Ancilliary Function Driver for Winsock - Windows Vista Service
Ancilliary Function Driver for Winsock.
This service also exists in Windows 10, 11, 7, 8 and XP.
Startup Type
| Windows Vista edition | without SP | SP1 | SP2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | System | System | System |
| Home Basic | System | System | System |
| Home Premium | System | System | System |
| Business | System | System | System |
| Ultimate | System | System | System |
Default Properties
| Display name: | Ancilliary Function Driver for Winsock |
| Service name: | AFD |
| Type: | kernel |
| Path: | %WinDir%\system32\drivers\afd.sys |
| Error control: | normal |
| Group: | PNP_TDI |
Default Behavior
The Ancilliary Function Driver for Winsock service is a kernel mode driver. If Ancilliary Function Driver for Winsock fails to start, the error is recorded into the Event Log. Windows Vista startup proceeds, but a message box is displayed informing you that the AFD service has failed to start. If you disable this service, then 2 other services will be unable to start (see the "Dependencies" section below).
Dependencies
If the Ancilliary Function Driver for Winsock is stopped, the following services will not start and initialize:
Restore Default Startup Type of Ancilliary Function Driver for Winsock
Automated Restore
1. Select your Windows Vista edition and Service Pack, and then click on the Download button below.
2. Save the RestoreAncilliaryFunctionDriverforWinsockWindowsVista.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 to save changes.
Note. Make sure that the afd.sys file exists in the %WinDir%\system32\drivers folder. If this file is missing you can try to restore it from your Windows Vista installation media.