Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer Top

Because WinDivert intercepts network traffic, security suites often isolate the driver file, causing the installation routine to fail. Open > Virus & threat protection .

: Sometimes Windows thinks a file is waiting to be replaced after a reboot. You can clear this by deleting the PendingFileRenameOperations entry in the Registry Editor

This might sound too simple, but it's a crucial first step. The driver may be "stuck" in a pending state.

Remember, after applying a fix, always restart your computer and run your application as an administrator to ensure the WinDivert driver loads correctly. If you're still stuck, check the project's "Issues" page on GitHub for more specific discussions related to your tool.

Click on to see if windivert.sys was recently blocked. If blocked, select the action and click Allow on device . If you're still stuck, check the project's "Issues"

If you are using an older tool that relies on an outdated version of WinDivert, Windows 10/11 will block it automatically. You can temporarily bypass this restriction to let the driver initialize.

If the error implies the driver cannot be loaded (sometimes confused with "cannot be installed"), you may need to allow unsigned or test-signed drivers, though modern official builds of WinDivert are usually signed.

Following expert advice from community forums like GitHub Issues , Alex opened the Command Prompt as an Administrator and ran two critical commands to clear the "stuck" service: sc stop WinDivert sc delete WinDivert

If you are reading this, you have likely been stopped mid-task by a frustrating pop-up error: move to .

Work through these solutions in order from simplest to most effective. After trying a fix, restart your computer and attempt to launch your application again.

Press the , type cmd , right-click Command Prompt , and select Run as administrator .

When an app using WinDivert crashes, it often leaves the driver service stuck in a "stop-pending" state. Windows prevents a new installation until the old one is gone.

If you are using a modified or self-compiled version of a network tool, Windows might block it because it lacks a valid digital signature. When an app using WinDivert crashes

Go to > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart .

The error "WinDivert driver cannot be installed, you must restart your computer" typically occurs when a program using the library—often tools like GoodbyeDPI

If the error returns, move to .