Alex Ruben
How To Fix HWiNFO64.SYS Driver Issues After Windows Update
If you recently hit a wall with HWiNFO64.SYS acting up after a Windows update, yeah, you’re not alone. This driver is meant to help HWiNFO keep tabs on your hardware, but sometimes, Windows throws a wrench in the works and breaks things. Crashes, errors, you name it. Luckily, there are a few tricks that can get things back on track. No guarantees, but these fixes have helped quite a few people—I’ll share what’s worked and what to try next.
How to Fix HWiNFO64.SYS Driver Issues After Windows Update
Method 1: Tweak Windows Security Settings, especially Memory Integrity
This is kind of weird, but the security features in Windows, mainly Memory Integrity (which is part of Core Isolation), can sometimes break device drivers after updates. Disabling it might help the driver load properly again. It applies if you’re getting errors specifically related to HWiNFO64.SYS crashing during startup or hardware scans. Expect to see fewer errors afterward, but be aware it slightly lowers security. Just don’t forget to turn it back on later if all goes well.
- Open Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security.
- Click on Device security on the side menu.
- Under Core isolation, hit Core isolation details.
- Find Memory integrity and toggle it to Off.
On some setups, this bug’s triggered after a Windows update, messing with driver loads. Disabling Memory Integrity seems to loosen that grip — on my machine, it worked after a reboot, at least temporarily.
Method 2: Reinstall the HWiNFO64 Driver Manually
If the driver’s acting all wonky, maybe a fresh install will fix it. Because of course, Windows updates can sometimes mess with driver files or make them incompatible. Go to the official site—HWiNFO support page—and grab the latest version. Then, uninstall the current driver through Device Manager if possible:
- Right-click the *Start* button, choose Device Manager.
- Find the hardware item associated with HWiNFO or the problematic driver.
- Right-click and select Uninstall device. Make sure to check the box to delete driver software if prompted.
Reboot, then run the installer for the latest HWiNFO version. It might ask to reinstall the driver; let it do its thing. Sometimes, that’s enough to clear out conflicting files or corruption.
Method 3: Roll Back or Uninstall Recent Windows Updates
If things went south after a specific update, maybe that update is the culprit. Check your Update history under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history. If you see an update installed around when the driver issues started, you can try removing it:
- Head into Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
- Pick View update history.
- Click Uninstall updates link at the top and select the latest update to remove.
Not all updates are worth uninstalling, but if your driver started failing right after, this might do the trick. Just watch out—sometimes, it takes a bit of trial and error.
Extra Tips & Common Traps
Another thing: keep an eye on whether your system’s security features, like Tamper Protection, are blocking driver modifications. You might need to disable Tamper Protection temporarily in Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage settings.
Also, on some setups, simply running Windows Update troubleshooting or resetting your driver cache (like deleting files from `C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore`) can help. Or try Running as Administrator when installing or uninstalling drivers; Windows can be picky sometimes.
Wrap-up
So yeah, these issues are annoying and kind of maddening when Windows updates break stuff that worked fine yesterday. But messing around with Memory Integrity, drivers, or update history can bring back stability. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of toggling a setting, reinstalling, or rolling things back. Hopefully, this saves someone a few hours or more—these tricks have helped others, so give them a shot.
Summary
- Disable Memory Integrity if you’re seeing driver errors post-update.
- Reinstall or update the HWiNFO driver directly from the official site.
- Check and uninstall recent Windows updates if they caused the problem.
- Adjust security settings like Tamper Protection if necessary.
Final thoughts
Dealing with Windows driver issues after updates is kind of the dark part of PC life. It’s frustrating, but these steps cover the usual suspects. Sometimes, just a reboot and a hardware scan re-solves it, other times, more digging is needed. Fingers crossed this helps someone get their hardware monitoring back without a full reinstall or similar chaos.