During the weekly patch cycle, users suddenly cannot map drives to a Windows Server 2019 file server. In the endpoint-protection console the administrator sees that the server's anti-malware agent quarantined srvsvc.dll and netlogon.dll immediately after the latest definition update, classifying them as "suspicious behavior." A manual hash comparison against Microsoft's installation media confirms the files are pristine, and threat-intelligence feeds show no malicious activity associated with those hashes. What should the administrator do first to restore file-sharing service while keeping the server protected?
Restore the quarantined DLLs from backup (or quarantine) and create a temporary exclusion for their folder so the services can start.
Disable real-time malware protection on the file server until the vendor releases updated signatures.
Uninstall the anti-malware agent from the file server and reboot to reload the original DLLs.
Submit the DLLs to the vendor for re-analysis and wait for updated signatures before taking any corrective action.
The outage is caused by false-positive detections of two critical Windows DLLs. The quickest, least-risk path is to put the legitimate files back where the operating system expects them and prevent the anti-malware engine from removing them again until updated signatures are available. Restoring the DLLs (from quarantine or a known-good backup) and placing a narrowly scoped, temporary exclusion on their directory allows the Server and Netlogon services to load, re-enabling SMB access for users, while the rest of the real-time protection remains active. Disabling or uninstalling the security agent removes all malware defense and is discouraged, and simply waiting for revised signatures leaves the file server offline. Submitting the files for re-analysis is important but should occur after service is restored, not before.
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Why is srvsvc.dll and netlogon.dll critical for file-sharing services in Windows Server?
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What is a temporary exclusion in anti-malware software, and how does it help here?