Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer Top [2025]

Reboot, then reinstall your tool.

Run the application as . WinDivert requires administrative privileges to register its service; running as a standard user will trigger the "cannot be installed" error every time. Why does this happen?

Windows has powerful security features that can sometimes cause this issue.

The simplest solution is to restart your computer. This may seem obvious, but it's essential to ensure that any pending system restarts are completed. Reboot, then reinstall your tool

| Error Code | Description | Primary Fixes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | This driver has been blocked from loading | 1) Disable Driver Signature Enforcement 2) Turn off Core Isolation 3) Ensure you're using the correct architecture (32-bit vs 64-bit) | | 577 | Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file | 1) Run Windows Update 2) Disable Driver Signature Enforcement 3) Download the latest version of the driver from a trusted source | | 0x80041017 | This is a WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) error | 1) Run the script in the Microsoft Activation Scripts (MAS) tool | | Error Code: 2 | The system cannot find the file specified | 1) Clean registry uninstall 2) Full reinstallation of the driver | | 110 | Failed to open the Divert device | 1) Manually stop and start the service in an admin command prompt |

are you trying to run when this error pops up?

Note the Published Name (e.g., oem42.inf ). Then delete: Why does this happen

and remove them if they are not in use by your current application. Security Software

Fix: WinDivert Driver Cannot Be Installed - You Must Restart Your Computer

Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers . Look for any file named WinDivert.sys or WinDivert64.sys . This may seem obvious, but it's essential to

Instead of fighting the error, Maya does exactly what the message says—but first, she checks one thing:

are you trying to run (e.g., a specific VPN, a game, or a custom tool)? What version of Windows are you currently using (10 or 11)?

The most common cause is a ghost service from a previous session. You can forcibly remove it via the Command Prompt: Open as an Administrator. Type sc stop windivert and press Enter. Type sc delete windivert and press Enter. Restart your computer to clear the system's driver state. 2. Run as Administrator

WinDivert operates at the kernel level. If the host application does not have explicit permission to install kernel-level drivers, Windows will reject it.

Type the following command to stop any active WinDivert service and press : sc stop windivert Use code with caution.