Error message when you try to open Windows Security Center in Control Panel on a Windows XP-based computer

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SYMPTOMS

When you click the Security Center item in Control Panel on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer, you may receive an error message that resembles the following:

The security center is currently unavailable because the security center service has not started or was stopped. Please close this window and restart the computer (or start the security center service) and then open the security center again.

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CAUSE

This behavior occurs if Windows Security Center service is disabled on the computer.

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, enable Windows Security Center service on the computer. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type Services.msc, and then click OK.
In the right pane, double-click Security Center.
In the Startup type list, click Automatic, click Apply, click Start, and then click OK.
Restart the computer.