Microsoft Security Center

[erikguy]

Hi, I've been getting this for a while now but just now got sick of it. I'm sick of seeing this everytime I scan.

"Microsoft Security Center Disabled"

I purposely disabled it. I'm a Microsoft Certified Professional, I don't need a whole service running to tell me my security status. So is there a way to distinguish between a user disabled Security Center and a malware disabled center? I included a report just in case....

Thanks for consideration.

[md usa spybot fan]

erikguy:

Your attachment does not seem to show the actual detection that you are getting. The current detection rules do not appear to have a detection for "Microsoft Security Center Disabled". Is this the actual detection you are getting?

• Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled

If so, there are several ways to prevent Spybot-S&D from detecting that entry in the future:

• Ignore single detection:
  • Run a scan > in the results list expand the detection you want to exclude if necessary [+] so that the individual detection is shown > select the entry by highlighting it (left click) > then right click on the individual detection > select "Exclude this detection from further searches".
• Ignore product:
  • Run a scan > in the results select the entry by highlighting it (left click) > then right click > select "Exclude this product from further searches".
    --- or ---
    Go into Spybot > Mode > Advanced mode > Settings > Ignore products. Scroll down until you see "Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled" (expanding the width of the Product column so that you can see the entire text of the entries if necessary by grabbing the divider between the Product and Details columns and sliding it to the right). When you locate "Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled" check the item.

If "Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled" is not the detection you are getting and need additional advice, please post a log of the actual detection you are getting. To do that:

• Run another scan.
• When the scan completes, right click on the results list, select "Copy results to clipboard".
• Then paste those results to a new post in this thread.

That listing will also show the version of Spybot-S&D you are running, the update level and the files used during the scan.

*******************

Added with edit:

Originally Posted by erikguy

So is there a way to distinguish between a user disabled Security Center and a malware disabled center?

If the detection is "Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled", it a just the recognition of a particular setting of a registry entry. Since Windows software does not record who changed what registry entry it is impossible for any scanner to determine if you set that registry value intentionally or if it was set by malware.

[erikguy]

Yes, that is the detection I'm getting.

Since this IS a valid entry and beneficial to most people I assume that Team Spybot will probably not remove the detection so I suppose you're right, Ignoring it would be the best solution. Thanks for your reply, MD.

[Name User]

But the point, and a valid one at that, is that Microsoft Security Center is NOT malware and that SpyBot has never detected it as a problem in the past. So why then should we have to use a work around rather than the SpyBot crew just correcting the changes in the program that are causing this?

[Name User]

Sorry, meant to say,

But the point, and a valid one at that, is that Microsoft Security Center is NOT malware and that SpyBot has never detected it being disabled as a problem in the past. So why then should we have to use a work around rather than the SpyBot crew just correcting the changes in the program that are causing this?

I didn't see a way to edit posts, so I added a reply.

[md usa spybot fan]

Name User:

You are correct that Windows Security Center is not malware. But the fact it is disabled is a possible security issue and that is the reason for the detection.

As far as your statement that Windows Security Center being disabled was never detected in the past, you posted in a thread that is over two years old and the detection was in place more than a year before that (July 2005 I believe).

ps: You can only edit posts for 15 minutes

[Name User]

Originally Posted by md usa spybot fan

As far as your statement that Windows Security Center being disabled was never detected in the past, you posted in a thread that is over two years old and the detection was in place more than a year before that (July 2005 I believe).

I've been using SpyBot for a long time and I've never seen it detect MSC being disabled as a problem before or I would not have mentioned it in the first place. So your statement regarding that makes no sense to me.

Like the MCP said above, there's really no problem disabling it, even if you aren't a MCP. Most everyone has basic security software and has it running while on the net.