Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer Top May 2026

| Step | Action | Success Rate | |------|--------|---------------| | 0 | Full restart (proper) | 20% | | 1 | Run as Administrator | 40% | | 2 | Clear pending registry flags | 70% | | 3 | Disable driver signature enforcement | 80% | | 4 | Disable antivirus temporarily | 90% | | 5 | Clean leftover WinDivert files | 95% | | 6 | SFC / DISM repair | 98% | | 7 | Manual driver install | 99% | | 8 | Safe Mode | 99.5% |

Start with Solution 2 (registry pending flags). It is the single most effective fix for the specific wording “you must restart your computer” when you already have.

Once cleared, your VPN, packet sniffer, or proxy tool will install WinDivert silently and begin intercepting traffic as intended.

In 90% of cases, this error is resolved by using the Shift + Restart method to bypass Windows Fast Startup. If the error persists, use the Command Prompt commands (sc delete windivert) to manually purge the stuck driver from the system registry. | Step | Action | Success Rate |

It sounds like you’re encountering a WinDivert driver installation error, often seen with tools like Proxifier, Charles Proxy, Fiddler, npm, or certain VPN/packet capture software on Windows.

The full error message typically reads something like:

“Piece regarding WinDivert driver cannot be installed. You must restart your computer.” In 90% of cases, this error is resolved

Here’s what that means and how to resolve it:

If WinDivert was partially installed before (from a different tool or an aborted installation), leftover files can prevent new installations. The flag "driver cannot be installed" may actually mean "a conflicting driver is already loaded."

Sometimes the application’s bundled installer is outdated. Instead, install WinDivert manually: “Piece regarding WinDivert driver cannot be installed

If the driver is partially installed, manually delete it:

If you have tried all 8 solutions and the error persists, the problem may be specific to the application you are using. Gather the following and contact their support team:

WinDivert installation requires administrative privileges to load a kernel driver. Even if your user account is an administrator, UAC (User Account Control) may block the driver silently.