Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer: Top !link!

A previous instance of the WinDivert service is still running in the background or is marked for deletion by Windows.

Click on to see if windivert.sys was recently blocked. If blocked, select the action and click Allow on device .

If you continue to have trouble after trying all of these solutions, your best next step is to consult the support community for the specific software that requires WinDivert. When posting for help, always include any specific error codes you see (like 577 or 0x80041017 ) and details about your Windows version (e.g., Windows 11, 64-bit). Good luck!

If a restart doesn't work, a program is likely forcing the driver to reload on startup. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open . Go to the Details tab. A previous instance of the WinDivert service is

Even after applying multiple fixes, the error may return. The is Fast Startup combined with a leftover driver service entry in the registry.

The error is frustrating but almost always fixable without reinstalling Windows. In 90% of cases, a full traditional shutdown (Fix 1) + driver uninstall via pnputil (Fix 7) clears the block. For the remaining 10%, disabling Fast Startup and manually removing the WinDivert service guarantees success.

Under Virus & threat protection settings , click . If you continue to have trouble after trying

The simplest and most straightforward solution is to restart your computer. This often resolves issues related to driver installations, as it clears the system's driver cache and allows for a clean installation.

Because WinDivert can intercept and modify network traffic, many security systems flag it as a False Positive or block its driver signature.

WinDivert's method of intercepting network traffic is often flagged as suspicious by security software. If a restart doesn't work, a program is

这是提示“重启”的最根本原因。如果上一次运行相关软件时，依赖该驱动的进程未能正常关闭，或者驱动服务处于“加载-卸载”的中间状态（僵尸服务），Windows 会锁定相关的系统文件。此时任何新的安装请求都会因“文件正在使用中”而失败。

Before opening any apps, go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers and ensure no WinDivert files remain.