Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer Free

Here are the specific reasons:

(Replace cmd.exe with the executable name of your specific application if necessary). Step 3: Manually Remove the Ghost Driver Service

If the software was closed improperly during a previous session, the WinDivert driver might still be locked in a "stopping" or "zombie" state. You need to manually terminate it. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the .

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ . Look for any entry named WinDivert and delete it 1.2.2 . Summary Checklist Target Issue Full Restart Clears memory-locked driver files Run as Admin Fixes permission errors Delete .sys files Removes corrupt drivers Disable Sig Enforcement Allows unsigned driver loading Here are the specific reasons: (Replace cmd

WinDivert requires a valid digital signature. If you are using a custom or older build, Windows may block it with ERROR_INVALID_IMAGE_HASH . You might need to enable Test Mode in Windows to allow these drivers. 4. Check for Environmental Conflicts

Windows 10 and 11 feature an advanced security setting called Memory Integrity that blocks unsigned or old drivers from injecting code into the kernel. If your software uses an outdated version of WinDivert, Windows will block it permanently. Open Windows Search and type . Toggle Memory Integrity to Off .

WinDivert is a "user-mode" driver, but only one application can hook into it at a time. If you have two pieces of software trying to use WinDivert simultaneously, the second one will fail with this error. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the

Did the give you a specific error code (like Access Denied)?

This is a simpler but important cause. To load a kernel-level driver like WinDivert.sys, the application must be . If you launch the program normally (without admin rights), it will fail to install the driver.

If the error persists after a reboot, manually delete the registry key: including any personal information you added.

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Older Windows versions (like Windows 7 or unpatched 2008 R2) may reject drivers signed with SHA256 if they lack specific updates. Recommended Solutions