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"The Security Center service can't be started" error message in Windows 7 or in Windows Vista

Article ID: 2510301 - View products that this article applies to.

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This is a Step-by-Step

(http://support.microsoft.com)

article.

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SYMPTOMS

You receive the following error message in Windows 7 or in Windows Vista.

The Security Center service can't be started.

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CAUSE

This issue can occur for the following reasons:

Security Center is not configured to start correctly.
The "log on user" for Security Center is configured incorrectly.
A malware infection is preventing the service from starting or is disabling the service after it has started.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods in the order listed:

Method 1: Make sure that Security Center is configured correctly

Press Win + R keyboard shortcut, type services.msc, and then press ENTER.

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If you are prompted for confirmation, click Yes.

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Double-click Security Center.

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Click the General tab, select Automatic (delayed start) from the Startup type list, click Start, and then click OK.

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Now check whether Security Center can be started. If not, start the Remote Procedure Call(RPC) and Windows Management Instrumentation services by using the steps provided above.

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Method 2: Start computer in safe mode

Restart your computer, press F8 before the Windows logo appears.

For more information about how to start a computer in safe mode, visit the following Mirosoft website:
Start your computer in safe mode
(http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Start-your-computer-in-safe-mode)
Use the steps in Method 1 to start the Security Center service. If the service can be started, perform a clean startup to troubleshoot the conflicting program services. For more information about how to do this, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
929135
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135 / )
How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

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