Windows 10: Windows 11 Microsoft Defender Not Working/Can't start or configure Windows Security Service

Hi, I've been having issues with Microsoft Defender. I can't open it. When I open Windows Security there's just a black screen. I read some answers online and none of them worked for me. I noticed that Windows Security Service is disabled and I can't enable it at all. The options are greyed out. When I try to start "wscsvc" through powershell it says access is denied.When trying to open virus & threat protection settings it says "Your IT administrator has limited access to some areas of this app, and the item you tried to access is not available. Contact IT helpdesk for more information."T

:)

 

Securing Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003 services HOW TO

This is all i could save. I dont know if people can see what I can in the Wiki, but I got this article the others he deleted b4 he posted them in the wiki and i dont have the powers even in my sections to bring them back...perhaps a back up but Im not sure we have one ill go see. He did a damn good job at making sure nothing of his existed after he left...Im at school but when i get home ill email him and see if i can get him back im not done fighting yet.-Solaris17




Securing Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003 services HOW TO
I went at ALL of the services in Windows Server 2003 (some will not be in XP for instance, & Windows 2000 has no NETWORK SERVICE or LOCAL SERVICE as far as I know, but not sure, you can always make a limited privelege user too for this on 2000 if needed)...

I did testing to see which services could be run/logged in as LOCAL SERVICE, or NETWORK SERVICE, rather than the default of LOCAL SYSTEM (which means Operating System entity level privileges - which CAN be "misused" by various spyware/malware/virus exploits).


LOCAL SERVICE startable list (vs. LocalSystem Logon Default):


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Acronis Scheduler 2 Service
Alerter (needs Workstation Service Running)
COM+ System Application
GHOST
Indexing Service
NVIDIA Display Driver Service
Office Source Engine
O&O Clever Cache
Remote Registry
Sandra Service
Sandra Data Service
SmartCard
Tcp/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet
UserProfile Hive Cleanup Service
Volume Shadowing Service
Windows UserMode Drivers
Windows Image Acquisition
WinHTTP Proxy AutoDiscovery Service
NETWORK SERVICE startable list (vs. LocalSystem Logon Default):


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ASP.NET State Service
Application Layer Gateway
Clipbook (needs Network DDE & Network DDE DSDM)
Microsoft Shadow Copy Provider
Executive Software Undelete
DNS Client
DHCP Client
Error Reporting
FileZilla Server
Machine Debug Manager
Merger
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing Service
Network DDE
Network DDE DSDM
PDEngine (Raxco PerfectDisk)
Performance Logs & Alerts
RPC
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager Service
Remote Packet Capture Protocol v.0 (experimental MS service)
Resultant Set of Policies Provider
SAV Roam
Symantec LiveUpdate
Visual Studio 2005 Remote Debug
PLEASE NOTE: Each service uses a BLANK password when reassigning their logon entity (when you change it from the default of LOCAL SYSTEM Account), because they use SID's as far as I know, not standard passwords.


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WHEN YOU TEST THIS, AFTER RESETTING THE LOGON USER ENTITY EACH SERVICE USES: Just run your system awhile, & if say, Norton Antivirus refuses to update, or run right? You KNOW you set it wrong... say, if one you test that I do NOT list won't run as LOCAL SERVICE? Try NETWORK SERVICE instead... if that fails? YOU ARE STUCK USING LOCAL SYSTEM!

If you cannot operate properly while changing the security logon entity context of a service (should NOT happen w/ 3rd party services, & this article shows you which ones can be altered safely)?

Boot to "Safe Mode", & reset that service's logon entity back to LOCAL SYSTEM again & accept it cannot do this security technique is all... it DOES happen!

If that fails? There are commands in the "Recovery Console" (installed from your Windows installation CD as a bootup option while in Windows using this commandline -> D:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons, where D is your CD-Rom driveletter (substitute in your dvd/cd driveletter for D of course)) of:

ListSvc (shows services & drivers states of stopped or started)

Enable (starts up a service &/or driver)

Disable (stops a server &/or driver)

Which can turn them back on if/when needed

Last edited by APK on 03/04/2007
I.E. -> I removed Telephony, Symantec AntiVirus, & Virtual Disk Service!

(ON Virtual Disk Service being removed, specifically: This was done solely because, although it will run as LOCAL SERVICE, diskmgmt.msc will not be able to work! Even though the Logical Disk Manager service does not list VirtualDisk as a dependency, this occurs, so VirtualDisk service was pulled from BOTH the LOCAL SERVICE and NETWORK SERVICE lists here... apk)

SECURING SERVICES @ THE ACL LEVEL VIA A SECURITY POLICY HOW-TO:

STEP #1: CONFIGURE A CUSTOM Microsoft Management Console for this!

Configuring yourself a "CUSTOM MMC.EXE (Microsoft Mgt. Console)" setup for security policy templates, here is how (these are NOT default Computer Mgt. tools, so you have to do this yourself, or run them by themselves, but this makes working w/ them convenient):

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The next part's per BelArcGuy of BELARC ADVISOR's advice (pun intended):
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Anyone want to try a test CompletelyBonkers (new user here) turned me onto?

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"Security Configuration and Analysis" is an MMC snap-in. To access the MMC, type in mmc to the Windows Run.. command to pop up the console. Then use it's File|Add/Remove Snap-in... command and click the Add button on the resulting dialog. Choose both "Security Configuration and Analysis" and "Security Templates", close that dialog, and OK. You'll end up with a management console that has both of those snap-ins enabled. The whole MMC mechanism is a bit weird, but does work"

(It's easy, & it works, & is necessary for the actual steps to do this, below)


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(Next, is the actual "meat" of what we need to do, per Microsoft, to set ACLs)


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STEP #2: HOW TO: Define Security Templates By Using the Security Templates Snap-In in Windows Server 2003

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816297

Create and Define a New Security Template

(To define a new security template, follow these steps)

1. In the console tree, expand Security Templates. 2. Right-click %SystemRoot%\Security\Templates, and then click New Template. 3. In the Template name box, type a name for the new template.

(If you want, you can type a description in the Description box, and then click OK)

The new security template appears in the list of security templates. Note that the security settings for this template are not yet defined. When you expand the new security template in the console tree, expand each component of the template, and then double-click each security setting that is contained in that component, a status of Not Defined appears in the Computer Setting column.

1. To define a System Services policy, follow these steps: a. Expand System Services. b. In the right pane, double-click the service that you want to configure. c. Specify the options that you want, and then click OK.

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)
APK (added 03/08/2007)

 

Securing Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003 services HOW TO

I will try changing their settings sometime, the one thing I've noticed about this guide is that it doesn't list the Windows services that NEED to be left as local system, so some people might not be too sure what they're doing and worry about any that aren't listed. Just a suggestion that you might want to include in any future revisions. *Smile

The non-default ones I have that you have not listed are:

.Net Runtime Optimization Service v2.0.50727_X86
Ati HotKey Poller
ATI Smart
AVG E-mail Scanner
AVG7 Alert Manager Server
AVG7 Update Service
BlueSoleil Hid Service
Bluetooth Support Service
ewido anti-spyware 4.0 guard
iPod Service
Messenger Sharing USN Journal Reader Service
Service Layer
Windows Defender Service

The problem is that the only ones of these I actually use are The AVG and Windows Defender services and occasionally the "Service Layer" service (related to Nokia PC Suite) and the "Messenger Sharing USN Journal Reader Service" (related to WindowsLive Messenger). Anyway, I'll see how much I can secure those and post back how I get on. I'll try to test it sometime this week just I'm a bit waring of changing the AVG settings because the only way to test if it was still working would be for a virus to be detected... and I' rather I didn't get viruses!

 

windows defender & security center services keep turning off


Are you running any other AV or did you have one running in the past? If you didn't use an uninstaller for the AV, then the remnants of it could be causing the problem. Normally any time you install an AV it disables Defender by default.

If you are getting any error codes please list those, that will be helpful in helping you.

As torre suggested, might be a good idea to do a reset or even a reinstall.

Reset Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Windows 10 - Clean Install - Windows 10 Forums

There are also some suggestions listed here:

Unable to turn on Windows Defender in Windows 7 / 8 / 10