vista laptop - security center empty, firewall not on, can't update, add/remove prog

[Soundguy]

got a vista laptop at work.. guy in the back office has been using it ( hp i think... )

i was updating virus software on stuff at work. get his..

security centr in control panel was empty. did not show firewall.. virus software..e tc.

manually going to firewall icon in control panel said fw not in use.. and you could not 'update settings'

also notice that add/remove programs icon is NOT in control panel?

what gives?


I have kaspersky on it.. no viri ( did have a few trojans i removed ).

used kaspersky's 'check damage to os' settings.. nothing came up.

any idea on how to get the firewall up.. or ANY firewall? is there one you can download?.

I don't want to unleash this guy back to the internet with NO firewall...

 

[kf4uda]

You might give this fixit tool from MS a try:

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/windows_firewall_diagnostic/en-us

You might also want to run a malware scan. I use malawarebytes: http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Another tool that I have used is MS malicious software removal tool: http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/malware-removal.aspx

Sorry you have Vista to deal with

 

[KubotainNH]

I'd suspect malware too. There's some nasty stuff out there that'll make a mess like this, the software can stop some services from starting like firewalls. Most happen by someone clicking a popup thinking they are stopping a virus when they are really loading it. I'd do a scan with Malwarebytes and Superantispyware to see if anything is found. Some of the malware has to be removed by running in safemode or before any programs are started. May be easier to grab the data and reload the o/s...Vista, ugh.

Good luck.

 

[Soundguy]

kaspersky is handling the malware.. did find some trojans.. etc..

 

[Soundguy]

hey now.. that MS firewall fixer looks like it's the ticket!

when i get back to work i'll try it.

if no go.. i'll try malwarebites in case kaspersky missed something.

thanks for the ideas guys!

 

[Ken]

Soundguy Look into M/S Essentials for protection . it is free and works .

Real time and virus and spyware.

I dumped the Vista and installed System 7 works like M/S should.

ken

 

[Soundguy]

oh yeah.. vista. not my fav either. ( XP actually was! ).

and it's the HOME version of vista at that..

 

[Soundguy]

not mine to do that with.. it's a work laptop.. but I hear ya...

Soundguy Look into M/S Essentials for protection . it is free and works .

Real time and virus and spyware.

I dumped the Vista and installed System 7 works like M/S should.

ken

 

[Ken]

Some one sent me a attachment and it was also a McAfee download that I didn't request.

Locked up this lap top so that so slow would time out before could run the virus or spyware scan.
And slowly over a couple of months. removed programs until received a M/S Essentials notice that there was a McAFee program trying to install and getting blocked.

Removed what had been put in and all was well again.

M/S Essentials runs in back ground and never notice unless there is a problem.

Software download from M/S

Is the work laptop used by a blond.?
ken

 

[KubotainNH]

Sadly, there doesn't seem to be any software that stops Malware completely if the user is bent on loading something that pops up. Often times the window looks like something that the anti-virus program found. This is one of the reasons I really like Firefox with the ABP plug in. No popups whatsoever from the browser.