Update as of 1/4/2011: A reader has submitted the 64-bit version of the devcon tool. It can be downloaded from Here
If you ever find your self having issues getting connected to a network, one of the more obscure but common
causes may lie within the Microsoft "6to4" adapter devices. These are hidden devices that assist in
connecting to networks that use both IPv4 and IPv6 addressing (at least from everything I have read and
heard, although I have not yet found a definite answer on their true purpose). They seem to cause problems
in some cases, and they can accumulate quite quickly in your Device Manager, causing potential problems
while booting the machine and while trying to connect to a network. I have seen a machine with over 156 of
these useless devices sitting in the Device Manager! In this article, I will show you how to find and remove
these devices, and how to automate the removal process if you have a large number of them.
Step 1: Viewing the 6to4 Adapters in Device Manager
In order to determine if the 6to4 adapters are causing problems, you must first identify if you have any of
them on your system. In order to do so, you must open the Device Manager, and then set it to show you the
hidden devices. If you already know how to open the device manager, then you may skip to # to see how to
view the hidden devices.
How to Open the Device Manager and view Hidden Devices:
-
Click on the Start button and then right click on "Computer" (My Computer in Windows XP)
- Select "Properties"
-
In Windows Vista or 7, Click on "Device Manager" in the panel on the left. For Windows XP, click the
"Hardware" Tab and then click the "Device Manager" button
- In Device Manager, click on the
"View" menu and select "Show Hidden Devices"
- Expand the "Network Adapters" option, and you
should see all Network Adapters, if you have any 6to4 adapters, they will be there listed as "6to4
Adapter or Microsoft 6to4 Adapter"
Step 2: Removing the 6to4 adapters
Once you have viewed the hidden 6to4 adapters in the Device
Manager, you may want to remove them if they are causing problems. From my experience and things I have
read, this will have no adverse effect on your connection unless you are on a purely IPv6 network and
have a network driver that does not support IPv6 (with a newer computer, this is highly unlikely).
How to Remove the 6to4 Adapters from Device Manager
-
Right click on the desired 6to4 adapter
- Select "Uninstall"
- Click "Yes" to remove the device from the System
-
Repeat for every 6to4 adapter in the list
Step 3: Automating the removal (If there is a long list)
Update as of 1/4/2011: A reader has submitted the 64-bit version of the devcon tool. It can be downloaded from Here
In some cases, there may be many of these 6to4 adapters on your system. Removing them one by one can be tedious and time consuming. Fortunately, I have found a way to quickly and effectively remove these using a tool from Microsoft called "DevCon." DevCon is a command line Device Manager that is useful for removing many devices at once. Follow these steps to download and use it to remove the 6to4 adapters: - Download the file from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311272
- Run the program and extract the files somewhere you will remember, I usually use my desktop
- Simple Method: Download my 6to4remover batch file and place it in the same folder as the devcon.exe program for your system. If you are on a 32-bit machine, place it in the "i386" folder. If you are on a 64-bit machine, place it in the "ia64" folder. Run the batch file and it will remove the 6to4 adapters for you. If you are worried about what the batch file does, you can right click on it and select "Edit" to view the source.
- If you want to perform the process manually, open up an administrator command prompt window and navigate the the devcon folder appropriate to your system (see number
- Execute the following command: "devcon remove *6to4mp" (without the quotes)
- The devcon program will remove the 6to4 adapters for you
Conclusion:
In this post, I have shown you how to remove those pesky 6to4 adapters that may be screwing up your network connection. If you have any questions or comments, make sure to leave them below!
-Ryan