This error typically occurs when the driver—a common component used by network tools like VPNs, proxies, or packet sniffers—is already present but stuck in a corrupted or "pending" state Quick Fix Steps Force Stop the Driver Command Prompt
, the "restart required" message is often a generic Windows response to a driver that failed to initialize due to: Architecture Mismatch : Attempting to load a 32-bit driver on a 64-bit system. Missing Privileges : The application calling the driver must be Run as Administrator Virtualization : WinDivert is often incompatible with environments like or certain setups that do not support standard device drivers. Are you getting a specific error code (like 110, 577, or 1275) along with the restart message? A driver can't load on this device - Microsoft Support This error typically occurs when the driver—a common
Unlike older techniques (like LSP/Winsock hijacking), WinDivert is clean, stable, and doesn’t require a reboot after initial installation—except when something goes wrong. A driver can't load on this device -
Why the installation fails:
Run the application as Administrator. WinDivert requires administrative privileges to register its service; running as a standard user will trigger the "cannot be installed" error every time. Why does this happen? Why does this happen
Here is a breakdown of why this happens and how to resolve it.