F-Secure won't load on startup

PatN

Hi,

F-Secure on my laptop has started playing up and won't load when I start the machine. It was running fine and then F-Secure updated and now I keep getting a message saying the machine needs to restart. I'm running Windows 11 and the latest version of F-Secure Total. Any help would be amazing. Thanks.

Ukko

Hello,

Very sorry for my late response and for the delay with reply.

Thanks for your further comment. As I can see from your screenshot: "Device restart needed" could indeed mean one of the following:

• (as part of known troubles) incompatibility / conflicts with another AV solution (a bit of obscure for me);
• (as part of known troubles) difficulties with Firewall rules or set-up (a bit of obscure for me as well);

I have used CCleaner with the latest builds of F-Secure, but not the latest version of CCleaner.

What I can to suggest (other than to contact their direct Support Channels for gathering some technical logs and further investigation: https://www.f-secure.com/en/support ; web-chat or phone calls) is to try check updates with active VPN connection or to see what is listed in F-Secure Settings (Updates tab).

However, the most robust way to check any 'incompatibles' (or the easy fix way) is reinstalling F-Secure; if this is an option. Instruction: https://kb.f-secure.com/s/article/How-to-reinstall-F-Secure-TOTAL-on-Windows?language=en_US

I think this kind of error (screenshot) is often shown when main protection module (Device Protection / Endpoint Protection Service) is failed to start.

So, you can try check services status (either way: for example, opening Task Manager by hitting ctrl+alt+del and then switching to "Services" tab, then to choose any service: mouse rightclick it and click "Open Services" - there is list of them with statuses like Running or Stopped). However, why it is failed to start or why it is stopped - more tricky to know (without more technical information).

Thanks!

Ukko

Hello,

Could you make a screenshot of 'a message saying the machine needs to restart' or to describe it?

Is it from F-Secure? or is it Windows notification or something like this?

// there are some discussions around: for example, one is about "Device Protection malfunction" with request of system restart (F-Secure shows it); another is about potentially inability to even open F-Secure user interface or use it;

With known 'situations', the reasons are like if incompatibility with some installed software or some networking rules / filters. And sometimes there are troubles with receiving or applying 'updates' (definitions or sort of things), which then will make a request to "restart".

However, if VPN is included in your F-Secure TOTAL package, can you run it and then to check updates by rightbutton mouse clicking F-Secure tray logo > "Check Updates" after system restart.

Thanks!

PatN

Hi,

Thank you for replying. F-Secure was working fine then it updated and now won't start. The error message is from F-Secure and I'm not very proficient in technology to know exactly what's going on. I have it installed on other machines and they all work fine. There is a software on my machine called CCleaner that might be clashing so I'll try uninstalling that. Thank you.