. When the Cisco VPN Client is started, the F-Secure firewall component will warn about a program trying to connect to the Internet. Tick the box Do not show this dialog for this program again and select the Allow button.

Post Cisco VPN Client Installation

The following steps provide instructions for disabling the Cisco VPN Client Firewall component. This will resolve conflicts and subsequent blue screen crashes.

  1. Open the Device Management console (Control Panel > Administrative Tools * > Computer Management > Device Manager node). * If this icon is not visible, select the Switch to Classic View option in the left pane of the Control Panel window.
  2. From the drop down menu select View > Show hidden devices.
  3. Expand the Non-Plug and Play Drivers node and scroll down to the following device: vsdatant
  4. Right click on vsdatant and select Disable. If prompted, click OK to disable the device. You will need to restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

ConfigFree

The following manufacturers are now shipping laptops with a service called ConfigFree which allows users to control communications devices and Network connections:

  • Toshiba
  • Hewlett Packard
  • Dell

This service is known to conflict with the Cisco Systems VPN Client and cause a blue screen crash unless the following steps are taken to prepare your system for the installation of the Cisco VPN Client. If you have already installed the VPN Client and are experiencing problems, please uninstall the VPN Client prior to continuing.

  1. Disable the ConfigFree service via the ConfigFree icon in the taskbar.
  2. Download and install the Cisco Systems VPN Client.
  3. After the Cisco VPN Client installed and the PC rebooted, disable the ConfigFree service again and connect to the VPN Service.
  4. After the first connection, the ConfigFree and Cisco VPN Client no longer conflict and cause blue screen crashes