Windows 10: Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) never starts

After the most recent Feature Update (1709) it turned out that I can't use my Mobile Hotspot option anymore. After checking all possible options and searching for advises on the Internet for similar issues, I realized that in Services.msc, the status of Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is frozen on Starting and it will never actually start.

I tried starting it with all 4 possible startup types, checked the status of the other services on which ICS depends (all of which seemed to have the desired default settings), run sfc /scannow, did a clean boot even with my third-party antivirus software uninstalled, even added a DWORD type registry key EnableRebootPersistConnection on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SharedAccess with value 1 as suggested on another forum. Unfortunately, none of that has helped me so far.

:)

 

Update available... but no way to install it!

Disable what?

ICS like in Internet Connection Sharing?

If that is the case, well it's not enabled, and never was.

Or is it another ICS you're referring to? Can you elaborate? Thanks

 

Problems with Internet Connection Sharing after 2017-11 Windows 10 Update [Temporary fix found]

I'd like to also mention probably the oldest and the largest thread about this:

• ICS (Internet connection sharing) dosent work in Windows 10 1607.

It looks like it was not mentioned here before.

The Firewall -> "Reset Default Policy" trick worked for me, thanks!

Related feedback on feedback hub (for insiders):

• Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) stuck in "starting" state
• Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) stopped working automatically after Anniversary Update!
  
• https://aka.Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) hung up on "Starting..."
  - Fall Creators Update
• Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) freezes while starting

 

First, stop messing with the registry. Second off, ICS is not used that much by Windows 10, unless you are using Home Group. As for your mobile hotspot, did you put in your post the mfg, model and cell carrier? No you did not.

 

To make things clear, I need to get ICS running so that I can enable sharing my Ethernet connection through Control Pannel>Network Connections>right click on Ethernet>Sharing (tab)>Allow other network users to connect through this network's Internet connection.
However, every time I try to enable this option (clicking the checkbox and then hitting OK), the properties window always freezes. This was the first thing I noticed when I couldn't start the Mobile Hotspot function on Windows 10 after the aforementioned update which made me realize that the problem is more deeply rooted.

I was using the Mobile Hotspot option on Windows 10 (before that one was added on one of the major updates, I had been doing it the old-fashioned way with netsh commands on Command Prompt) to connect the wired Intenet connection of my laptop with my mobile devices and until the aforementioned update it was working fine.

 

Again, what is the model and mfg of the hotspot you are using, along with cell carrier. Writing out a thesis will just cause you to fall on deaf ears. Same as you need to stop playing around with the registry, or you will screw things up even further, which will mean doing a clean install, that would cause you to have to reinstall everything over again.

 

Once again, I'm trying to turn my PC into a Mobile Hotspot, not my mobile devices. It's simply the built-in Mobile Hotspot option on Windows 10 that I'm trying to activate (no third-party software involved) so that I can share the wired ethernet connection of my PC with my smartphone and tablet, not the other way arround.

If you think that the problem might be hardware related, here are the network adapters used by my PC:
- Dell Wireless 1705 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHZ)
- Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller

 

Nevermind, I solved it. Apparently the update messed up the Firewall settings on Windows to a point of affecting ICS. All I needed to do was to choose the Restore firewalls to default option on Windows Defender Security Center.