Browser Support Driver - Windows 8 Service
Implements the kernel datagram receiver for the computer browser browser service.
This service also exists in Windows 10, 11, 7 and Vista.
Startup Type
| Windows 8 edition | Windows 8 | Windows 8.1 | Windows 8.1 Update 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| Pro | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| Enterprise | Manual | Manual | Manual |
Default Properties
| Display name: | Browser Support Driver |
| Service name: | bowser |
| Type: | filesys |
| Path: | %WinDir%\system32\DRIVERS\bowser.sys |
| Error control: | normal |
| Group: | Network |
Default Behavior
The Browser Support Driver service is a file system driver. If Browser Support Driver fails to start, the error is logged. Windows 8 startup proceeds, but a message box is displayed informing you that the bowser service has failed to start.
Dependencies
The following services are unable to start if Browser Support Driver is stopped:
Restore Default Startup Type of Browser Support Driver
Automated Restore
1. Select your Windows 8 release and edition, and then click on the Download button below.
2. Save the RestoreBrowserSupportDriverWindows8.bat file to any folder on your hard drive.
3. Right-click the downloaded batch file and select Run as administrator.
4. Restart the computer.
Note. Make sure that the bowser.sys file exists in the %WinDir%\system32\DRIVERS folder. If this file is missing you can try to restore it from your Windows 8 installation media.