Microsoft Security Centre alert on PC Guard 8.0

[Billy Key]

I have PC Guard on my laptop running Vista Service Pack 1. Yesterday after logging in, I got an alert from Microsoft Security Centre, which said that 'PC Guard Anti Virus is on but is reporting its status to Microsoft Security Centre in a format that is no longer supported'.

I have reinstalled PC Guard (Version 8.0.28.36558) but it still gives the same alert.

Has PC Guard changed its format recently, and is the Microsoft Security Alert anything to worry about?

[shazzama]

i am having the exact same problem and its on all the laptops that i have pcguard total on. its started happening this past week, any suggestions??

[SnoopZ]

I'm not sure what the latest version of PC Guard is at the moment, but it has recently improved its virus definitions and is now using Kasperksy.

Link: Latest version.

[Matty_]

Does PC Guard now use the Kaspersky 6 engine as opposed to the f-prot one. If so it has been superseded by a couple of Kaspersky versions and may not have the new security centre api.
The new api was due to be implemented ~18 months after Vista SP1 it seems it`s coming into effect now.
This is due to Microsoft not the security vendors, allthough they should have sorted it by now.

Some good advise/explanation here-> http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=6808

[shazzama]

hi thanks for the info, all i know is pcguard is now using kaspersky. So does this mean that it could be a fault with virgin media or is it still down to microsoft to sort out.

[Matty_]

I would say it`s down to Virgin to get Kaspersky to re-do the way the version they license interacts with windows security centre.
There`s no way Microsoft are going to go back.

[SnoopZ]

They will have to release a new version soon because i hear it's not compatible with Windows 7.

[Tetleyteaman]

I am so glad that I have found this forum

Been having the exact same problem with my PC as other have been highlighting here. Strangely, I have my old Pacard Bell laptop running XP that is having no

Back in February I bought an Acer Aspire M3641 desktop running Vista Home Premium and have been having no end of problems wth the system hanging, crashing, programs freezing and several (mainly PC Guard) having to be re-installed. A recent re-installation of PC Guard not only brought up this Microsoft Reporting issue but also disabled my Acer eRecovery software.
This, combined with other issues on other threads that match mine exactly, lead me to believe that it is PC Guard that is the cause of the problem.

Last night I did a full re-boot and, after re-installing PC Guard, the same problems came back. So, it looks like I shall be giving PC Guard a miss for a few months and letting Virgin sort out the compatibility issues.

I have Avast running on my laptop so will do another free anti-virus download on my Acer PC. Strangely, I have my old Packard Bell laptop running XP that is having no PC Guard issues at all, so I know that it works, just not with Vista & Acer desktops.

It's a great relief to know that I am not suffering alone !

1. Click the Start button and then click All Programs > Accessories > Run.
2. Type the following and click OK.
services.msc
3. The Services window appears. In the right pane, right-click Windows Management Instrumentation service, and select Stop.

4. Close the Services window.

5. Navigate to the following folder from Computer:

C:\Windows\System32\wbem

6. Delete the "repository" folder.

7. Click the Start button and then click All Programs > Accessories > Run.
8. Type the following and click OK.
services.msc
9. The Services window appears. In the right pane, right-click* Windows Management Instrumentation service, and select Start.

10. Restart the computer.

[Billy Key]

Upgraded my laptop to Vista Service Pack 2 on Monday 27/07/09 and since then Microsoft Security Alert has not reported any problems on startup (so far....)

[BenMcr]

It is Micrsoft change that wasn't supposed to hit until September - PC Guard will be updated asap to report correctly

Updating to sp2 should also resolve the issue.