Anti Virus does not work after reinstalling Mac with the same version as before
Been happily using F-Secure Anti Virus for Mac, and still have half a year paid license time ahead of me.
Now I reinstalled my Mac with Mavericks 10.9.5, same I had before, and ran into issues getting F-Secure to work.
At first, tried to download F-Secure from the website. Download worked, but the installer refused to do anything as it wanted Mac OS X 10.11 or higher to even install.
So I installed the same version of F-Secure I had before. Not easy to find the installer, because F-Secure provides only the current version, nothing that works with older systems. But I got one and it installed without issues. Also starts and runs without problems, and asks for a license key.
But the license key doesn't work. Don't get me wrong, the key works, it's straight from the user account on the F-Secure website, valid and not used elsewhere. But when entering the key, there is an error which says: Unknown error "null" - please contact support.
The interesting part is, this same version and this same key have worked fine on this exact same version of Mac OS X, just a day ago. Made a clean reinstall, and it gives me an unknown error.
Does F-Secure try to get rid of a customer?
Please don't even suggest updating the operating system. I am simply not ready to pay for all the other licensed software that I have up and running without problems on Mavericks, which will no longer work when I get something new.
So how is it possible that the software works as it used to, but somehow no longer has the capability to verify the key I gave it?
Comments
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Hello,
Sorry for my reply. I'm only F-Secure user (their home solutions).
Maybe for official answers or with concern about subscription/licence -> good to use their direct F-Secure Support Channels (chat/phone):
https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/contact-support
My own unofficial feeelings or suggestions:
->>> does your experience was about "F-Secure AV for Mac" indeed? Or it was F-Secure SAFE already?
Because solution as "F-Secure AV for Mac" was already not available some time (?!). But maybe it was still possible to renew it and use it.
It switched to F-Secure SAFE - where Mac is supported platform. But current "F-Secure SAFE" version with next requirements:
->>> if your experience about F-Secure SAFE (where Networkinstaller?! not sure if SAFE for Mac with network installer) - maybe you got the installer for 'F-Secure AV for Mac' and it's can be an explanation about "your licence key does not work" (your meanings with words like "the key works, it's straight from the user account on the F-Secure website" -> possible to suspect that your experience about F-Secure SAFE).
Most likely, F-Secure SAFE and previous 'F-Secure AV for Mac' with different design about handling subscriptions (and with different licence-key types).
->>> I think that it works before clean installation - because it was ?! for example ?! another version.
Or... how it can be with Windows-platform (where, for example, Windows Vista is EOF and not supported anymore) -> installed F-Secure solutions still active and receive database updates - but do not receive upgrades. Also not possible to do clean installation/reinstallation; AND maybe with some days -> will be not possible to renew subscription.
Additionally, maybe your installer with broken?! something. I think that possible to start chat with F-Secure Support Agents. And ask for clarifications. Or even installers.
Thanks!
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Hi there, thank you for your hints.
My feedback to your points:
->>> does your experience was about "F-Secure AV for Mac" indeed? Or it was F-Secure SAFE already?
Yes it was Antivirus, not SAFE. As you correctly pointed out, the requirements for SAFE wouldn't allow me to use that anyways.
->>> if your experience about F-Secure SAFE
It is not, it's for Antivirus. The key matches the software version I have. Maybe I misformulated the origin of that key (I get it from my family who bought the key, so I don't see the actual interface where that key comes from).
->>> I think that it works before clean installation - because it was ?!for example ?! another version.
I am fairly sure that I now use the same version I had before. I actually tried a few different ones to make sure. For the current version I can download from the F-Secure website I get the error that I HAVE TO update the operating system and then the installer quits. So i had to go through some trouble to find the legacy version and installed that. Only to find out that, without any apparent reason, the key won't work and the error message doesn't say much.
As a result, I entirely stop using Mac OS X. At least in an environment where I need the antivirus software. I will probably also stop using F-Secure products altogether.
For the time being I use Windows 7 pro x64 version which I installed in bootcamp on my Mac, F-Secure works great there, with a current downloaded installer from the F-Secure website, although Windows 7 is a lot older than Mac OS X Mavericks.
I also got feedback from F-Secure.
F-Secure support agents simply stated that it does not work, and that's normal. It's how it is, no help there. I have to upgrade my Operating System, or they don't provide the service I already paid for. Not an option for me because of the other software which will no longer work with the newer operating system.
I may feel angry at F-Secure, but I think they really follow the aggressive update politics of Apple who very frequently release new versions of their operating system for free, and end support of previous versions really quickly, enabling every software company to sell lots of costly updates to rich apple customers.
Last Apple device I have purchased, that's for sure. Glad I made sure my device has working windows drivers.
Best regards and a happy new year
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Hello,
Thanks for your answers and explanations.
So i had to go through some trouble to find the legacy version and installed that. Only to find out that, without any apparent reason, the key won't work and the error message doesn't say much.
Except potential response (explanation) from Support Agent -> I able to suspect that maybe if it is installer from third-party pages (I'm not sure does it possible to verify with Mac platform or not) -> maybe there is broken some part of funcionality (or something else). As result, your licence is not recognized.
Or -> indeed they marked previous "F-Secure AV for Mac" builds as EOF and do not allow to activate it with fresh installation. But I did not find any articles about EOF-dates for recent Home solutions.
I think that requirements about certain build of Mac based on some potential features (as it was with Windows) -> where certain instructions-in-use are not available with previous OS build. But I not sure about Mac-platform at all (not really friendly with such devices). Maybe all like you suggested - even it will be strange.
Thanks!
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