Microsoft Security Client

[Jeff T]

Is it safe to delete Microsoft Security Client? I can't get rid of Microsoft
Security Essentials. The computer tells me that it's running but I can't
find it anywhere. Is the security client the same thing?

 

[Roy]

Is it safe to delete Microsoft Security Client? I can't get rid of Microsoft
Security Essentials. The computer tells me that it's running but I can't
find it anywhere. Is the security client the same thing?

==

That is not the correct way to remove Microsoft Security Essentials.
If anything open the folder "Microsoft Security Client" and run the
setup.exe program which will install it properly...then if you want to
uninstall it should show in the Add/Remove column.

Deleting the folder "Microsoft Security Client" folder would be dumb
as that does not uninstall the program properly but does make a mess
of things and leaves entries in the registry which are invalid and
could interfere with future installations of security programs.

I don't think your "Tech" friend did you any favors.
==

 

[Paul]

Is it safe to delete Microsoft Security Client? I can't get rid of Microsoft
Security Essentials. The computer tells me that it's running but I can't
find it anywhere. Is the security client the same thing?

I can find a recipe of sorts here. Basically it passes an argument to the
original installer.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...sentials/a1512422-0851-41da-a1b7-c10eddcbd9e7

But before jumping to that conclusion, in a search engine, I can see
several attempts by rogue malware, to confuse and complicate matters.
If you're seeing dialog boxes, warning you're infected, and would
you like to buy the infection removal tool, that isn't coming from
Microsoft. There are a number of similarly named things, which
are rogues, and attempt to extort money from you.

Paul

 

[Jeff T]

Is it safe to delete Microsoft Security Client? I can't get rid of
Microsoft
Security Essentials. The computer tells me that it's running but I can't
find it anywhere. Is the security client the same thing?

==

That is not the correct way to remove Microsoft Security Essentials.
If anything open the folder "Microsoft Security Client" and run the
setup.exe program which will install it properly...then if you want to
uninstall it should show in the Add/Remove column.

Deleting the folder "Microsoft Security Client" folder would be dumb
as that does not uninstall the program properly but does make a mess
of things and leaves entries in the registry which are invalid and
could interfere with future installations of security programs.

I don't think your "Tech" friend did you any favors.
==

There isn't any setup. exe program in the folder. No, I don't think the
"tech" did any favors. He was trying to get by without formatting the drive
but I think he should have, I lost everything anyway.

 

[Jeff T]

I can find a recipe of sorts here. Basically it passes an argument to the
original installer.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...sentials/a1512422-0851-41da-a1b7-c10eddcbd9e7

But before jumping to that conclusion, in a search engine, I can see
several attempts by rogue malware, to confuse and complicate matters.
If you're seeing dialog boxes, warning you're infected, and would
you like to buy the infection removal tool, that isn't coming from
Microsoft. There are a number of similarly named things, which
are rogues, and attempt to extort money from you.

Paul

I can't install MSE because it tells me it's running but I can't find it.

 

[Roy]

I can't install MSE because it tells me it's running but I can't find it.

Control-Alt-Delete

Windows Task Manager...to stop MSE just end process for
Msseces.exe...you do need help.
==

 

[Tim Meddick]

Hi, you could try running / downloading the following [small] Microsoft
Utility [msicuu2.exe] called "Windows Installer CleanUp Utility" which is,
basically, a tiny "Add or Remove Programs" list editor program.

http://majorgeeks.com/downloadget.php?id=4459&file=15&evp=fe1c76da3437592326a3d668d72bf8f5

Use it to remove the "Microsoft Security Client" entry from the "Add or
Remove Programs" list.

Next, start the "Local Services" management console (ether find it in
"Administrator Tools" on the Start Menu, or type "services.msc" into the
"Run" box ) and scroll down to "Microsoft Antimalware Service".

Double-click on this item and press the "stop" button.

Then change it's "Start-up type" from "Automatic" to "Disabled" from the
drop-down list.

Finally, type :

sc delete MsMpSvc

....into either the "Run" box or at the prompt in a Command Prompt (cmd.exe)
window.

Reboot your PC and then you will be able to remove (delete) the folder
"Microsoft Security Client" from your computer.

Make sure you also remove all shortcut (links) to Microsoft Security
Essentials from off your desktop and Start Menu, and you should have no
trouble re-installing it, if you should want to, at some later date.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Tim Meddick]

P.S. Although, as has been suggested by others within this thread, it is
not advisable to just terminate the "MsMpEng.exe" process from Task
Manager, in order to free-up the "Microsoft Security Client" folder so you
can delete it.

As was mentioned earlier in the thread by "Roy", registry entries will
remain unchanged and the "Microsoft Antimalware Service" will attempt to,
and fail to, start at every logon.

Also, you may have problems installing other Antivirus programs in the
future.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Jeff T]

I can't install MSE because it tells me it's running but I can't find it.

Control-Alt-Delete

Windows Task Manager...to stop MSE just end process for
Msseces.exe...you do need help.

Yes, I do need help. ==Msseces.exe isn't in the task manager.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Nil,
The OP doesn't want to re-install MSSE (over it's improperly
uninstalled self or otherwise).

Plus a few more issues I have with your "minimal" suggestion.....

1). Do you expect everyone to automatically know what "Autoruns" is? - it's
not a Windows component so why should anyone but us few geeks know?

2). Any half-assed method of "quick" solutions like advising to use any
program to halt the MSSE running process and delete the folder, but not
remove the service from the registry and the entry in the Installer
registry database, will result in probable difficulties in installing other
Anti-Virus programs in the future, and will absolutely prevent MSSE from
ever being re-installed without further remedial work on the registry.

3). Terminating the MSSE running process, but not removing (deleting) the
"Microsoft Antimalware Service" from "Services" (this can be done with the
"sc" command), is again, the half-assed approach.

Ideally, all programs should be uninstalled from the "Add or Remove
Programs" control panel in order for it to be done properly. Someone has
obviously deleted most of the component files from the :

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client

....folder, and so by doing, has rendered that, proper method of
uninstalling, unusable.


My procedure for (minimal) remedial actions are outlined in my first
posting to this thread.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Jeff,
The "Microsoft Antimalware Service" is not found in Task Manager
under the name "msseces.exe " (that's the process name for the
user-interface program) - the actual service-name of the running process is
called "MsMpEng.exe".

But I trust that by telling you this, you won't follow the useless advice
to simply stop the process from Task Manager but follow the procedure I
outlined in my first post to this thread.

That is; to use "Start" > "Run" > "services.msc" to stop the Microsoft
Antimalware Service" [MsMpSvc] by clicking on it and pressing the "Stop"
service button. Then disable it (Startup-Type > choose "disabled" from the
drop-down list).

Finally delete the service (un-register) with the "sc" command from a
Command Prompt window :

sc delete MsMpSvc

(if you get "sc is not a recognized...." or "could not find..." you can
download the "sc" command [sc.exe] from the link below)
http://www.dynawell.com/download/reskit/microsoft/win2000/sc.zip
(open the ZIP-file (by clicking on it in Explorer, then copy the file
"sc.exe" to a folder in your "path", such as your [c:\windows] )

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Nil]

The OP doesn't want to re-install MSSE (over it's improperly
uninstalled self or otherwise).

For programs that won't uninstall because the uninstall routine is
corrupt, I have had great success reinstalling them over themselves,
then uninstalling them.

Plus a few more issues I have with your "minimal" suggestion.....

It was not a suggestion, "minimal" or otherwise. It was what I would
try, if I was unable to uninstall it the normal way.

1). Do you expect everyone to automatically know what "Autoruns"
is? - it's not a Windows component so why should anyone but us few
geeks know?

No, I don't. If someone wants to know more about it, they can ask here
or google it.

My procedure for (minimal) remedial actions are outlined in my
first posting to this thread.

Whoopie for you.

I stand by my method.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Fine, don't listen to me, but if you fail to remove the Window's Installer
information from the registry MSSE will *not* re-install over itself,
however many other programs might...

You will fail to install MSSE and get a returned error 0x80070643

My last word on this subject is to direct you to;
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/smb-security/articles/69276.aspx

...which backs up my comments.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Jeff T]

Jeff,
The "Microsoft Antimalware Service" is not found in Task Manager
under the name "msseces.exe " (that's the process name for the
user-interface program) - the actual service-name of the running process
is called "MsMpEng.exe".

But I trust that by telling you this, you won't follow the useless advice
to simply stop the process from Task Manager but follow the procedure I
outlined in my first post to this thread.

That is; to use "Start" > "Run" > "services.msc" to stop the Microsoft
Antimalware Service" [MsMpSvc] by clicking on it and pressing the "Stop"
service button. Then disable it (Startup-Type > choose "disabled" from
the drop-down list).

Finally delete the service (un-register) with the "sc" command from a
Command Prompt window :

sc delete MsMpSvc

(if you get "sc is not a recognized...." or "could not find..." you can
download the "sc" command [sc.exe] from the link below)
http://www.dynawell.com/download/reskit/microsoft/win2000/sc.zip
(open the ZIP-file (by clicking on it in Explorer, then copy the file
"sc.exe" to a folder in your "path", such as your [c:\windows] )

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

Control-Alt-Delete

Windows Task Manager...to stop MSE just end process for
Msseces.exe...you do need help.

Yes, I do need help. ==Msseces.exe isn't in the task manager.

Tim,
What do you mean by a command prompt window.
I'm a little hesitant to do all this, I'm afraid I'll screw something up
again! Is there much chance of that?