How to enable/reset Firewall settings via Registry

            There was this problem i have encountered with the firewall setting of one pc i am supporting. It is a Microsoft Windows XP machine. The problem of the PC is that, it cannot print to the network printer and cannot access shared drives. Upon checking the services, the windows firewall services has been disabled and i tried to enable it but it gives me an error. I would like to share the registry file i use to resolve this issue and enabled the firewall setting and hope it will help.

1. Open a notepad, and paste the the following command.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess]

"DependOnGroup"=hex(7):00,00

"DependOnService"=hex(7):4e,00,65,00,74,00,6d,00,61,00,6e,00,00,00,57,00,69,00,\

  6e,00,4d,00,67,00,6d,00,74,00,00,00,00,00

"Description"="Provides network address translation, addressing, name resolution and/or intrusion prevention services for a home or small office network."

"DisplayName"="Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)"

"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001

"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\

  74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\

  00,76,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,73,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2d,00,\

  6b,00,20,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,73,00,76,00,63,00,73,00,00,00

"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"

"Start"=dword:00000002

"Type"=dword:00000020

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Epoch]

"Epoch"=dword:00002cd0

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters]

"ServiceDll"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,\

  00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,\

  69,00,70,00,6e,00,61,00,74,00,68,00,6c,00,70,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,\

  00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\DomainProfile]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\DomainProfile\AuthorizedApplications]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\DomainProfile\AuthorizedApplications\List]

"%windir%\\system32\\sessmgr.exe"="%windir%\\system32\\sessmgr.exe:*:enabled:@xpsp2res.dll,-22019"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\List]

"%windir%\\system32\\sessmgr.exe"="%windir%\\system32\\sessmgr.exe:*:enabled:@xpsp2res.dll,-22019"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Setup]

"ServiceUpgrade"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Setup\InterfacesUnfirewalledAtUpdate]

"All"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Enum]

"0"="Root\\LEGACY_SHAREDACCESS\\0000"

"Count"=dword:00000001

"NextInstance"=dword:00000001

2. Save the File with a .reg extension File

3. Merge the registry file and restart the PC

Now check the firewall to verify that it is now enabled.

Happy Editing..:)