Microsoft Defender Antivirus Network Inspection System Driver (WdNisDrv) Service Defaults in Windows 11
Helps guard against intrusion attempts targeting known and newly discovered vulnerabilities in network protocols.
Default Settings
| Startup type: | Manual |
| Display name: | Microsoft Defender Antivirus Network Inspection System Driver |
| Service name: | WdNisDrv |
| Service type: | kernel |
| Error control: | normal |
| Path: | %SystemRoot%\system32\Drivers\WdNisDrv.sys |
| Registry key: | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdNisDrv |
Default Behavior
Microsoft Defender Antivirus Network Inspection System Driver is a kernel driver. In Windows 11 it starts only if the user, an application or another service starts it. If Microsoft Defender Antivirus Network Inspection System Driver fails to start, the failure details will be recorded into Event Log. Then Windows 11 should boot up and notify the user about the WdNisDrv service startup failure.
Dependencies
Microsoft Defender Antivirus Network Inspection System Driver cannot be started, if the Base Filtering Engine service won't start.
If Microsoft Defender Antivirus Network Inspection System Driver doesn't work properly, the Microsoft Defender Antivirus Network Inspection Service cannot start.
Restore Default Startup Configuration of Microsoft Defender Antivirus Network Inspection System Driver
Before you begin doing this, make sure that all the services on which Microsoft Defender Antivirus Network Inspection System Driver depends are configured by default and function properly. See the list of dependencies above.1. Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Copy the command below, paste it into the command window and press ENTER:
sc config WdNisDrv start= demand
3. Close the command window and restart the computer.
The WdNisDrv service is using the WdNisDrv.sys file that is located in the C:\Windows\system32\Drivers directory. If the file is removed or corrupted, read this article to restore its original version from Windows 11 installation media.