Windows 10: Xbox app and MS Store not working and strange proxy settings.

[DJGM]

So this has been happening for a few weeks now. The Xbox app on Windows 10 won't sign in, the Microsoft Store app thinks my PC is offline when it isn't, two Xbox related services (Xbox Live Game Save and Xbox Game Monitoring) keep randomly stopping in services.msc, and strange proxy settings keep reappearing. I've tried all the methods that have comes up in Google and Bing searches, including reinstalling the apps via command prompt or PowerShell. Even rebooting the PC doesn't help.

 

A few screengrabs to illustrate the issues . . .

 

 

Now I'm sure those Xbox related service should have their Startup Type set as Automatic, but every time I try to set the Xbox Game Monitoring service Startup Type as Automatic, it keeps popping up a small "Access is denied" dialog box.

 

All this started happening before I updated Windows 10 to the April 2018 update, and I was hoping that update would resolve these issues ... but it didn't.

Edited May 10, 2018 by DJGM

[Joe User]

Manual is normal for the services.

 

Your proxy settings are strange though, are you running an ad blocker or something similar on your local computer?

 

[Elliot B.]

Paste the full proxy address here.

[DJGM]

 

  On 10/05/2018 at 23:05, Joe User said:

Manual is normal for the services.

 

Your proxy settings are strange though, are you running an ad blocker or something similar on your local computer?

 

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The only type of ad-blocker I have is Adblock Plus installed as an extension in SeaMonkey (Mozilla based browser "suite") which shouldn't be the cause of the issues I described in my OP. I don't have any ad-blocker installed in MS Edge, or VPN's, Tor, or anything else that could alter the proxy settings

 

  On 10/05/2018 at 23:17, Elliot B. said:

Paste the full proxy address here.

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SeaMonkey can browse the web fine, as can any other third party browser I've installed. The only other one I have installed at this time is Basilisk. Microsoft Edge on the other hand cannot browse the web due to it trying to connect to the proxy URL shown in the third screengrab (http=127.0.0.1:8080;https=127.0.0.1:8080) and I think it might be that proxy setting that preventing the Xbox app signing in, and the Microsoft Store thinking it isn't online.

 

I don't use Microsoft Edge to browse the web on the PC, but I do currently have it open for a few locally stored PDF files.

[Mando]

thats odd its referring "home" on https....wtf ?

 

post up a screenie of your browser settings mate, somethings not right at all.

 

its not this is it? >>> https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-windows-security-127.0.0.1-8080-proxy

 

check the path C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Network\Dsq\network\sysnetwk.exe

 

if its there, youve got bundled adware from an installer, grab a decent AV (and bin the one you have) and clean theinfection.

[DJGM]

I've found and hopefully eliminated the culprit. I ran a scan with Malwarebytes, and it found 19 items related to "InstallShield Update Service Scheduler" which had set a proxy override in the registry, along with several other reg keys and some files labelled by MBAM as "Hijack.AutConfigURL.PrxySvrRST".

Since these have now all been quarantined by MBAM, the Xbox app and Microsoft Store are working as they should, and the dodgy proxy setting is gone.

 

I'd always assumed the company behind InstallSheild to be quite reputable and trustworthy, but if they pull stunts like this, then I'm not so sure.