View Full Version : Windows security Center Disabled
Spybot deems having the security center disabled as being a problem. Anyone that knows anything about Windows also knows that the security center is nothing but another useless service running in the background bugging the crap out of them. Having this service disabled is NOT A PROBLEM! Why does Safer Networking assume this to be a problem? I build computers for friends, family and anyone else that wants one and have sent them to places as far away as Vancouver Island BC, Central Illinois and Eastern Ontario Canada. (I live in Western NY state) There's nothing more annoying than getting a flood of emails from customers wanting to know why the Security Center was reenabled on thier computer when I told them to leave it disabled in the first place. People just assume that if Spybot finds something they should let it fix the problem. I assume they don't look through the list to actually see what Spybot found and really don't think most people do. Please remove this from the Spybot detection list! Spybot should detect spyware, not services being disabled. Yes, I'm aware that something serious could possibly disable the security center but I highly doubt spyware could do that. Something much more malicious would be required. I find Spybot to be a useful tool for myself but I won't be recommending it to anymore customers because of this pain in the ass detection rule.
ATOUK
Had the same problem. After Spybot's 'clean up', I can't get the limitlessly irritating security center notifications to go away. Every three or four days the little red shield reappears in the task tray and I have to reset the 'don't notify me' option in 'Change the way Security Center alerts me'. Does anyone know of a permanent - 'don't notify me ever again as long as I live' - fix for this?
Please see here:
http://www.spybot.info/en/faq/46.html
It tells how to put those detections in the ignore list,if you set them yourself.
The little red shield will pop up if your firewall is off and/or your antivirus is off or out of date,and also if Automatic Updates aren't set to the recommended setting.I hope you don't mind me asking,but,why did you change the way Security Center notifies you?What is Security Center alerting you about?
I hope you don't mind ME asking, Zenobia, but have you ever asked yourself what would happen if a ruthless software giant, with total access to its previous customer base of installed platforms (through 'automatic updates') were to decide to 'encourage' the sale of their latest white-elephant by making the previous product run just a little bit slower than it needs to?
When you've thought about that, maybe then you could ask me why I am just a little bit reluctant to entrust the 'security' of my system to a company with an actual market interest in the degredation of its performance!!!
And BTW, Vista acknowledges the reality of this annoyance by providing a 'don't notify me at all' option in Security Center.
But I would still like to know how to achieve that in XP, if anyone knows.
So,apparently,you did mind me asking?
md usa spybot fan
2007-01-07, 22:53
PCPlod:
If you still what an answer to the following:
… Does anyone know of a permanent - 'don't notify me ever again as long as I live' - fix for this?
And
… And BTW, Vista acknowledges the reality of this annoyance by providing a 'don't notify me at all' option in Security Center.
But I would still like to know how to achieve that in XP, if anyone knows.
A logical starting point would be to answer Zenobia (http://forums.spybot.info/member.php?u=145)'s question:
What is Security Center alerting you about?
Security Center is alerting me that automatic updates is disabled. I tell it not to, and two days later it has reset itself and is doing it again. I've even tried disabling wscntfy.exe using msconfig, but to no avail.
Like Atouk said, who originated this thread: "Having this service disabled is NOT A PROBLEM!" I completely agree but I am beginning to wonder whose side Spybot thinks it is representing these days.
md usa spybot fan
2007-01-08, 06:55
PCPlod:
I'll assume that the original detection (problem) that you received and fixed with Spybot-S&D was:
Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled
Settings HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wscsvc\Start!=W=2
That detection (problem) indicates that Spybot-S&D found that the registry entry that controls the starting of Windows Security Center was not set to Automatic. By fixing the detection, you set the registry entry that controls the starting of Windows Security Center to Automatic.
I suggest that you try resetting the start of Windows Security Center to disabled to stop the running of Windows Security Center as follows:
Click Start then Run.
Type "Services.msc" (no quotes) in the Open block.
Click OK.
When Services dialog opens, scroll down in the right pane and locate the "Security Center" entry in the list.
Double click on the entry.
In the Security Center Properties (Local Computer) dialog set the "Startup type" to "Disabled".
Click Apply.
If the "Service status" is Started, click Stop.
After Windows Security Center ends, click OK.
Exit from the Services dialog.
Rerun a Spybot-S&D "Check for problems".
When you get the following detection (problem):
Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled
Or expanded (+ to the left of the detection):
Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled
Settings
LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wscsvc\Start!=W=2
Left click on the detection to highlight it.
Right click on highlighted detection.
Select "Exclude this product from further searches" from the list of options.
Spybot-S&D should no longer detect that Windows Security Center is disabled during future scans.
PCPlod,I have Security Center disabled myself(for reasons other than yours),but I've been taught to tell people how to disable it only if they are well-protected,so that is why I was asking.I did not want to tell you how to disable Security Center if your antivirus was off,or out of date,or you had no firewall,and that was why Security Center was notifying you,until that had been dealt with.
Thank you, Spybot Fan for that actually useful how-to on excluding things from future scans, and Zenobia, you are right, it would be dumb to disable the SecurityCenter if the there was a real security vulnerability.
What I was really after was a (Windows) how-to on fixing that SecurityCenter annoyance, but you guys are very specific to your Spybot mission... and that's fair enough. Keep up the good work!
BTW: Another user just told me by phone - which I didn't know - that Spybot lets you choose the server for downloading updates (button to the right of 'Search for Updates' in the Update window) which can sometimes be very slow. He recommended the XTeq server as being fast.
:)
md usa spybot fan
2007-01-08, 19:15
PCPlod:
re: Update server
The instructions for changing the download server are in the following article (see #4):
How to update the program to the newest version
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/howto/update.html
Not contained in that article is the fact that you can select a server as the preferred download location and Spybot will select that server, if available, rather than a random server (see Note#1 below) for future updates.
Although I do not necessarily recommend that you set a preferred download location, here is how you can do that:
After clicking "Search for updates" and the "No server selected" button (between the "Search for Updates" and "Download Updates" buttons) has changed to a list of available servers, select the server you want by using the pull down menu of servers and left clicking on the desired server.
Then right click the button and select "Set this server as the preferred download location".
Note #1: Spybot-S&D 1.4 selects a random server. Spybot-S&D 1.3 selects the first server listed and that is why Bad Checksum errors were/are more prevalent with Spybot-S&D 1.3.
stacked_deck
2007-01-19, 11:48
my security center was disabled by something during some sort of attack...yea it'd bug the crap out of me to fix it...and i would try and try...but it wouldnt let me fix it...because somehow i dont have privileges anymore......and uh it eventually just stopped...which solves the annoying flashy thing at the bottom... but it's stolen my piece of mind....i found the virusscan on access scan thing useful... in fact it was the only thing that ever alerted me to viruses. in this case it alerted me of a virus and got it's own a$$ kicked while trying to fix it is my guess....cuz it dont work anymore
spybotsandra
2007-01-19, 11:50
Hello,
To start the "Security Center" service, use these steps:
* Click Start, Run and type Services.msc
* Double-click "Security Center" service from the listing
* Set the startup type of the service to "Automatic"
* Start the service by clicking the "Start" button in that applet.
Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot
stacked_deck
2007-01-19, 12:06
Hello,
To start the "Security Center" service, use these steps:
* Click Start, Run and type Services.msc
* Double-click "Security Center" service from the listing
* Set the startup type of the service to "Automatic"
* Start the service by clicking the "Start" button in that applet.
Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot
i do not have anything called "Security Center" within the area you specify, however i believe you mean "Security Accounts Manager"....which i cannot click start it is grayed out and un-clickable(which apparently is not a word), also what is the status supposed to be at? my startup was already automatic...and my service report says started. but i know its not working...
Edit: Command Service shows up on spybot as a virus and it is indead under this list....i think this is bad?
stacked_deck
You have a very infected computer, some of your questions might be resolved once the machine is clean.
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=10098
Regards. :)
The service "Security Center" usually appears immediately after "Security Accounts Manager" in the "Services (Local)" listing in XP. Sounds to me, Stacked, like you probably need to reinstal your Windows. And if you need a good virus scanner in future, just download Avast's excellent (free) Home Edition. :bigthumb:
Thanks Md, too, for that nicely explained instruction on setting the preferred download location. :)
Sounds to me, Stacked, like you probably need to reinstal your Windows. stacked_deck has a topic in the Malware removal forum: http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=10098 and is being guided through a cleanup.
stacked_deck
2007-01-19, 18:39
i do indeed.....this crap is horrible....in the future i'll have to remember never ever search for serials...i think that'll be the biggest way to steer clear. stupidity....i searched for serials and caught a virus and ended up buying the software anyway...next time i'll dish up the cash...because the amount of hours spent fixing this vastly outweighs the cash i coulda paid upfront
Thanks md usa spybot fan for path to exclude Windows Security Center from Spybot. I have disabled mine by choice and it's been coming up in Spybot.
md usa spybot fan
2007-01-20, 21:41
anges35:
You welcome. But I hope that you didn't disable Windows Security Center for any of the wrong reasons mentioned by Zenobia (http://forums.spybot.info/member.php?u=145), such as not having a firewall or an anti-virus program.
md usa spybot fan, no, thank you for your concern though. I've always maintained a well-configured, up to date AV program and do regular scans. I also use a router with hardware firewalls and have multiple layers of spyware/adware programs which I update and scan with regularly.
My choice of browsers has been Firefox since it was first released to the public, so I believe I have an edge on security there.
Smiles1111
2007-02-07, 00:45
Hello to all who will read this;
Please bear with me as this is my first post.
I did several Spybot S&D scans since I re-installed on 2-5-07 due to the fact it was having problems downloading the current updates for 2-2-2007 on my computer.
I also did have AVG 7.5 Internet Security running at same time ALONG with Windows Live OneCare. I did have at the time of updating the Windows Live OneCare Antivirus and Firewall disabled, as I always did when ever I used used the AVG 7.5 Internet Security Center.
When calling Windows Live OneCare regarding them both having Firewalls they told me (for what this is worth) that the Windows Live OneCare Firewall was a better Firewall than the one that comes with Windows XP Home and when you install Windows Live OneCare that Firewall will override it as will any Firewall that is installed on your PC. (I am sure you know this, tossing it in for the hay of it, t/x) :)
Due to the problems AVG and OneCare (I am assuming) was giving me I also Unistalled this Program AVG 7.5 Internet Security.
Please Note that before I unstalled both Spybot and AVG that I always received the message regarding: Microsoft Windows Security Center Warning being disabled, yet I uncheck this as I knew I had disabled it. So no problem understanding why it detected it then :) only now. :red:
I also Rebooted my PC after both of these programs had been unistalled.
When I re-installed Spybot S&D I also did a Re-Boot again :eek:
I am "only" running Windows Live OneCare right now. :lip:
I have gone to the Windows Security Center and made sure my Firewall was working and was set to "Automatic" along with "Automatic" Updates and "Antivirus Monitoring" and all 3 showing in green (good to go, so I think?) The Security Center also shows that all are "go to go" as it states it is Using "Windows Live OneCare" for all three.
I also did this check>>Control Panel>>Security Center>>Resources and when I clicked on the link "Change the way the Security Center Alerts me:" What I found was that all three where checked.
I did another scan with Spybot and still it shows that I have Windows Security Center disabled and with 2 entries.
Please guide me and help me understand what it is that is not functionally.
My OS is Windows XP Home/SP2. I run CCleaner 1.37.456, Ad-Adware SE Personal build 1.6r1 and updated 2-6-07, Spyblaster 3.5.1, Spybot S&D 1.4 (when downloading I chose the first download from Internet #1). Then manually also SuperAntiSpware 3.5.1016. I have drweb-cureit (Dr. Web Ltd.) and use it only when and "if" I have to. I have noticed when I check the properties on this application (under Genereal Tab) Security reads: "This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer; then the button "UNBLOCK." I was instructed to download this to help with a problem a few months ago. Unfornately, I am not to secure with the fact of that Security reading.
I too run a Panada Online Scan and right now it tells me this:
(Please Note: when I did a Search for all of these they showed up has Zip files in SpyBot S&D?? Which is why I am including this information with this post. Again, please bear with me, I am trying NOT to leave out any pertinent
informatoin, t/x :)
Incident: Potentially unwanted tool:application/funweb
Status: Not disinfected
Location: c:\windows\downloaded program files\f3initialsetup1.0.0.15.inf
Incident: Potentially unwanted tool:application/mywebsearch
Status: Not disinfected
Location: hkey_classes_root\clsid\{147A976E-EEE1-4377-8EA7-4716E4CDD239
Incident: Adware:adware/block-checker
Status: Not disinfected
Location: Windows Registry
Incident: Potentially unwanted tool:application/myway
Status: Not disinfected
Location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Stats\{04079851-5845-4DEA-848C-3ECD647AA554}
BTW, when I used to run SpyBot S&D before unistalling it it would take 1.5 hours and now it takes 15 minutes. Could this be because of the AVG running at same time? Is there possibly something I missed checking or unchecking with doing the download. I like Spybot to do a FULL Computer Scan.....only this person's opinion.
Well, that about sums it up I do hope and I do look forward to replies and also appreciate the time that will be taken to help me in this dilema.
Smiles :)
Sincerely, a devoted SpyBot customer ;)
{{{{{HUGS for being so patient too}}}}}}}}
tlekeelan
2007-07-02, 09:40
im not very good with computers but i rely on windows securty centre to help me and spybot alerted me it was off when i did a scan.
im sure i didnt turn it off and ive tried multiple ways to start it but it keeps changing back i have norton antivirus 2007, spybot S&D, ad aware 2007, and even win patrol but it keeps changing back to stopped as soon as i start it.
like the post above me im also new and my firewall is and everything is off but i dont even get the lights there at all! it just comes up with "the security centre is unavailable because the "security centre " service has not started or stopped. please close this window, restart the computer ( or start the "security centre service"), then open the security centre again." it has been really frustrating for me to try and make it work and i need help.
thanks keelan.
tlekeelan
2007-07-02, 10:07
(sorry im new at posting!)
like the post above me im also new and my firewall is and everything is off but i dont even get the lights there at all! it just comes up with "the security centre is unavailable because the "security centre " service has not started or stopped. please close this window, restart the computer ( or start the "security centre service"), then open the security centre again." it has been really frustrating for me to try and make it work and i need help. i tried doing what was said in previous posts and i go into the security centre in sevices and its already on automatic so i pressed start and the dam thing came up with "error 1058: the sevice cannot be started either because it is disabled, or it has no enabled devices associated with it."
i am pretty safe with my computer (obviously not as much as i thought) so im not sure what i can do.
thanks keelan.
I'm not too sure if this would be it,but you might want to have a look here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;241584
tlekeelan
2007-07-02, 12:14
hmm thats weird in all programs it doesnt have administrative tools :buried: im the only user so i know im the administrator
tlekeelan
2007-07-02, 12:16
nah i went into start menu settings and found it:D:
tlekeelan
2007-07-02, 12:28
sorry for so many posts it was basicly the same info as before and nope it still wont work:banghead:
OK guy, forgive me for not reading all the stuff that went before, but I would first check that the process is enabled using MSConfig. Do you know how to use that (it's a hidden XP system utility) or do you want instructions?
md usa spybot fan
2007-07-02, 21:34
tlekeelan:
You could try the fix located here:
Error 1083 while attempting to start the Security Center service in Windows XP SP2
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/wscsvcfix.htm
Warning: Although the information on that site is generally reliable, I have never tried the fix, so use it entirely at your own risk.
_________________
Zenobia:
You pointed that fix out to me a while back for a "Could not start Security Center Service on local Computer. Error 123: The filename, directory name, or volume lable system is incorrect." problem.
md usa spybot fan
2007-07-02, 21:58
tlekeelan:
Please ignore the above post, it is a different error code: Error 1058 vs. Error 1083.
tlekeelan,I'm not finding much more.So,I'll grasp at some straws. :D:
If it is not too much trouble,could you describe step-by-step what you are doing when you go to turn on Security Center?This might not help at all,but it is worth a shot,maybe we're missing something.Which previous posts were you following before?
You have Norton Antivirus 2007?Is that the plain Norton Antivirus 2007,or is it the Norton Internet Security 2007?
tlekeelan
2007-07-03, 06:43
the download worked great downloaded it, open it, restarted it and fixed thanks:banana:
tlekeelan
2007-07-03, 06:48
but its working now so it mustve done something!
I play games at an online site called Pogo. The games are loaded in a java window, which is when I notice this the most, although it does happen when I'm doing other things also. The computer lags as if it is being overworked or there is a long wait for refreshing. The only thing that spybot can find (Norton doesn't show it as a problem) is the disabled security center. When I fix it, the problem goes away immediately. The problem for me is that it doesn't stay fixed. I end up having to run spybot and fix it again every couple of days or so. Any idea how to fix it permanently?
Hi there,nice to meet a fellow pogoer. :) I go on Pogo and have Windows Security Center turned off on my other computer,and I've never experienced that.I do find Pogo intermittently laggy sometimes,like on badge days,etc.Other times,it is fine.Fixing Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled just sets windows Security Center to automatic,and I can't figure why that being on would make your computer not lag.
Norton may be what disabled the Security Center,if you have Norton Internet Security Suite or similar.
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=7315
After the scan,if you click on Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled,then click the area to the right with the arrows on it,Spybot will give you this description:
Company:
Product: Microsoft.WindowsSecurityCenter_disabled
Threat: Security
Functionality
if the Windows Security Center is disabled this entry will be shown
Description
Malware can disable the Windows Security Center to make your System more vulnerable.
If you have other security software suit installed, this may also deactivate the Windows Security Center to avoid double warning messages.
This is a bit older post and it was an older Norton,but this should show you how to get Windows Security Center reenabled through Norton if you would prefer that,I think it is still the same.
http://forums.spybot.info/showpost.php?p=32092&postcount=36
Just wanted to let you know that this fix worked for me. Thank you for posting it. I spent three days trying to get this resolved using various fixes from Google searches and nothing worked. The information here was presented so clearly, even my senior brain could figure it out. Thanks again.
Spybot S & D is detecting unsafe settings for antivirusoverride and firewalloverride in HKLM\software\microsoft\security centre, do not allow sp2update in HKLM\software\policies\microsft\windows\windowsupdate and security centre is disabled in HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\services\wscsvc. if i fix them and ensure security centre is running with all the overrides turned off, so it should notify me if the firewall is not on, automatic updates is not on and the virus software is out of date and restart the machine, they're all reset to their previous values. also, when i fix the problems and start the security centre service and turn off the overrides i'm told windows firewall is not running but i can't turn it on because of a group policy setting. i can get round this by deleting the windowsfirewall folder in HKLM\Policies\Microsoft but again, the restart puts the group policy back in. this is not my machine but a friends and as i've just cleaned his system of lots of virii and spyware i'd like to turn on the security centre to allow him to have some knowledge of how secure his system currently is. i have installed spybot (obviously) and avg 7.5 and run them both until i get no reports (apart from those detailed at the beginning) and i have all the latest windows updates. i removed ccleaner, xoftspy and regcure and i can't seen any sign of norton on the system (i used SYMClean just in case). It seems like malicious code is running in the background somewhere, or just on startup and stopping security centre services. Any ideas?
i used processmonitor.exe from microsoft to filter the reg key edits and saw the process name and id that was resetting the reg keys... its svshost.exe, listed on one website as a Worm.P2P.Spybot.gen (looks just like svchost.exe so i didn't notice it) and it can restart itself if you simply terminate the process. i'm really bummed that avg didn't pick this up when i scanned the whole system. need to find a tool to remove the darn thing now. anyone know where i can get one?
Either you or your friend could get checked out in malware removal.
The instructions are here:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288
Malware removal:
http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22
Hello,
To start the "Security Center" service, use these steps:
* Click Start, Run and type Services.msc
* Double-click "Security Center" service from the listing
* Set the startup type of the service to "Automatic"
* Start the service by clicking the "Start" button in that applet.
Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot
Thank you! That was just the info I was looking for :heart:
I Googled "windows security center disabled" and was directed right in here to find the answer to my problems. Great!
spybotsandra
2008-04-21, 13:10
You're welcome. :)