Firewall activation

hoppfully your system restore is turned on. It sounds like both of you are administrators? If it was me I would create another user with administrator properties and the both of you with limited or just your daughter limited user accounts. now back to your problem....go to the system restore and restore back to a point just before you had problems.

I had the same problem over the summer - twice! After much nail biting and backing up files to DVDs I proceeded to restore the OS (xp). Thankfully there are two options when it comes to this. One is a complete wipe of the hd and the second retains data files (pics etc.) but removes all programs not originally shipped with the os . This means you will have to re-install any games, security software, software and drivers for cameras, printers and such (icons may remain on your desktop but will not function until the software that put them there has been put back on the machine). After doing this type of restore
, above all else, UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE! The OS will be in it's original state - without all the security and system patches issued since your computers manufacture. Go to Microsoft's update site at least once a day for a week till you are sure there are no more updates (some updates will not be available until others have installed - so keep checking). Also, make sure any software you re-install (especially anti-virus/spyware) is of the current version.
This was how I fixed it the first time. The second time I fixed it was by pure luck while rooting around in places only the "geeks" know about. Unfortunately, I do not recall what it was, exactly, I was nosing around in when my computer offered up an option to 'repair' itself. Having gone round a dozen times with the firewall/ICS message I didn't expect to be back in business with one click! I'll see if I can jog my memory and repost with anything I might come up with.
Good luck, Jeff.

I agree with Mcindia, but suggest you download the free verision of this, http://www.superantispyware.com/. AVG is a great Antivirus, but misses some spyware. Also, XP is capable of a repair install. This will save your setting and installed programs.
Folllow this link,
http://www.google.com/search?q=Xp+Repair+install&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

May save you a lot of reinstalling and is not the "dirty install" of the past Windows versions. Remember you will have to reinstall all your updates. The advice to create a limited user for other people is a great one. One you should seriously consider.

You dont have any options, other than fresh installation of the OS, Many of my Clients had this problem, I could not get a good solution to turn it on, Take a note, the folder options under the tools menu will not be present, and you will not be able to access many of your system programs like msconfig, group policy editing, etc, even if you have a solution to turn the firewall on, these other settings, will be not be accessable, this is due to severe spyware infection with virus infection also. I had no other choice than installaing a fresh OS after a clean format. DONT forget to take a backup of your data files present in the OS Root folder. Today, you will not be free from virus and spyware, with having a firewall. So dont waste your time , Just Format your Root Directory, Install a fresh Copy of your os, firewall, anti-virus, anti-sypware softwares, See to it that your Security Softawares are always upto date.