cannot enable windows firewall in XP SP2

I am the administrator and was using Windows XP SP1 and my ICF was enabled.
At the same time I was running MS Antispyware Beta and Spyware Doctor. I
then upgraded to SP2. After I installed this, Security Center was showing my
windows firewall in yellow - meaning I will monitor my own firewall. This
was the default setting, even though I've read the default should be 'On'.

I then went to recommendations and unchecked 'I have a firewall solution
that I will monitor myself' and clicked 'enable now' and got the message
'We're sorry. The Security Center could not turn on Windows Firewall. To try
turning on the firewall yourself, go to Windows Firewall in the Control
Panel. In the Windows Firewall dialog General tab, select On (recommended),
and then click Ok'. I tried to do this but the selections are dimmed out and
therefore I cannot select 'On'.

I then tried right clicking on My Computer on my desktopManageServices and
ApplicationsServices and noted Windows firewall was 'started' and set to
'automatic'. I restarted it but that didn't work.

Next I tried Start/Run -- cmd.exe followed by netsh.exe winsock reset and
hit Enter, rebooted, and that failed to work as well. After this I tried the
following commands: Start/Run --
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\atl.dll then
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\hnetcfg.dll
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\netshell.dll
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\netcfgx.dll
regsvr32 %windir%\system32\netman.dll
Reboot.

This did not work either.

Does anybody know what the problem is and how I can successfully enable my
windows firewall? I am not running Norton or any security programs other
than the ones mentioned above. Any help would be greatly appreciated.