Registry value to enable "use windows to config wireless ..."

Question

Hello,

 

would anyone know what the registry key value is to enable and disable the wireless configuration to be handled by windows rather than a third party software manager. We have an application we would like to deploy via SMS for a wireless card in a PCMIA card slot. It seems to want to disable this option and therefore the users inbuilt wireless card does not operate correctly.

 

I have googled many searches on the topic but nothing seems to be registry related. I have also search the registry on various key words but have not had any luck.

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Exup

Answer 1

A bit late but maybe still helpfull:

The Windows Zero Configuration (WZC) service stores this information in the registry under

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WZCSVC\Parameters\Interfaces\{<GUID of the Interface>}

There you have to mask the value of the key "ControlFlags" with 0x0008000. If the result is 0, Windows does not configure your WLAN adapter, otherwise it does.

note that the GUID is a random value, which will be different on several PCs with the same WLAN card. Also many vendor tools like to deactivate WZC service. So it is possible that even if the flag above is set, Windows configuration of the WLAN adapter may still not work (-> the tab "Wireless Networks" is missing in the properties of the WLAN connection). Check that the service state of WZC is not "disabled" and the service itself is running.
You can force this at the command promt (e.g. as batch) by:

sc.exe config WZCSVC start=auto
net start WZCSVC


HTH

Andreas

Answer 2

Does not seem to work for me.

Edited the registry, restarted the WZCSVC, but does not show the correct config when I launched the properties dialog.

 

However, I did note that the ControlFlag is set properly when I checked and unchecked the setting in the properties dialog.

 

Anything I missed?

 

Alex

XP SP2

Answer 3

Alex Koh wrote:

Anything I missed?

Hm, this method did always work properly for me up to now...

Make sure you first stop WZCSVC and then edit the registry.
Also there is a certain possibility that if a vendor configuration tool is running, it could manipulate these settings to, leading to a unpredictable behaviour of WZCSVC.


Andreas

Answer 4

 

Yes! The crucial factor is stopping the service FIRST, edit the registry value and then start the service.

 

Apparently, editing the registry value while the service is running, followed by a restart of the service do not work.

 

Thanks Andreas!

 

Answer 5

Hi Andreas,

 

I seem to have a similar problem. I have a user who installed a linksys wireless router, when he ran firmware update it made alot of changes and he then uninstalled the program. Ever since then the wireless zero configuration service does not start automatically. He has to manually start it and then reconfigure the wireless setup for the location he is in. I have tried the above without much luck, is there anything else I can do?