Sophos Control Center: how to clear alerts that are stuck in the Control Center

Issue
The Control Center won't allow you to delete an alert or error. This article describes how to clear it by deliberately causing another error to overwrite it.

Sophos product and version
Small Business Edition Control Center 2.0.0

What to do

1. At the affected computer, log in as an Administrator.
2. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Sophos\Autoupdate\Config\
3. Create a backup of the iconn.cfg file by right-clicking it and selecting copy.
4. Paste the file in the same folder. The new name 'copy of iconn.cfg' is the backup file.
5. Open iconn.cfg with Notepad.
6. In the first paragraph [PPI.Webconfig_Primary], in '"allowlocalconfig", change the 0 to a 1.
7. In the third paragraph [PPI.Webconfig_Secondary], in "allowlocalconfig", change the 0 to a 1.
   
   You will now be able to change the Primary and Secondary update locations in Sophos Anti-Virus.
   
8. Right-click the Sophos Shield and select 'Configure Updating'.
9. On the Primary and Secondary server tabs, delete the user name.
10. Click Apply and then OK.
11. Right-click the Sophos Shield and select 'Update now'. The Shield will display a red shield with a white cross. This error will be listed in the Control Center.
12. In the Control Center, locate the computer with the error and click on the Action command. Select 'Re-apply central configuration'.
13. On the affected computer, right-click the Sophos Shield and select 'Update now'.
14. In the Control Center, verify that the alert is gone.