Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer ((hot))

However, if a reboot never occurs, the installer sees that a rename operation is pending, correctly deduces that the driver file cannot yet be installed, and throws the error.

Windows sometimes holds onto files when a system reboot is already pending due to an update. The WinDivert installer detects this global reboot flag and shows the error even though the driver itself is fine.

Use VMware or VirtualBox with a Windows 7 or Windows 10 guest VM. Disable driver signing in the VM (e.g., bcdedit /set testsigning on ). Run your WinDivert-dependent application inside the VM. This isolates your host OS from risk.

On Windows 10/11 with Fast Startup enabled, a "Restart" performs a hybrid shutdown. For driver issues, use:

If your application uses a specific version number (e.g., WinDivert1.4 or WinDivert2.2), use that name instead (e.g., sc stop WinDivert1.4