I recently checked my event viewer security log located in computer management. I noticed that every time I log into my PC I get this error: IPSec Services has experienced a critical failure and has shut down with error code: The network connection was aborted by the local system. IPSec Services has experienced a critical failure and has shut down with error code: The network connection was aborted by the local system. . Stopped IPSec Services can be a potential security hazard to the machine. Please contact your machine administrator to re-start the service. any way I went into event viewer in computer management and tried to start ipsec and I get 10045 error. Should I be alarmed, what should I do?

Just use Administrative Tools, Component Services, in the left hand pane, click on Services(local). In the right hand pane, go down the list to IPSec Services. Right click. Choose properties. In the "Path to Executable" click on the drop down box and either choose "Manual" if you wish to manually start this service or choose "Disable" if you don't want to be bothered with it any longer. It also gives you a description of what IPsec does and you can determine if you need it or not for your situation.

I still could't start the service. I have also tried chckdsk /r and I still can't get it to start. In my computer management security log it still give me an IPSEC error. Is this a security risk when IPSEC doesn't work? What exactally does the service do?

If you had done what I said, you would know. Here, I will do it for you! Component services says: IPsec manages security policies and starts the ISAKMP/Oakley (IKE) and IP Security Driver. That is exactly what it is and what it is used for. Now, if follow my directions, and go into Component Services, you have three choices, AUTOMATIC, MANUAL or DISABLED. Only YOU can make the decision of what to do. Do you NEED this service? I don't know? Do you? Do you need to run the ISAKMP/Oakley (IKE)? Goto Microsoft and consult the Knowledge Base and educate yourself. I am betting, you don't need this service running unless you are an administrator of a network that needs to set security settings for a bunch of computers. Remember, XP is really NT, which was designed as a Network O/S and still basically IS an Network O/S. So a lot of services are started by defualt in XP are only needed if you are running a network.

Thankyou

The average user doesn't need this Service enabled, i have it disabled long ago. Waste of resources.

My IPSEC service won't start either when I go to my computer management area to engage it. I get this message: "Error 1747: The authentication service is unknown." So before jimc5 gets all testy on me as he did on mvoltage, sometimes you can't get it to work and coming to a place like this doesn't help when you are trying to find out why it won't start.