Winsock IFS Driver (ws2ifsl) Service Defaults in Windows 8

Winsock IFS Driver.

Default Settings

Startup type: Disabled
Display name:Winsock IFS Driver
Service name:ws2ifsl
Service type:kernel
Error control:normal
Group:PNP_TDI
Path:%SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\ws2ifsl.sys
Registry key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ws2ifsl

Default Behavior

The Winsock IFS Driver service is a kernel device driver. In Windows 8 it is disabled and therefore it won't start under any conditions. If Winsock IFS Driver fails to start, the error details are added to Windows 8 error log. When the operating system startup is complete, the user is being notified that the ws2ifsl service hasn't been started.

Restore Default Startup Configuration of Winsock IFS Driver

1. Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.

2. Copy the commands below, paste them into the command window and press ENTER:

sc stop ws2ifsl
sc config ws2ifsl start= disabled

3. Close the command window and restart the computer.

The ws2ifsl service is using the ws2ifsl.sys file that is located in the C:\Windows\system32\drivers directory. If the file is removed or corrupted, read this article to restore its original version from Windows 8 installation media.