Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer Top ~repack~ -
Follow these troubleshooting steps in order to clear the driver conflict and get your application running. 1. Manually Purge the Stale WinDivert Service
This error generally occurs because a previous version of the driver is stuck in a half-installed or corrupted state, or a security program is blocking its loading . Since WinDivert is "installed" on demand when an application calls it, it often requires administrative cleanup rather than just a standard reboot. Immediate Solutions
: The application is trying to use a 32-bit driver on a 64-bit system, or the necessary .sys files are missing from the app's directory. Step-by-Step Fixes 1. Manually Clear the Old Service Follow these troubleshooting steps in order to clear
If a simple restart does not work, try these steps in order:
Sometimes Windows caches a corrupt driver setup block, forcing the OS to reject new installation attempts. Since WinDivert is "installed" on demand when an
This issue commonly occurs when the WinDivert driver ( WinDivert64.sys ) fails to load or unload correctly, often due to permission issues, existing driver conflicts, or pending system updates.
Sometimes Windows permanently flags the driver path in the registry, preventing re-installation. Press Win + R , type regedit , and hit . Manually Clear the Old Service If a simple
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDivert Right-click the folder and select Delete . Reboot your PC. 4. Verify Your Files
Before we dive into the error and its solutions, let's briefly discuss what WinDivert is and its significance. WinDivert is a user-mode packet diversion driver that allows developers to capture, redirect, and manipulate network packets on Windows systems. It's a powerful tool for network debugging, monitoring, and analysis. Many network security and monitoring tools, such as Wireshark, Tcpdump, and Network Monitor, rely on WinDivert to function.
Disclaimer: Some of these solutions, particularly involving registry editing, should be done with caution. If you are still experiencing the issue, WinDivert not working on Windows 10 20H2 #253 - GitHub
Aggressive security software (McAfee, Bitdefender, Malwarebytes, CrowdStrike) can flag WinDivert as a potential raw network driver and prevent it from loading into the kernel.