[R] R 3.4.4, internet access fails on Windows XP

[Holger Taschenberger]

I can install and run R 3.4.4 on Windows XP (32bit). However, calling "Update Packages..." or "Html help" from the RGui.exe main menu fails with a Windows MessageBox saying:

"The procedure entry point IdnToAscii could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll"

and the following text printed to the RGui console window:

"...
In addition: Warning message:
In download.file(url, destfile = f, quiet = TRUE) :
  unable to load shared object 'C:/R/R-3.4.4/modules/i386/internet.dll':
  LoadLibrary failure:  The specified procedure could not be found."

"IdnToAscii" is exported from "C:\WINDOWS\system32\normaliz.dll" on Windows XP. But apparently RGui cannot locate this procedure on Windows XP. 

Any advice? (except for "switch to a more recent windows version")

Thanks a lot,
--Holger