Quick answer for advanced users
Open an admin Command Prompt and run: sc config wscsvc start= auto && sc start wscsvc. If that fails, check if the service is protected by malware—use Autoruns to uncheck the Hide Signed Microsoft Entries box and look for entries that disable wscsvc.
Why this happens
You boot up Windows, open Security Center, and it says the service isn't running. You check services.msc and find wscsvc is set to Disabled. But when you try to set it to Automatic and start it, you get an access denied or error 1058. The most common trigger is a malware infection that specifically targets Windows Security Center to keep itself hidden. I've seen this in the wild on both Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2. Sometimes a registry tweak from a "performance optimizer" tool breaks it too. The service itself isn't corrupted—something is blocking it from starting.
Here's the thing: Windows Security Center (wscsvc) is a legitimate service that monitors your antivirus, firewall, and Windows Update status. Malware kills it so you won't get alerts about disabled protections. The fix isn't just to start the service—you have to remove whatever is blocking it first.
Step-by-step fix
Step 1: Check the service state
Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. Scroll down to Security Center. Look at the Status and Startup Type columns. If it shows Disabled and Stopped, that's the problem.
Right-click it, choose Properties. Set Startup type to Automatic, then click Apply. After clicking Apply, the button for starting the service should light up. Click Start.
If it starts without error, you're done early—check for malware anyway (see prevention tip below). If you get an error like Error 5: Access denied or Error 1058: The service cannot be started, move to Step 2.
Step 2: Force the service via command line
Open Command Prompt as administrator (right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin)).
Run these commands one at a time:
sc config wscsvc start= autoYou should see [SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS. If you get Access Denied, malware has hardened the service. Skip to Step 3.
sc start wscsvcIf this succeeds, you'll see SERVICE_NAME: wscsvc and a state of 4 RUNNING. If you get an error, move on.
Step 3: Kill malware's hold on the service
This is where most guides stop—and where they fail. The real fix is to use Autoruns from Microsoft Sysinternals. Download it from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns.
Run Autoruns as administrator. Click Options and check Hide Signed Microsoft Entries off (unchecked). This is critical—malware often hides under Microsoft-signed names.
Now click the Services tab. Look for any entry named wscsvc or Security Center. You might see two entries: one from Microsoft (legitimate) and one from something else (malware). The fake one will have a different image path, like C:\Windows\System32\evil.dll instead of C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe -k LocalServiceNetworkRestricted.
Uncheck the fake entry. Don't delete it—just uncheck it. Then go back to services.msc and try starting the service again.
If the service starts now, you found the culprit. If not, go to the Everything tab in Autoruns (the default tab) and look for any entry that references wscsvc, Security Center, or sc.exe. Malware sometimes sets up a scheduled task that resets the service state. Uncheck any suspicious entry. After each uncheck, try starting the service.
Step 4: Reset the security center with DISM and SFC
If the service starts but Security Center still shows problems, the system files might be damaged. Run these commands in an admin Command Prompt:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthWait for the operation to complete (100%). It might take 10-15 minutes. Then run:
sfc /scannowAfter both finish, restart your PC. The Security Center should show as working now.
Alternative fixes if the main one fails
Check the registry directly
Sometimes the service is blacklisted in the registry. Open Regedit and go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wscsvcLook at the Start value. It should be 2 (Automatic). If it's 4 (Disabled), change it to 2. Also check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wscsvc\Parameters—if there's a ServiceDll entry, make sure it points to %SystemRoot%\System32\wscsvc.dll. If it's different, malware has hijacked the DLL.
Use Malwarebytes to clean the infection first
If you can't get the service to start after all this, you're still infected. Download Malwarebytes from a clean PC, put it on a USB drive, boot into Safe Mode with Networking, and run a full scan. After cleaning, repeat Steps 1-4.
Repair install Windows
As a last resort, do an in-place repair upgrade. Download the Windows 10 or 11 Media Creation Tool, run it, and select Upgrade this PC now. This keeps your files and apps but replaces system files. After that, the Security Center service will work.
Prevention tip
The only reliable way to prevent this is to keep Windows Defender running with real-time protection on. Don't disable it—ever. Malware specifically targets machines where Defender was turned off. Also, never download "antivirus" from pop-up ads. Stick to Microsoft Defender or a reputable third-party like Malwarebytes. If you do use third-party AV, uninstall it fully before switching back to Defender—partial uninstalls leave the Security Center in limbo.
And run Autoruns once a month to check for anything that's hiding behind a Microsoft signature. You'll catch malware before it takes down your Security Center.