Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer Top =link= Here

Troubleshooting: "WinDivert driver cannot be installed. You must restart your computer."

If you are seeing the error message "WinDivert driver cannot be installed you must restart your computer to complete the installation" (or a variation regarding the WinDivert driver), it typically indicates a conflict with a previous driver state or a pending system operation.

This error is commonly associated with networking tools, ad-blockers (like Portmaster or certain GitHub projects), and packet sniffing applications that rely on the WinDivert library to capture and filter network traffic. Troubleshooting: "WinDivert driver cannot be installed

Here is a breakdown of why this happens and how to resolve it. WinDivert is a kernel-mode driver used to capture/modify

Step-by-Step Fixes (From Simple to Advanced)

What’s happening?

• WinDivert is a kernel-mode driver used to capture/modify network packets.
• Windows may have locked the driver file or a previous installation is pending.
• The “piece regarding” is likely a garbled translation of “The component regarding WinDivert…”

1. The "Clean Boot" Method (Most Effective)

Often, another application (like an antivirus, another VPN, or a firewall) is locking the driver file during startup, causing the error to persist. Press Win + R

1. Press Win + R, type msconfig, and hit Enter.
2. Go to the Services tab.
3. Check Hide all Microsoft services.
4. Click Disable all.
5. Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager. Disable all startup items.
6. Restart your computer.
7. Try installing/running the application again.
8. Once fixed, you can re-enable your services via msconfig.