What's with MS Security Centre?

Question

I have my own AntiVirus software running (Webroot) and have cleared some viruses this morning, and also used my CCleaner to remove cookies etc.

The MS Security Centre keeps popping up and saying that it has detected Viruses and that I should pay for and download their AntiVirus program to fix the problem.

I have tried to remove this program and the system wont let me.

Any ideas what the problem might be or how I can stop MS Security System from popping up all the time?

Any help would be good

Answer 1

That sounds like a Virus. I would check in your control panel for the "Security Center" and see what it says in there. If it still says that you have no virus protection then you may need to update it to something new that Windows recognizes. If it is telling you that you have a virus (which Windows doesn't usually do) then it is most likely trying to con you into downloading the virus itself.

Personally I prefer to use AVG Free to detect and remove the virus that you are having issues with.

http://Free.grisoft.com

Answer 2

It seems like either you have a virus (or Spyware) that looks like MS Security Center (now is it spelled Centre on your PC or was that A typo?) Cause if it's misspelled then it's definantly a virus (or Spyware) dont give them any money. I looked up the FAQ of WINDOWS SECURITY CENTER and it doesn't say anything about offering you to pay money for some sort of Anti-Virus Software.

All Windows Security Center does is see if you have anti-virus software installed and up to date, firewall turned on, and if your version of windows is up to date. It will give you messages like "Your computer may be at risk. Antivirus software might not be installed. Click this balloon to fix this problem." or when When Windows Security Center detects that an antivirus program is out-of-date, you receive the following message: "'Program_Name' reports that it might be out of date."

Be carefull of scams. If you can or know how you would need to scan your system before windows starts using whats called a "LIVE CD" because viruses and spyware hide in windows when you have windows running but if you boot from a CD an anti-virus program can scan your C: Drive and not giving the virus a chance to hide.

Answer 3

It's not a virus, but a rogue software.  Is this what you mean MS Antivirus?  Take a look inside the link and see the picture.

MS Antivirus  is a rogue anti-spyware program that belongs to the same family as Vitae Antivirus 2008 and Vista Antivirus 2008. MS Antivirus has the same characteristics as its predecessors; it is advertised through misleading sites, lists false infections on your computer, and requires you to purchase the program before you can remove anything. Once installed MS Antivirus will be set to run automatically when your computer starts.

Go down to "Automated Removal Instructions for MS Antivirus using Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:"  Bear in mind that it's FREE.  Please update it first.

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/malware-...

Answer 4

I suggest you download Ad-Aware 2008 and Spybot S&D (they’re free), install them, update them and run them. If any of the above (or any anti-malware, for that matter) doesn’t seem to be able to run properly or get rid of everything it reports finding, try running it again in Safe Mode.

Also, turn off System Restore to evict any copies of bad stuff that might be lurking there.  

To get into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking:

1. Log out and reboot your machine.

2. When the machine starts the reboot sequence, press the F8 key repeatedly.

3. Select Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking from the resulting menu.

4. When the login screen comes up, log in as Administrator.  By default, Administrator has no password.

5. The machine will continue booting, but the Windows desktop will look different.  

6. When you're finished doing what you need to do, log out and reboot back into normal mode.

Note that even if the anti-malware programs get rid of the malware, they may not be able to reverse the effects.  Search the Web for possible fixes.

Update and run everything regularly, not just when you think you already have malware.

Good luck.