BleepingComputer.com: Windows Security Center

Hello everyone!

My Windows Security Center does not show any Firewall as being on or any Anti-Malware program as being on my computer. I know the McAfee Security suite has a Firewall on and I have 5 other Anti-Malware programs installed on my computer.

This just started happening recently, after I had to stop a extremely large download/update for 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 1 (SP1). I had to stop the download/update at around 73% complete on 12/06/08. I was downloading it in increments, because of the size of the download, approximately 195MB.

Microssoft Security Center shows: Windows firewall is turned off. I had to have it turned off, Because I have McAfee Security suite which has a firewall program and the 2 were interfering with each other at different times and also had to have Windows Defender turned off also. Because of previous problems.

I have 5 Anti-malware programs on my computer. They are: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware free, a-squared free, SUPERAntiSpyware free, Spybot Search & Destroy, and SpywareBlaster.

My question is: What can I do, to get Windows Security Center to recognize these other programs?

It did recognize them before. So what happened to cause it to not recognize them?

Five? You only really need one and it's included with the McAfee Internet Security Suite. If McAfee says the firewall is on, then the Microsoft Security Center is not detecting it properly. It is also possible that with so many security programs installed, that the multiple applications are confusing Security Center. You can force the Security Center to stop alerting you if the notifications are bothersome.

Hi Groffeaston,

Have a work through the article in the link below and let me know how it goes.

How to Fix the Vista Security Center Reporting Incorrect Information

Hey, RedDawn, what's up? Didn't know you were in here! And yes, RedDawn is absolutely correct, Vista's Security Center info often becomes corrupt and needs a refresh. I had AVG anti-spyware showing up for months after I'd removed every trace of it. I finally fixed it by forcing Security Center to refresh it's info by deleting a certain folder that contained the info, rebooting and then it was showing my software accurately. Also keep in mind that the developer of the software has to write it so it places an entry in Security Center. Some don't yet do that.

Hello RedDawn!

I checked out that website and tried what was there at that post. But that did not work. I left a post there as well. When I tried to check the repository like it said there, I got "Generic Failure" as the status, instead of inconsistant or consistant. Same thing when I tried to salvage the repository like it instructed there I got the same message, "Generic Failure".

So what should I do next?

Punt? or Go for it? Sorry! I was thinking about 4th and inches for a moment!

Hi Groffeaston,

Just to make sure, in the link above, step one in Option One:

1. Open a elevated command prompt.

Did you apply this action using the method described below.

How to open a elevated command prompt:
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Click on All Programs and Accessories.
3. Right click on Command Prompt and click Run as administrator.
4. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.

See HERE for more detailed instructions.

Hello RedDawn!

Yes I did. I will do it again if you want me to try it again?
But I do remember doing it exactly as it was stated and I even looked to see what an elevated command prompt was and how to open it.

Okay, we can try to fix this from a different angle.

From your Admin. Account:

1. Go to control panel and open Administrative tools.
2. Click on services.
3. Stop these services:
(Windows) Security Center
Windows Management Instrumentation
SBSD Security Center Service (if you use Spybot Search & Destroy).
4. Let all them to Automatically start.
5. Follow the path C:\Windows\System32\wbem\Repository and delete only the file Repository
6. Go to Services again and Continue all the Services above or go to next step.
7. Reboot (important)

This will rebuild the deleted folder and the database. Once restarted, Windows Security Center should show the correct info and antivirus and firewall should now be recognized



Also:

Simple to understand screen shot instruction sheet, click Here, then click on picture to enlarge.

I've also seen where, in some cases users had to uninstall their security software, delete the Repository, then reboot and reinstall their security programs to get them to show up. A total pain, but it may be required in this case.

This post has been edited by exile360: 13 December 2008 - 06:30 AM

Hello RedDawn and everyone!

I tried doing:

From your Admin. Account:

1. Go to control panel and open Administrative tools.
2. Click on services.
3. Stop these services:
(Windows) Security Center
Windows Management Instrumentation
SBSD Security Center Service (if you use Spybot Search & Destroy).
4. Let all them to Automatically start.
5. Follow the path C:\Windows\System32\wbem\Repository and delete only the file Repository
6. Go to Services again and Continue all the Services above or go to next step.
7. Reboot (important)

But it would not totally delete the Repository File Folder. I do not know if that is what was expected or not. I kept getting: "please close the file and try again. It is being used by another program." I believe that is the correct message, from what I remember, or something very close to it. I did not delete any of the files in the Repository File folder individually.

The message keeps coming back up. I now remember I had this problem before. I do not recall What I did or who I went to for help to get it fixed. It was a while ago. Should I check with the computer manufacturer, Dell?

Okay, let's try this:

Follow the exact same instructions again, but this time instead of trying to delete the Repository file, try renaming it to Repository.old


From your Admin. Account:

1. Go to control panel and open Administrative tools.
2. Click on services.
3. Stop these services:
(Windows) Security Center
Windows Management Instrumentation
SBSD Security Center Service (if you use Spybot Search & Destroy).
4. Let all them to Automatically start.
5. Follow the path C:\Windows\System32\wbem\Repository and rename the file Repository to Repository.old
6. Close all open windows and Reboot

Hello again RedDawn!

It will not let me do that!
Here is what it says when I try to do exactly what you said to do:
"Destination Folder Access Denied You need permission to perform this action.
repository Date created: 11/2/2006 6:18AM

The date and time changed when I tried to delete the repository previously. But nothing else will happen I am even in as Administrator.

What should i do next?
Should I check with Dell, they manufactured my computer and I think they were the ones that helped me before with this same type problem.
Or should I stick it out for a little longer here?
Or should I check with Microsoft because it is their product?

This post has been edited by Groffeaston: 13 December 2008 - 02:12 PM

Did UAC even prompt you when you tried to make the change? It also could be another software holding it up like McAfee. You may have to completely disable it before it will let you change the folder.

Hello exile360

Yes I did get a prompt that asked for permission to continue. Everytime I clicked for it to continue that is when I got the message about: access denied and I was even in admin.

I hope this helps.

Are you familiar with the "Take Ownership" command? If not, take a look at this article and give it a shot on the Repository folder to see if it helps: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vis...-windows-vista/