diff --git a/gns3server/modules/dynamips/__init__.py b/gns3server/modules/dynamips/__init__.py
index ac5aef26..a1deb920 100644
--- a/gns3server/modules/dynamips/__init__.py
+++ b/gns3server/modules/dynamips/__init__.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import glob
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-from gns3server.utils.interfaces import get_windows_interfaces, is_interface_up
+from gns3server.utils.interfaces import interfaces, is_interface_up
 from gns3server.utils.asyncio import wait_run_in_executor
 from pkg_resources import parse_version
 from uuid import UUID, uuid4
@@ -439,9 +439,9 @@ class Dynamips(BaseManager):
             ethernet_device = nio_settings["ethernet_device"]
             if sys.platform.startswith("win"):
                 # replace the interface name by the GUID on Windows
-                interfaces = get_windows_interfaces()
+                windows_interfaces = interfaces()
                 npf_interface = None
-                for interface in interfaces:
+                for interface in windows_interfaces:
                     if interface["name"] == ethernet_device:
                         npf_interface = interface["id"]
                 if not npf_interface:
diff --git a/gns3server/modules/vmware/vmware_vm.py b/gns3server/modules/vmware/vmware_vm.py
index 879ca934..6ba89b0b 100644
--- a/gns3server/modules/vmware/vmware_vm.py
+++ b/gns3server/modules/vmware/vmware_vm.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import asyncio
 import tempfile
 
 from gns3server.utils.telnet_server import TelnetServer
-from gns3server.utils.interfaces import interfaces, get_windows_interfaces
+from gns3server.utils.interfaces import interfaces
 from gns3server.utils.asyncio import wait_for_file_creation, wait_for_named_pipe_creation
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from .vmware_error import VMwareError
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ class VMwareVM(BaseVM):
             yield from self._ubridge_hypervisor.send('bridge add_nio_linux_raw {name} "{interface}"'.format(name=vnet,
                                                                                                             interface=vmnet_interface))
         elif sys.platform.startswith("win"):
-            windows_interfaces = get_windows_interfaces()
+            windows_interfaces = interfaces()
             npf = None
             source_mac = None
             for interface in windows_interfaces:
diff --git a/gns3server/utils/interfaces.py b/gns3server/utils/interfaces.py
index 2ff5cc0a..1f53e2c0 100644
--- a/gns3server/utils/interfaces.py
+++ b/gns3server/utils/interfaces.py
@@ -163,6 +163,19 @@ def interfaces():
                             "mac_address": mac_address})
     else:
         try:
+            import pywintypes
+            import win32service
+            import win32serviceutil
+
+            try:
+                if win32serviceutil.QueryServiceStatus("npf", None)[1] != win32service.SERVICE_RUNNING:
+                    raise aiohttp.web.HTTPInternalServerError(text="The NPF service is not running")
+            except pywintypes.error as e:
+                if e[0] == 1060:
+                    raise aiohttp.web.HTTPInternalServerError(text="The NPF service is not installed")
+                else:
+                    raise aiohttp.web.HTTPInternalServerError(text="Could not check if the NPF service is running: {}".format(e[2]))
+
             results = get_windows_interfaces()
         except ImportError:
             message = "pywin32 module is not installed, please install it on the server to get the available interface names"