• Windows Security Center alert -is it real or fake

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    #481629

    I was helping someone with their Pc (XP SP3) and ran Malwarebytes, which found about 6 or 8 virii/trojans/malware. I didn’t record which ones, I just had Malwarebytes remove them.

    After the re=boot (requested by Malwarebytes) to do the final cleanup, the “Microsoft Security center” alert shield shows ion the lower right in the tray. It indicates that the Windows updates are turned off, if i right click it. If I go to the security center it indicates that Updates are turned off.

    However if I go to system via control panel it shows that automatic updates are turned on.

    Is the warning a result of Windows being mixed up to the virii removal done by Malwarebytes or is this a sign that the Security Center alert is just a virus trying to get reinstalled. The alert looks real.

    Subsequent scans haven’t found anything (Malwarebytes, Kasperskey (done in safe mode), and AVG) scans.

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    • #1320109

      In the control panel applet try toggling Automatic Updates off then back on. See if it shows up in Security Center.

      If that does not work, try running SFC /SCANNOW from a command line.

      Joe

      --Joe

    • #1320110

      It’s not uncommon to have problems after removing nasties from the operating system, ensure that they really are gone.You may then need to perform a repair, probably a non destruct reinstall type of repair.

    • #1320146

      Re-registering five windows update .dll files has worked for some people in identical circumstances:

      Security center could not change your automatic updates settings
      Click Start, select Run and type:

      regsvr32 wuapi.dll
      regsvr32 wuaueng.dll
      regsvr32 atl.dll
      regsvr32 wucltui.dll
      regsvr32 wups.dll

      Press enter after each one and wait for the success message


      Bruce

      • #1320596

        Thanks for the help.

        I’ll let you know if it works.

        EDIT: IT WORKED. :rolleyes:

    • #1321662

      Hi, High Sierra,

      It’s a fake and I’ve been caught by this before……visiting the ‘Microsoft Security Centre’ takes you to a spoof page that scans your computer, detects a 1001 trojans/virii/spyware/, and downloads all sorts of nasties to your PC, when it offers to remove them.

      Check this out :

      http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/lizamoon-infection-a-blow-by-blow-account/

      ATB

      Dave

      But in this case it was a genuine alert from Windows Security Center in the local Control Panel that it could no longer detect that Automatic Updates were enabled.

      There was no fake web page or online scan involved here.

      ps: Microsofts security suite is called Microsoft Security Essentials, and if anything is going to scan your PC from Microsoft online, it wont be called anything other than Microsoft Security Essentials. (If you have’nt already got it, GET IT….it’s free, regularly updated, and…….well,……..ESSENTIAL !!! ).

      http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/products/security-essentials

      Or Microsoft Safety Scanner. Or Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. Or Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper.

      Microsoft Security Essentials is great, but it’s not the only Microsoft name you can trust to scan for malware.

      Bruce

    • #1321764

      Does Microsoft Safety Scanner, Malicious Software Removal Tool, and Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper operate as an upfront application? I think you’ll find they run discretely, in the background, and never offer to take you to a 3rd party downloading site for definition updates or scans.

      At least the first of those three is an upfront application, which can’t even be minimized while it’s scanning.

      But my point was that it’s not true to say that if Microsoft anything should be scanning your PC, it must be called Microsoft Security Essentials.

      If you read the original post, you’ll see that the alert in the System tray is from Microsoft Security Centre……….not Windows Security Centre. There’s no such thing as Microsoft Security Centre, and this is a sure-fire way to spot the LizaMoon infection.

      I was believing the thread title, which seemed more logical. But in any case, it has been proven to be a Windows Security Center alert through the resolution which eliminated it.

      There was no 3rd party downloading site for definition updates or scans involved here, nor interaction with any web page. It was the aftermath of an infection, not one occurring.

      Bruce

    • #1321811

      I just noticed all the activity on my thread. Sorry about the confusion caused by using Microsoft Security Center in the body of my post.

      The actual alert is a red shield on the task bar with a white ‘X’ in it. When you click on the shield it opens ‘Windows Security Center’. This is the same window that opens if you go through Control panel. Try it on any un-infected XP system.

      Since applying the suggested solution (registering those dlls) the red shield no longer appears.

      The problem started after removing some nastiness via Malwarebytes.

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