Can't enable Windows Firewall

[Guest]

re: win xp Home, sp2
In control panel I get to the Win Firewall Screen but can't enable the
Firewall. Option appears gray. Each time I reboot and try again, prior to
firewall screen a message says windows must first add Internet connection
sharing(ICS) /windows firewall. I click OK. Message at top says Group
Policy may control security but I don't know how to change Group Policy
settings. I did a system restore from settings 60 days prior, but no help.
Should I look in the registry; where: what ?
Thanks

 

[Vanguard]

re: win xp Home, sp2
In control panel I get to the Win Firewall Screen but can't enable the
Firewall. Option appears gray. Each time I reboot and try again,
prior to
firewall screen a message says windows must first add Internet
connection
sharing(ICS) /windows firewall. I click OK. Message at top says
Group
Policy may control security but I don't know how to change Group
Policy
settings. I did a system restore from settings 60 days prior, but no
help.
Should I look in the registry; where: what ?
Thanks

Are you logging into a domain? If so, group policies get pushed onto
your host so you will need to talk to your IT dept. about their
policies. If not, can you login under an administrator account (so you
can change local policies)?

Did you check that the Windows Firewall service is enabled and set to
automatic load on Windows startup? Did you check that the Application
Layer Gateway service is enabled and set to manual load (i.e., a program
that wants it can start it)?

Do you have another firewall or security suite installed? Several will
disable the Windows Firewall because you should only have one software
firewall running on a host.

 

[Guest]

I'm having the same problem with the security center on my computer. I
called Dell customer service today to see if they could help me with the
problem, but they just told me to uninstall and reinstall my virus software,
and that hasn't seem to have been successful in getting my security center to
turn on.

Can someone explain this to me in really simple terms? What is meant by my
group policy? This is my personal computer and I am not networked with
anyone so I shouldn't be affected by group policy right? How exactly am I
supposed to enable? Can someone just tell me step by step what to do?

Thanks

 

[Guest]

I have two xp home PCs and in Windows Firewall the bad one says "For your
security, some settings are controlled by Group Policy." The good PC one
says "Windows Firewall is helping to protect your PC." Neither PC is a
client on a network so no server is controlling GP. What is so irritating is
that XP Home doesn't support Group Policy edits but users not on a network
get controlled by it. I think mine was caused by either spyware or virus
because spyware detector shows some problems in registry. These include:
....firewalloveride!=dword:0 ; firewalldisablenotify!=dword:0 ;
antivirusoveride!=dword:0 ; donotallowxpsp2!=dword:0 ; etc. I removed these
from registry but still have a Group Policy problem. After investing 2 days
reading formums, MS knowledge base, and running tests, I think it's better to
save user data externally and re-install windows. It's so frustrating.