FS Protection PC releases
Answers
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Hi,
I use fs protection in English, however, the shopping protection window pops up in Russian (the language of my OS, maybe this is the reason).
Same with the block pages. The banking protection pop up is in English, though.
As far as I recall, I used to have fs protection in Russian before (and then reinstalled it in English for some reason). Anyway, it may not look like an expected behavior, could you please check?
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Hello,
In 19.6 beta 1 release we introduced new feature: automatic consent management.
It rejects consent dialogs at websites automatically.
Please, give us a feedback on this feature!
Most likely, I either had no experience with this feature, or I didn’t come across any suitable websites.
But I would like to add this kind of feedback - for some reason, when I read the description and name of this feature in the UI settings, I thought that it was about “accepting cookies, giving consent” (and thought "strange a bit, but…"), but from your message - I understand that it should be “rejecting cookies, opt-out" (what was not obvious to me when I read it in the settings)?
Thanks.
// some days later, the wording became more pretty.
// another concern, 28.07.2024:
I don't use Privacy VPN very actively and often, but nevertheless, sometimes I try it with general test purposes and as a try to understand whether there is a difference in the content provided depending on the location.
As a result, I had some statistics (traffic protected) and a selected location (I think the last one was UK (GB) and it turned on when the button was pressed). However, I found just recently some points; which I now think are probably related.
I initially discovered that the VPN exceptions had been erased. In my list these were two fsdiags (from ID Protection and from fs protection) at the time. Then I left only fsdiag from fs protection and it became "invalid" after upgrading to the 64-bit version. I decided to leave it as is. That is, it was listed (32bit fsdiag) in the list, but already “deleted” (which the UI naturally notified). However, I found that list is empty now. Perhaps, I didn't do it.
Then by a random look I discovered that the Privacy VPN stats counter had been reset. As if starting over again. And displays only my last recent attempt to use Privacy VPN.
And this last attempt was 'unexpectedly' turned on with Helsinki location (as nearest and 'default' location). Because my expectations were either UK (GB) or Holland; as the last one in use..
Furthermore, I found that in Privacy VPN Settings - Killswitch is in 'OFF' state. I'm not sure that was the case.
So, is there any reason for such changes?
- killswitch from 'on' to 'off' state;
- chosen location from the last one in use to nearest/default one;
- statistics (traffic protected) reset;
- exclusion list empty state (although was not exactly like this);
Perhaps, not a real trouble. But can be unexpected surprise for some cases.
as a sidenote, maybe scheduled scan also switched from 'on' to 'off' state (I did not remember if I try to disable it)
Thanks!
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19.6 Beta 2 has been canceled and Beta 3 has been released today.
Release 19.6 beta 3 (5.7.868)
Improvements:
- Secure Browsing feature has been renamed to Scam Protection
- Scam Protection view's tools have been replaced with left side navigation list
- Scam Protection view's descriptive content is shown in new middle container with enabled status
- Scam Protection's browser extensions now have their own middle content with installed status
- Device Protection and Scam Protection have new on-boarding introduction page
- Windows Firewall settings was removed from Device Protection feature view's side navigation making if less cluttered
Bug fixes:
- Vault scrollbar not visible in dark mode (PBL-12875)
- Incorrect warning if extension is removed (PBL-13000)
- Inconsistent status when features disabled (PBL-12902, PBL-13037)
- Device protection is displayed as enabled when subscription is expired (PBL-13040)
- Statistics card layout broken (PBL-13038)
- "Learn more" link on platform EOL warning does not work (PBL-12964)
- Small card needs accessibility narrator support (PBL-13091)
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Hello :)
Just a little feedback on this one. Since F-Secure doesn't include a Firewall, some may miss, including myself, this quick link to open up those settings, without having to go through a Windows search/Windows Security etc. I also think the length of the text on the left, "lines up" with the Protection overview box nicely, and doesn't look cluttered. Just my thoughts. Thank you :)
Windows Firewall settings was removed from Device Protection feature view's side navigation making if less cluttered
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Hello,
A bit about the UI too. Since its redesign, I am a little struggling how to feel about each elements. To a greater extent, I'm talking about the insides of the cards (Device Protection, now Scam Protection; and the rest with the same design). In particular these are the following things:
- leftside menu and basic background of the screen can probably be called 'pink-ish'. So, when you hover any item in (leftside) menu, color around this item changed to something that could be called maybe a very-very lightblue. This makes it recognizable, "marked" and so on, but it doesn't look very contrasting at all. for my device and me - it's not even so visible that it was chosen. // perhaps, exactly this a very-very lightblue is also used for the hovered card in Main UI, where it makes more 'contrast' vibe anyhow (maybe the size of card, or containing a button and deep blue graphics, or switching from lighter color).
perhaps because of the first thing, the second is also more unclear:
- another thing is that all the items in leftside menu with an 'arrow' pointer cursor. Both for top-side objects (opening in-currentUI screens) and for items below 'horizontal rule' (opening out-currentUI things). Shouldn't there be a 'hand' pointer cursor for the latter? But still keeping 'arrow' for the top-side items (Device Protection and Scam Protection, both, with two top side items in leftside menu) or will it confuse users. Because: opening F-Secure SAS webpage (is external website), opening Allowed/Denied websites (is another UI window/screen/dialog), opening Settings (is another UI window/screen/place); All in all, none of them are buttons. I would expect, maybe, a 'hand' pointer cursor for such cases (or any other more-than-now obvious indicators of 'external' step).
// only applied to my device, screen and system settings (I do use default light / white / day theme). Also, Windows 10. Maybe the second thing design is dictated by something from Windows 11 style and guides.
// other parts of the current fs protection UI with different 'thoughts' on this subject.
Thanks!
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Thanks for the feedback. I made a bug ticket about the background color of hover. Regarding the mouse cursor, I checked how Windows handles it and they don't have consistent handling but looks like they are more using arrow than hand for navigation list buttons. So we will follow that.
Ville
F-Secure R&D, Desktop products
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the UI! I can see how the redesign could cause some mixed feelings, especially with elements like the color scheme and cursor behavior.
Regarding the leftside menu, I agree that the color shift when hovering over items could benefit from more contrast. The very light blue you're describing might not stand out enough, particularly against a pinkish background. If it's not clear when an item is selected, that could impact usability, especially for those with certain screen settings or vision preferences.
The point about the cursor type is interesting. I see where you're coming from with wanting a 'hand' pointer for items that open external links or new windows, as it would help differentiate them from the in-UI items. It seems like a subtle but important cue that could make navigation feel more intuitive. Perhaps keeping the 'arrow' pointer for in-UI actions while using the 'hand' pointer for anything that leads to an external step would create a clearer visual distinction.
As for the overall design, it’s possible that the UI might be following more recent guidelines, like those from Windows 11, which might not align perfectly with your current setup on Windows 10. Sometimes these design shifts can feel a bit disconnected, especially when using a different system theme or screen settings. It might help to provide feedback directly to the developers, as they could offer insights or even consider adjustments based on user feedback like yours.
It’ll be interesting to see if these design choices evolve in future updates. Thanks again for the detailed observations!
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Release 19.7 beta 1 (5.8.171)
New features:
- Native ARM64 support. The product now installs to Windows on ARM64.
Improvements:
- Settings UI visual style changes
- VPN UI visual style changes
Bug fixes:
- VPN service is started if it wasn’t started by Windows (PBL-13276)
- Settings UI rendering incorrectly on arm64 (PBL-13247)
Dropped features:
- 32-bit support removed. Existing 32-bit installations keep working until May 2025, but it’s no longer possible to install on 32-bit Windows.
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Release 19.7 beta 2 (5.8.502)
Bug fixes:
- Updating protection not consistent between dashboard and Device Protection view (PBL-13408)
- VPN location flags not always visible (PBL-13416)
- Trusted networks rendering issue in dark mode (PBL-13405)
- Multiple dark mode rendering issues in Settings UI (PBL-13347, PBL-13370, PBL-13353)
- Main user interface crash when system clock is adjusted (PBL-13348)
- Statistics texts truncated (PBL-13369)
Ville
F-Secure R&D, Desktop products
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Hello,
Is BP addon for the Firefox browser in fs protection now shared with the stable version of F-Secure? My installation is still on version 5.7.21, while Microsoft Edge's extension has been updated frequently and is now on 6.1.5.
Also I see that the installed addon in Firefox (opened from fs protection UI) is a public one for a stable solution.
I'm not against this situation. I just wanted to check one thing about how it would be in Firefox (since it doesn't feel quite right to me in Edge), but I just can't seem to do it.
Thanks!
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Hello,
Thanks for your reply.
My BP in Edge extension is still on 5.7.21
but do you have installed solution as fs protection 19.8 beta 3? If so, then perhaps by random I get BP Extension (6.1.5) in Edge.
when I open fs protection UI, go to Scam protection module, click browser extension side-menu option, click related button for Microsoft Edge - for me the resulting page is about the beta extension (// as i would think this is the correct way to check which addon/extension should be used).
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Ok, so this is weird. I followed your instructions to go to the extension in Microsoft, add-ons. & there it says "get", as in, to get the extension. But I have the extension installed in my Edge browser already. When I go to "manage my extensions" it shows I have FS BP extension & that's where it shows its the 5.7.21 version. So now I'm confused. lol!!! Unless I need to "get" the new version of the extension maybe?
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But I have the extension installed in my Edge browser already. When I go to "manage my extensions" it shows I have FS BP extension & that's where it shows its the 5.7.21 version. So now I'm confused. lol!!! Unless I need to "get" the new version of the extension maybe?
to me it sounds like you have an extension installed in your browser (stable version, 5.7.21) that is used for the stable F-Secure solution (F-Secure TOTAL, for example) somehow. While the UI offers (directs) the installation of a beta extension for fs protection (you have "get" since it is not installed; but I have the "remove" option since it is already installed).
I think it's safe to use either to some extent. So, you can leave what you are using now. Especially if fs protection does not create a smart task about an error with an extension or its absence.
However, I think that fs protection is designed to work with the beta extension, since the UI opens exactly its page.
I also, tried now to install both of them at the same time. Both work (they consider themselves active), but for me it seems that the beta extension played the first role. My suggestion would be to remove the 5.7.21 (or simply deactivate) extension if you decide to install the beta 6.1.5 extension.
But I don’t know whether you should install the beta extension instead of the stable one; especially if everything works and it is unknown why you have this situation. Maybe the F-Secure team will then answer this question and recommend exactly the right solution.
at least, with Firefox - for me - there is only one (stable) addon available. and so I decided to find out if this should be the case. so maybe there might be options with Microsoft Edge as well.
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It is advisable to use the latest beta version with the beta product. We are rolling new features first into there and the product is also updated in beta to support any changes first.
Mozilla does not allow to have beta version of extension so for Firefox, there is only alpha (internal, not available publicly) and production versions.
Ville
F-Secure R&D, Desktop products
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I don't know if it is the case (requires more information), but Edge has throttling interval when updating extensions. Latest extension version isn't immediately installed on all clients when new version is available at the store.
To update it forcibly you may enable "Developer mode" at edge://extensions/ and then click "Update" button. Or simply remove extension and install again.
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Hello,
Sorry for my reply. These are my thoughts based on the official replies.
So should I take the BP extension out & then reload it? I'm a little surprised we didn't get something telling us to update it? Or it didn't automatically update?
You can try looking at the name of the installed extension in Microsoft Edge.
- If it says "Browsing Protection by F-Secure" - then your installed extension is a stable build (designed for a stable F-Secure solution).
- If it says "Browsing Protection by F-Secure (beta)" // and is 5.7.21 version as for today // - it means that for some reason your extension is not receiving latest updates.
// As such, 'hash' (URL) is also different for both - but you can just stick to comparing by its name (with or without including "beta" in the extension name).
Thus, if the installed extension is not currently a beta build, then:
- disable / remove it;
- and install beta extension (again, by navigating to the place from fs protection UI).
as it is recommended to use beta extension for fs protection (beta solution).
However, if in your Microsoft Edge it says that installed extension is already (beta) - then try steps provided by dukavi above. It should automatically update, but if not - so - then there is an option to try and force it.
Otherwise, your installed extension is (stable) build and so has 'latest available update' and do not telling to update it for purpose.
Thanks!
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Release 19.9 beta 1 (6.0.447)
The underlying technology providing Device Protection and Scam Protection features has been changed and related to this, a number of significant changes have been introduced in version 19.9 as listed below. After FS Protection has been upgraded to 19.9, there will be a period of several minutes while the new Device Protection version is being installed; during this period Windows Defender will be activated to protect the system.
Device Protection changes:
- Device Protection is not yet supported on ARM64 processor computers. ARM64 support will be added in a future beta release.
- The "Scanning settings" tab has been removed from Settings and controls from this tab have been moved to the "Device Protection" tab.
- On the "Device Protection" tab, real-time protection related settings have been simplified by moving them under the "Virus Protection" control.
- The "DeepGuard" setting that controls behavior based detection has been replaced with "Behavior Detection". Files scanned or blocked by signature-based scanning and behavior detection are both counted under the same "Files checked" and "Files blocked" counters in the Main UI: the separate "Applications verified" and "Applications blocked" counters are no longer visible. Also, both "Files checked" and "Files blocked" counters will be reset to zero with 19.9 update.
- The "Ransomware Protection" setting is no longer visible as this feature can no longer be enabled or disabled separately from the main "Virus Protection" setting. Also, the protected folders cannot be configured anymore, and the "Protected" tab has been removed from "App and file control".
- Tamper Protection only protects the Device Protection related components from being disabled or modified, it no longer protects all components of the product.
- Running speed of scheduled scans (low priority vs high speed) can no longer be configured.
- The exclusions mechanism in manual scans has changed: previously, the excluded folders were completely ignored; now they will be processed by the scanner to find possible references to non-excluded folders, and if such references are found, their targets will be scanned. Thus, excluding folders from scanning will somewhat reduce the effect of making scans faster.
- False positives can no longer be reported directly from the "Quarantined" tab of "App and file control". To send a file sample of false positive detection to F-Secure, go to the "Device Protection" view of the Main UI, click on "Submit a sample", and follow instructions on the web page opened.
- Files placed in quarantine before version 19.9 will no longer be accessible and cannot be restored after upgrading to version 19.9. In the future, a special tool for accessing files quarantined by older product versions may be provided.
- Updates of various components of Device Protection are no longer visible as separate entities on the Updates tab in Settings: they are replaced by a single "Device Protection" update.
- The "Turn off protection" functionality is no longer available and the respective button has been removed from the Support tab. Use the "Virus Protection" toggle on "Device Protection" tab in case it is necessary to disable all real-time protections.
Scam Protection changes:
- Web browsers that were kept open during update to version 19.9 need to be restarted in order for protection components utilizing the browser extension to work correctly.
Bug fixes:
- Reputation cache reset crashes the UI (PBL-13715)
- Reputation cache reset not always effective (PBL-13420)
- Settings UI crashes if CTRL-click on navigation menu (PBL-13710)
- Settings UI sometimes opens in wrong page (PBL-13757)
- Settings UI text field misalignment (PBL-13663)
- Smart task progress spinner color and texts wrong (PBL-13738)
- Logout dialog title is not localized (PBL-13648)
Known issues:
- On ARM64, banking sessions are not visible: while user’s banking sessions are protected, the “green” frame will not appear to indicate this.
Ville
F-Secure R&D, Desktop products
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