Security Center Crashing

[NotSoBad]

Hi,

My wife's PC is running Vista with Avast anti-virus.

Security Center keeps reporting that Avast is switched off, but it isn't.

When I click the Security Center button in the task bar, the window opens, but then completely freezes, I have to launch Task Manager to close it down.

I have done a virus check, and run Malwarebytes, and both report all clean.

Have also tried searching the web for answers to this but haven't found anything.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to resolve this problems, or do I need to re-install Vista / run a repair ?

Cheers.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

Microsoft made some changes to how security programs report their presence/are monitored by the Windows Security Center in Microsoft Windows Vista last year, if memory serves.

Make sure you have both Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and the latest version of Avast! Anti-virus installed and the problem should no longer occur.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

[NotSoBad]

Thanks for the reply but, Vista is service pack 2, and Avast is on the latest version.

[Rohdekill]

you try removing avast, reboot, install avast?

[Phenom II]

Try opening Command Prompt as admin (Right click run as)

Type the following and then press enter and let it do its scan

sfc /scannow

This will check all the system files and replace any that are damaged / missing - you might have to restart after the scan

[Ewan76]

Hi did the offending pc recently have any version of Norton installed?

[goretsky Supervisor]

[Edited May 31, 2012 to fix text formatting. AG]

Hello,

Hmm... The Windows Security Center gets its information about installed security software through Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), so one possibility may be that core repository of information that is queried through the WMI interface has become corrupt.

Here are the steps to reset WMI's core repository:

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt by clicking on Start Orb?All Programs?Accesseories, right clicking on the Command Prompt icon and selecting on the Run Program as Administrator from the context menu that pops up. The Command Prompt window will appear.
   
2. In the Command Prompt window, type "NET STOP WINMGMT /Y" and press Enter.
   
3. Type "REN %WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\WBEM\REPOSITORY %WINDIR%\SYSTEM32\WBEM\REP.OLD" and press Enter.
   
4. Type "EXIT" at the Command Prompt to close the window.
   
5. Reboot the system. Windows should start up as it normally does, but you may be prompted to reboot the system once more in order to finish making the changes to the system caused by resetting WMI's core repository. Allow the computer to reboot if it prompts again. You may also need to reboot a second (or third) time if the Windows Security Center still does not detect the antivirus software.
   

If you are running a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows Vista, you may need to also rename the "%windir%\SysWOW64\wbem\Repository" directory as well. I have not seen this problem occur on a 64-bit machine, though, so I am unsure if that is required.

Does that solve the problem or does the issue continue to occur?

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

Edited June 1, 2012 by goretsky

[NotSoBad]

you try removing avast, reboot, install avast?

I will try this next

Hi did the offending pc recently have any version of Norton installed?

Never had Norton on, and doubt I ever will

PhenomII, I will give that a try after re-installing Avast

goretsky, If the above doesn't work then I will try your suggestion

Thanks all for the replies.