Updating or installing F-Secure apps on some Windows versions fails due to missing Windows updates On some versions of Windows, the F-Secure app may show an error and ask you to restart your device. If the same error appears shortly after restarting the computer, the issue is likely caused by missing Windows updates. The same issue applies to F-Secure TOTAL, F-Secure SAFE, F-Secure Internet Security, and F-Secure Anti-Virus.
Note: This issue does not affect the following, newer versions of Windows:
- Windows 11
- Windows 10 22H2
- Windows 10 21H2
To see your current Windows version, open the Windows Start menu and select Settings > System > About. The version is shown under Windows specifications.
Older Windows versions did not automatically get recent changes that were included in updates for newer versions of Windows. The update for this specific issue relates to how Windows identifies authorized security software. Without the update, F-Secure products cannot install their own updates that are required for the products to work properly.
In addition, the "Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020" CA certificate must be installed on your computer. This is usually installed automatically, but if you have turned off automatic updates for Windows, the certificate might be missing on your computer.
To resolve the issue:
- Open the Windows Start menu and select Settings.
- Select Update & Security > Windows Update.
- Check if there are any pending updates. The latest feature update that you should install is version 22H2.
- Install any necessary updates and restart your computer.
Once you have installed the necessary Windows update, your F-Secure app should no longer show the previous error message. If the message continues to appear, you have to reinstall the app.
If no updates are available in your Windows Update settings, you may need to install an update separately:
- Go to this Microsoft Support page to check the update (KB number) for your Windows version.
- Click the listed number to see more details about the update.
- On the details page for the update, go to the How to get this update section and follow the instructions given there.
Note: Support for Windows 7 in F-Secure products is ending in August 2023. For more information, see this article.
