Error message:
“Windows firewall settings can not be displayed because the associated service is not running. Do you want to start windows firewall/internet connection sharing service?”
Issues with a corrupted firewall can sometimes be fixed by rebuilding the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI).
On Windows XP (at least SP2), open cmd and type:
rundll32 wbemupgd, UpgradeRepository
More info here:
http://smallvoid.com/article/winnt-wmi-config.html