Vista Security Problem

[Maurice]

Working with Vista Ultimate on a 2.66Ghz laptop with 2Gb memory. I now find
a red icon in the tray. The message is that the security service is not
running yet I cannot find the security service in admin tools/computer
management. In my user account, I can do virtually nothing... launching any
icon generates an access/permission error. Cannot get on the internet and
get a message that I can not log off/shut down. In the safe mode of my admin
account, I can navigate the internet, launch some programs, etc. In a prior
posting, I was advised to locate the hidden administrator account to enable.
I found the account and uncheecked 'disable'. My concern at this point is to
restart the computer as I would expect that this admin account will require a
password. Already tried 'last known good configuration'. It was first
sustpected that malware was involved but I was able to install malwarebytes
in safe mode as admin. Two instances were found and removed which did not
address the acess/permission problem. Guidance sought.

 

[Andre Da Costa]

You didn't specify if you got to the service which is located under
Administrative Tools > Services in Control Panel. Just do a Search from the
start menu for Services. Also, the built in full Administrator account does
require a password unless you apply one.

 

[Maurice]

Andre:

Much thanks for your continued support. Rebooted under the newly created
admin account. Regrettably, services cannot be accessed. The message:
Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have
the appropriate permissions to access the icon. As administrator in safe
mode I can get to the security center service and click start but to no avail
because the message: Service cannot be started in safe mode is generated. I
am a MCP but have never encountered anything like this. What is left to try?

 

[Jimmy Brush]

Hello,

- Have you changed any security permissions on files recently?
- What virus scanner do you use? Can you try temporarily disabling it and
see if the 'Windows cannot access...' message goes away.
- If I understand you correctly, you do not get the 'Windows cannot access'
message in safe mode.

Additionally, It sounds like there may be some restrictive group policy
settings in place:

Using the built-in administrator account, start the local group policy
editor for both the local computer and your normal username:

- Click start
- Type: mmc.exe
- Press enter
- Select file -> add/remove snapin
- Select 'group policy object editor' from the list in the left
- click add, accept the default of local computer, and click finish
- Select it again in the left
- click add, click browse, click users, select your normal username, then ok
and finish
- click ok to get back to the management console

Now, expand out all the 'administrative templates' folders, and all their
subfolders, in the left. (There's a lot of them).

Click on each folder in the left, and manually audit any setting in the
right that does not have a state of 'not configured' (the default).

- JB