Must Restart Your Computer: Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You

In this zombie state, Windows refuses to load a new instance—even of the same version—because the kernel considers the driver name and service already "in use."

, clearing any orphaned references. 2. Pending File Rename Operations (The "PendingFileRenameOperations" Key) Many WinDivert installers, when upgrading, attempt to replace the existing WinDivert.sys file. Since the running kernel may have locked the old file, Windows instead schedules a replacement for the next boot using the PendingFileRenameOperations registry key (located under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager ). This is a standard technique for updating in-use system files. In this zombie state, Windows refuses to load

shutdown /s /f /t 0 Then power on manually. This clears kernel driver state more thoroughly. Run as Administrator: In this zombie state