Open_vpn partial connectivity

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I was at one point able to connect my vpn to all my clients, initially i needed to add the default gateway pointing to my pfsense fw. For whatever reason I cannot ping my windows clients anymore.

connectivity is fine
able to ping linux boxes (pfsense is a vmachine along with other linux boxes on a vmware vsphere server)
the nas is a different machine, which i am also able to ping. 
I have a two laptops both windows, which I am no longer able to ping.  I think i changed some encryption values and renamed the vpn but updated the info on the clients. VPN connects ok, but windows boxes dont communicate. I deleted and re-did the vpn, thinking that was it but nothing.  I am confused at this point.

Anybody have any ideas?

172.16.2.251 PFSENSE/OVPN –---> LAN 172.16.0.0/16
a. linux clients ping fine
b. windows clients dont ping back.

I did delete some rules on  the fw, but by recreating the vpn, this should have resolved it. ( the rules were re-added)

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an extra bone…

under diagnostics > ping >

I am from the wan interface able to ping  the linux clients, example 172.16.2.10  but not the windows client 172.16.2.30 ...

any ideas?