Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer Top

WinDivert requires deep kernel access. If the parent application isn't running with administrator rights, driver deployment fails.

: Often, anti-virus programs or firewalls like Sophos or Avast block the driver from loading because of its deep-level network access.

and runs: pnputil /enum-drivers | findstr WinDivert → No active drivers found, confirming it’s a stale lock. WinDivert requires deep kernel access

This error usually occurs because the WinDivert service (a kernel-mode packet diversion driver) is either stuck in a "pending delete" state, blocked by security software, or conflicting with an older version of itself.

: An older version of the WinDivert service is still registered in Windows but points to a file that no longer exists or is incompatible. and runs: pnputil /enum-drivers | findstr WinDivert →

: Your antivirus or firewall may be blocking the driver installation. Temporarily disable them and try running the application as an Administrator Common Root Causes Security Blocking

Execute the delete command to wipe the service registration out of the active hardware pool: sc delete windivert Use code with caution. : Your antivirus or firewall may be blocking

pnputil /delete-driver oem42.inf /uninstall /force

Maya, a system administrator for a small online retailer.

WinDivert: What is the reason behind the error message "error