Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) - Windows XP Service
Provides network address translation, addressing, name resolution and/or intrusion prevention services for a home or small office network.
This service also exists in Windows 10, 11, 7, 8 and Vista.
Startup Type
| Windows XP edition | without SP | SP1 | SP2 | SP3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | Manual | Manual | Automatic | Automatic |
| Professional | Manual | Manual | Automatic | Automatic |
Default Properties
| Display name: | Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) |
| Service name: | SharedAccess |
| Type: | share |
| Path: | %WinDir%\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs |
| File: | %WinDir%\System32\ipnathlp.dll |
| Error control: | normal |
| Object: | LocalSystem |
Default Behavior
The Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service runs as LocalSystem in a shared process. It shares the executable file with other services. If the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) fails to load or initialize, the error is recorded into the Event Log. Windows XP startup should proceed, but a message box is displayed informing you that the SharedAccess service has failed to start.
Dependencies
Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) will not start, if the following services are stopped or disabled:
- Application Layer Gateway Service
- Network Connections
- Network Location Awareness (NLA)
- Remote Access Connection Manager
- Windows Management Instrumentation
Restore Default Startup Type of Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
Automated Restore
1. Select your Windows XP edition and Service Pack, and then click on the Download button below.
2. Save the RestoreWindowsFirewallInternetConnectionSharingICSWindowsXP.bat file to any folder on your hard drive.
3. Run the downloaded batch file.
4. Restart the computer to save changes.
Note. Make sure that the ipnathlp.dll file exists in the %WinDir%\System32 folder. If this file is missing you can try to restore it from your Windows XP installation media.