[SOLVED] Windows Security Centre-stopped

Action Centre flags up a problem, namely, "The Windows Security Centre service is turned off"
There is an option to turn the service on but this provokes no response. Going into Computer Management/Services and Applications/Services shows that the 'Service' is set to 'automatic' but has stopped. All attempts to start it produces the following error message.

"Windows could not start the Security Centre service on Local Computer - Error 5: Access is denied"

I have spent many hours on this one and although others have the same problem there seems to be no easy solution..

The popular remedies have been tried e.g. System Restore; SFC /Scannow; Closing the service and re-starting: All failed.

I have turned off the Action Centre feature in the meantime but I would like to solve this problem.


Any help would be appreciated.

A search of the Microsoft Website found this forum entry you might try (Personally I would start at option 2 and start again at 1 if option 2 fails):

maglib wrote:

I am grateful for the help but alas the suggestions on the posting did not work, I had already tried these earlier but thought I would have another go. Back to the Drawing Board I guess!, It really is a very intransigent problem and I would have thought that Microsoft would provide the answer but as always they had no reference on their KB.

What different software have you tried to scan for malware with? This sounds like something an infection could do.

Error 5 says your id does not have enough permissions to that service:

When you add a user through Group Policy Editor in the System Service Security Policy, the default permissions are start, stop, and pause.

This behavior occurs because you need the following permissions to open the properties of a service, and to stop, start, or pause a service:

• Read
• Stop, Start, and Pause

To resolve this issue, reapply the policy and give the user the correct permissions.

Then start the service.

Have just completed another full scan of my computer using MSE and MalwareBytes and no 'nasties' were found.
'TrainableMan', you have lost me with " Group Policy Editor in the System Service Security Policy" I am running Windows 7 Home and I don't think the GPE is available to me and equally I cannot find access to SSSP. I am the sole user of the compiuter and I have UAC turned off and do not sign on with a password. This is the way I have always done it and have not had any problems.If I need to re-set 'permissions' please further advise with a bit more detail.

Have a look at the dependencies.
Windows management instrumentation should be on "Automatic" . Remote Procedure call should also be on "Automatic".
If they are OK, put the security service on "Automatic delayed start" and reboot. Go into the services again and change it back to "Automatic" and "Start" it.

Thanks 'davehc', have just carried out your suggestion but it did not work the service did not start. I think unless I find out what caused it to stop I am going to find it very hard to solve this one. In the meantime my computer is working 'normally' and maybe this service is not crucial.

FWIW, It is the first service I turn off, after a reinstall!
If the thread suggestions have not worked, Try disabling any antivirus/security programs you have, apart from MSE. (Mcafee and Norton are both a threat in this type of error.) Also, turn off any third party firewalls. (Zone Alarm - another trouble maker?)
Otherwise, it sure looks like a virus attack. Perhaps you antivirus has already isolated it, but the damage has been done.

Correct, you do not have Group Policy Editor in Premium. Which means the registry would have to be tweaked by hand.

If I am right, basically your login doesn't have the proper access to this services registry area for you to start it.

The following is an example of what I believe needs done, but at this time I do not know to which part of the registry this needs to be applied ...
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/0...ws-7-explorer/
I suspect it is this section: E9495B87-D950-4ab5-87A5-FF6D70BF3E90 but I don't know for certain (I did a registry search for Security Center (USA spelling) and found that).