Cannot Use DirectPlay Programs on the Internet After You Install Windows XP SP1 (327299)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP1
This article was previously published under Q327299

SYMPTOMS

After you upgrade a Windows XP-based computer that is using Internet Connection Sharing to Service Pack 1 (SP1), programs that use DirectPlay (for example, Age of Empires, or Midtown Madness 2) may not work properly on either the Internet Connection Sharing host or the client computer. If you are using an external computer on the Internet, you may also have problems using these programs to interact with the Windows XP-based Internet Connection Sharing host or client computer.

For example, you may experience any of the following symptoms:
  • You cannot host an Internet game that uses DirectPlay (for example, Age of Empires or Midtown Madness 2) from an Internet Connection Sharing client computer.
  • You cannot join an Internet game that uses DirectPlay from either a Windows XP SP1-based host computer that is running Internet Connection Sharing or from an Internet Connection Sharing client computer.
  • You cannot join an Internet game that uses DirectPlay from an external computer on the Internet.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if any of the following conditions are true:
  • The Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) feature is not turned on in the shared network adapter properties on the Windows XP-based Internet Connection Sharing host computer.
  • The Allow other network users to control or disable the shared Internet connection setting has not been selected on the Windows XP-based Internet Connection Sharing computer.
  • The client computer is not running Windows XP SP1 or Microsoft DirectX 9.0.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:
  1. Turn on ICF for the shared network adapter on the Internet Connection Sharing computer that is hosting the shared Internet connection. For additional information about how to turn on ICF, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    283673 HOW TO: Enable or Disable Internet Connection Firewall in Windows XP

    If you are trying to host a game on a Windows XP-based Internet Connection Sharing client computer, you may also be able to work around this problem by hosting the game on the Internet Connection Sharing host computer or on the external player's computer.
  2. Select the Allow other network users to control or disable the shared Internet connection setting on the Internet Connection Sharing host computer. To do so:
    1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.
    2. Right-click the network adapter that is being shared, and then click Properties.
    3. On the Advanced tab, click to select the Allow other network users to control or disable the shared Internet connection check box under Internet Connection Sharing.
  3. Upgrade all client computers to DirectX 9.0 or Windows XP SP1. To download the DirectX 9.0 End-user Runtime, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0a9b6820-bfbb-4799-9908-d418cdeac197&DisplayLang=en

    For additional information about how to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    322389 How to Obtain the Latest Windows XP Service Pack

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/9/2006
Keywords:kbprb KB327299
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