What is XPs WZC?
With the popularity of Wireless, Microsoft decided to include a Wireless Configuration Utility into Windows XP which they named the Wireless Zero Configuration utility. Great stuff, however it can be a bit of a pain because the Wireless Adapter manufacturers usually include their own Wireless Utility with the drivers, and running both at the same time will usually cause some bad behaviour like being unable to locate or connect to a WAP or Router, or suffer from frequent dropouts. Some people recommend disabling the WZC service completely (Right-click My Computer > Manage > Services and Applications > Services) but I’ve found that this can also play havoc with some manufacturer’s utilities as well, so the best option is just to untick the option for Windows to control the Wireless device. To do this, go to Control Panel > Network Connections. Right Click on the icon for the Wireless Card and select properties. Select the Wireless Networks Tab and untick the box entitled “Use Windows to
