F-Secure and Internet Explorer 11 incompatibility

descot

Installed Windows 8.1 today and found out that F-Secure Online Safety add-on is not fully compatible with IE 11.  Had a couple of technicians look at it over remote computer connection. IE flagged up that the F-Secure add-on was not compatible. Reinstallation of the browser add-ons through F-Secure settings did not work. After a long time, the technician disabled the 'Enhanced Protection Mode' in Internet Explorer advanced settings (without asking me) and this solved the problem - the add-on could be enabled as normal.

I was not happy about this solution - especially deactivating an inbuilt security feature in order to favour F-Secure. I was told that a fix will be coming around in January 2014 and that the issue was being escalated.

I have decided to reenable the Enhanced Protection Mode in IE 11. The add-on from F-Secure still seems to function but it is flagged as incompatible. It seems to work fine with Chrome and Opera.

I would have hoped, however, that such an obvious bug wouldbe fixed well before next year.

Anyway, posting this incase anyone else comes up against the same problem - might save a lot of time.

pcah4

Yes i got the same problem and i had to double click the taskbar icon to open F-Secure.

After the debacle of doing away with the firewall and now now these petty but annoying bugs i have had no option but to throw away 13 months subscription and go to another vendor.....which is compatible with 8.1 and IE.

descot

I wish you luck. Let me know if you find one that is fully compatible. I recently bought a 2 years F-Secure extension so I might stick it out unless there are genuine security concerns.

[Deleted User]

Hello,

We are aware of the problem with the recent release of Internet Explorer 11 and Online Safety Plugin in F-Secure Internet Security and SafeAnywhere PC. Our development team is currently working on a resolution, which will be made available soon.

 

When the resolution is available, it will be automatically downloaded to your product, and no action will be required on your behalf. Meanwhile you can temporary work-around the issue by using other supported web browsers.

 

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

 

Best Regards,
Jayson

[Deleted User]

Hi descot,

 

Yes, disabling the "Enhanced Protection Mode" is definately not a solution nor acceptable workaround as this will lower the overall security level of the program. It is not recommended to do this, the action performed by the Support Engineer on your computer should be as part of the troubleshooting steps to identify the cause of the issue.

 

Mod: Comment corrected.

Best Regards,
Jayson

descot

Hello, I am happy to hear there will be a fix. The engineers were nice people and I do not want to cause problems for them, but the disabling of enhanced protection mode was presented as a workaround to me (you can look at the chat log). It was only when I protested at what had been done that a rethink took place. 

I did not want to bring this up but you present it as simply a troubleshooting step, which it was not. 

Having remote access to someone's computer should be treated as a very sensitive matter, especially for a security firm! 

[Deleted User]

Hi descot,

 

We do understand that some users might have security concerns with remote access. However, remote access is just an option provided to users to troubleshoot and identify the issue quickly. If the users do not feel comfortable with the remote access, they can rejecct the remote session and we can try other troubleshooting steps.

 

Thanks.
Best Regards,
Andy Yoon

 

Simon

Hi Guys,

 

I don't want to poke my nose in where it's not wanted, but I feel I have to comment on my interpretation of the response this user has received from the F-Secure support team. 

 

Taking Descot's interpretation of events as they read here, we have an F-Secure technician (albeit seemingly as a last resort) disabling in-built security on a user's machine, by remote assistance, in order to make F-Secure work, and telling them, effectively, that the issue will not be fixed until January 2014.  To me, this is totally wrong, especially if, as it seems, the technician didn't make it clear to the user that this was a 'test workaroud', and not a solution that should remain in place on  the machine.

 

Subsequently, Jayson posts that the solution wasn't a solution, and that the original IE security should be re-applied, as the machine could be compromised.  So, bluntly, if I understand events correctly, it appears that an F-Secure technician, authorised to use Remote Assistance on a user's machine, left the machine with compromised security, and the user believing that this was intended as a semi-permanent solution to the incompatibility issue with IE.  If this version of events is correct, with respect to all parties, this isn't what I would call an acceptable outcome.

 

Later in the thread, a suggestion is made to use another browser until the problem is fixed, and it is further suggested that if a user doesn't trust Remote Assistance, then they shouldn't use it.  This is not what I have come to expect of the usually excellent support from the F-Secure team, and leaves me rather disappointed on behalf of this user.  Surely, FS should have tested compatibility with Windows 8.1 before it was released?

 

I do stress, this is my own interpretation of the way this thread reads.  I would be happy to be corrected of any inaccuracies,

 

Best regards,

 

Simon.

Blackcat

Since Internet Explorer 11 ships with Windows 8.1 and F-Secure states on their main web pages that F-Secure is compatible with Windows 8.1, this implies no incompatibility with the new browser. 

 

 

 

IMHO, this information misleads users upgrading to the new OS upgrade.

 

And then to actually suggest to switch off the enhanced mode of IE beggars belief, as the way it sandboxes IE is more important to computer defenses than F-Secure's online safety add on. And most average users will not switch browsers.

 

Maybe F-Secure can add to their main web pages about FULL compatibility with Windows 8.1 and IE 11/or make a sticky here.

 

Overall, they also need to ensure that ALL layers of their support are reading from the same support book!!!!

 

Rusli raised compatibility with Windows 8.1, 3 months ago and was assured that F-Secure would be ready; http://community.f-secure.com/t5/Home-Security/F-Secure-2014-IS-must-be-tested/td-p/28386

 

Simon makes some good points in his post which I hope F-Secure responds to.

grumpy

Disabling Enhanced Protected Mode under Internet Settings > Advanced clears the incompatabilty status.

[Deleted User]

Hello,

 

All feedbacks and comments given are highly appreciated, these are very important to us and surely will guide toward our improvements.

 

@descot,

My apologies for the reckless comment without fully understand the event, I have made a correction on it. Please check your inbox for private message.

 

@grumpy,

It is not recommended to disable "Enhanced Protection Mode", please see comments given above.

Best Regards,
Jayson

Rusli

Hi

 

I have submitted my reports to F-Secure Beta Team Finland.

 

Hope they received my reports.

 

I have include and notify that IE 10 (windows 7) and IE 11 (windows 8.1) crashes to F-Secure Beta Team.

 

 

Blackcat

F-Secure is not the only AV having problems with IE 11; Webroot, Bitdefender, Kaspersky and Symantec have all reported incompatibilities.

 

This may suggest that Microsoft had some late or last minute changes that may have broken the compatibility patches some companies already coded?

 

I know that with Webroot for example it was working with the pre-release versions but something changed with the final build.

 

 

descot

In one way it's reassuring that it is not only F-Secure experiencing the problem. Hopefully, a fix is on the way. If it is going to take time, then, as metioned earlier, the advertising on compatibility should be changed.

starbuy

I have just installed F-secure and hit the self same problems exactly as described. I have used many security packages and this is the first one that has ever been thrown out becuase it was incompatible, despite its claimed compatability with windows 8. Most people have/will install 8.1 and most will i suspect vote with their feet for a security package that works not one that might work several months in the future. You were lucky getting a technician I waited but noone one came. Another reason to dump this.

Blackcat

If you read the thread carefully, F-Secure, like most other AVs, is compatible with the OS 8.1, just not compatible with IE11.

 

Can you name any of your security packages that are fully compatible with IE11?

 

Just to take 4 examples; Norton, Kaspersky, Webroot and Avast are still not fully compatible with IE11, so F-Secure is not the only one. 

 

http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-Internet-Security-Norton/Windows-8-1-with-IE11-browser-Norton-Vulnerability-Protection/td-p/1038377

 

http://forum.kaspersky.com/index.php?showtopic=276792&hl=Internet+explorer+11

 

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=355020

 

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=137617.0

 

 

starbuy

I have been using Mc Afee on trial with no problems whatsoever. Are you being selective in the ones you are choosing.

Rusli

Hi descot,

 

Can you look for a file name in the Internet Explorer directory called iediagcmd.exe.

 

Double click on that and zip the file to F-Secure Technical Support.

 

See if F-Secure can help you on that.

 

Also do a F-Secure Diagnostic Run Support Tool. Send that file to them as well. (fsdiag.zip)

 

Better still if you have a Internet Explorer Event Viewer in your Windows. Save and zip the file and send to F-Secure as well.

 

descot

Hi Rusli,

I am not sure how to take your request. Is your compatibility problem with IE 11 solved?

 

My understanding of the issue is:

- that F-Secure are fully aware there is a fault in the software that needs to be fixed by an update.

- that this efffects everyone working with IE 11 on Windows 8.1

- that they are able to reproduce this in their Labs and are working on a fix

- that there will be an update to fix the problem in the first part of November 

 

I like using F-Secure and that is the reason I have not jumped ship so far. However, this is a serious issue on two accounts: it is a significant loss of protection, which F-Secure advertises as one of its key strengths, and 8.1 compatibility is still being claimed, and most people think of IE as belonging to Windows. 

So, I will hang on for another week or so but, thereafter, if there is no fix, I will seek a refund and look elsewhere.

Blackcat

Simon one of the Trusted Contributors here reported today that the beta/TR of F-SEcure IS was now compatible with IE 11.

 

I do not use IE11 but have confirmed that the full version appears now to be working correctly with IE11; the Online Safety plugin now functions correctly.

 

You can confirm that your system is working correctly by;

 

1.Trying to access the following site; http://unsafe.fstestdomain.com/ 

 

 

 

2. Check the online ratings system is working properly by searching with BING for words such as cracks/warez; you should then see a mixture of green, yellow and red site ratings;

 

 

3. You could try some of the check tests here at AMTSO; http://www.amtso.org/feature-settings-check.html

Blackcat

Results are a bit strange.

 

I am using WIN 7 and IE11 and the checks above suggested that the online safety plugin was working correctly (enhanced protection mode was enabled and there was no window stating that the F-Secure add-on was incomptatible with IE11).

 

However, when looking at the Manage add-ons window it states that the F-Secure was incompatible!

 

 

Can anyone running the official version of F-Secure AV or IS 2014 full version check the above?

descot

Hi,

I am running F-Secure IS 2014 on Windows 8.1

I can confirm what you are saying. There is functionality, but the add-on is still registered as incompatible.

I reinstalled the addons via the F-Secure interface to make sure about the status (I think any update will require a system boot to reset the IE addons).  

Getting there but not quite!

Blackcat

Thanks, descot for posting, I thought I was going mad (again)!

Rusli

descot,

 

Check out this link.

 

http://community.f-secure.com/t5/Security-for-PC/Internet-Explorer-11-Tips/m-p/35293#M6411

 

The reason is because many sites are not Internet Explorer 11 ready.

 

So the only work around to go about it is to click on Compatibility View Settings and Add on the link which you wanted to go or view.

 

Internet Explorer 11 will reload the page and you will not having any problems.

descot

Hi Rusli,

I see  two separate issues here.

1. The point you make:  the inability of websites to run natively in Internet Explorer is an old issue affecting previous versions of IE as well, and so Microsoft offered the workaround of viewing them in compatibility mode. These were old websites coded for earlier versions of IE and not updated

2. IE is flagging that the F-Secure  (and others) add-on is incompatible with the browser, despite some functionality (click on 'tools' and 'manage add-ons' in IE to see this or view the image in the post above yours). This is an addon issue not a website one.

Thanks for your concern. All shall be well (I hope)

descot

F-Secure Online Safety in Internet Explorer 11 is now showing up as compatible. Well done to the the fixers.

Simon

Good news! 

Blackcat

So maybe a F-Secure expert can confirm the fix in a thread starter and alert the webmaster to update the corresponding pages on the site. 

descot

I may have spoken too soon. My desktop is showing that the add-on is enabled, but my laptop is still showing it as incompatible. This is strange. Both are running windows 8.1 with IE 11.

 

Simon

Any different add-ons with the non-fixed machine? F-Secure haven't officially confirmed that the fix is present now. SP1 (or Release 2, whatever they decide to call it) is still due December as far as I've heard.

descot

Add-ons are the same. I don't understand how, all of a sudden, the desktop one for F-Secure should be enabled and the laptop not. I reinstalled the add-ons via the f-scure control facility just to be sure, but it shows up as incomp. No special updates to either browser, other than what microsoft provide automatically.

I was told to expect a fix in the first half of November.

This is getting, for me, tiresome.