On Windows, NymVPN is two parts: the app (the interface) and the daemon (which handles networking). A "daemon not connected" error means the two aren't talking, so nothing can connect. These steps fix it in almost every case.
Step 1: confirm the app can't reach the daemon
A red dot in the top-left of the app, or a "daemon not connected" message, means the app and daemon aren't connected.
Step 2: start the daemon service manually
Open Services (services.msc) from the Start menu, find the NymVPN service, right-click it, and choose Start or Restart. Or from an administrator PowerShell:
Restart-Service -Name "NymVPN Service"Step 3: if the service won't start
This usually happens after the app was force-closed from Task Manager, which also stops the Windows service. NymVPN restarts itself automatically, but Windows limits how many times it will retry, and after repeated force-kills it stops trying until the counter resets (about a day) or you clear it. From an administrator PowerShell:
sc.exe reset "NymVPN Service"Then start the service again (Step 2). Tip: avoid force-quitting NymVPN from Task Manager; exit from the system tray or restart your device instead.
Step 4: reinstall the app
If it persists, uninstall and reinstall NymVPN (keep your 24-word access code handy to sign back in). See How to uninstall NymVPN on Windows?
Still stuck?
Contact Nym Support with your Windows version, app version, what you tried, and your logs. See How to find app and daemon logs in NymVPN?
Related questions
What is the daemon, exactly?
A background service that does all the network work: connecting to the Nym network, routing traffic, and managing the tunnel. The app is just its control panel.
Does this error mean my traffic leaked?
No. If the daemon isn't connected, the VPN simply isn't running; the error blocks connections rather than exposing them.