f-secure host process stopped working

today while i was viewing reliability monitor, i noted a strange thing. it was showing that f-secure host process stopped working at 4/24/2014 12:01 AM. however i did not get any message from f-secure internet security. the only unusual thing i can say is that last time the computer was not shutdown properly. i have to force shutdown it by pressing power button. and upon restart i started it in safe mode. now everything is working as it should. but "f-secure host process stopped working" this is quite unusual. it should not happen. isnt it? and also can it have any corelation with improper shutdown? however since yesterday it has been startedup and shutdown 3 times. only last time i encountered that computer in not shutting down.

Comments

  • NikK
    NikK Posts: 903 Forum Champion

    If it's a one time occurrence you probably don't have to worry about it. If it happens again you can submit a Support Request and attach an FSDIAG file so support can take a look at your log files.

  • kris
    kris Posts: 38 Explorer

    @NikK wrote:

    If it's a one time occurrence you probably don't have to worry about it. If it happens again you can submit a Support Request and attach an FSDIAG file so support can take a look at your log files.


    thanks nikk. will do if needed.

  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser
    Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the host process is the FS icon in the system tray that has some right click options, or opens Launch Pad. If it stops working, or, as I have experienced, doesn't appear when starting Windows, it doesn't mean that FS itself isn't working, so not a cause to be overly concerned.
  • kris
    kris Posts: 38 Explorer

    @Simon wrote:
    Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the host process is the FS icon in the system tray that has some right click options, or opens Launch Pad. If it stops working, or, as I have experienced, doesn't appear when starting Windows, it doesn't mean that FS itself isn't working, so not a cause to be overly concerned.

    thanks simon. i struck with yet another shutdown problem. last time just a few minuted ago my laptop once again refused to shutdown. it just stopped at shutting down screen. i was seeing the icon was moving but hardisk light was intermittantly blinking. but nothing was happening except that. and after 22 minutes. i have to force shutdown it agin 2nd time in a single day. i dont know something unusual is goning on or not.

  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser

    It's not unheard of for F-Secure (or any other AV product) to cause shutdown issues, but the last time I had any such issue with FS was in around 2007, so I wouldn't put money on it being the culprit in this case.

     

    My initial thought is that perhaps Windows Updates are trying / waiting / failing (delete as appropriate) to install, and that's what's messing with the shutdown process.  Have you checked Windows Updates to see if anything is pending, and when your last confirmed update was installed?

  • kris
    kris Posts: 38 Explorer

    @Simon wrote:

    It's not unheard of for F-Secure (or any other AV product) to cause shutdown issues, but the last time I had any such issue with FS was in around 2007, so I wouldn't put money on it being the culprit in this case.

     

    My initial thought is that perhaps Windows Updates are trying / waiting / failing (delete as appropriate) to install, and that's what's messing with the shutdown process.  Have you checked Windows Updates to see if anything is pending, and when your last confirmed update was installed?


    yes simon. i checked windows update. all windows updates are installed. and last windows update was installed  2-3 days before this issue. it should not be the cause of shutdown problem. i also tried different tools like killswitch to see if anything unusual is going on. but till now it doesnt seem that anything unusual is going on. the only thing i noted is that the computer keeps downloading something. i keep task manager opened all the time while connected to internet. so i saw that. may be shutdown problem could be related to that.

  • NikK
    NikK Posts: 903 Forum Champion

    Have you checked the Windows logs for related errors? Launch the Event Viewer and look. I previously had repeated F-Secure errors, although it never caused any crash. They stopped when I upgraded IS 2014:

    http://community.f-secure.com/t5/Security/fshoster32-exe-registry-leak-at/m-p/33793

     

     

    Regarding Task Manager I recommend you try Process Explorer. You can find much more information than in Task Manager. And it has an option to check(scan) all processes on VirusTotal, a multi-engine scanner with 50+ different AV's. Really smooth way to scan all running processes with 50 AV's! If you like it there's an option to replace it as Task Manager.  

     

    I've written about it here: http://community.f-secure.com/t5/Security/How-to-easily-scan-all-processes/m-p/43599

     

    PS. You need to launch it with administrator rights to access processes running with System privileges.

  • kris
    kris Posts: 38 Explorer

    @NikK wrote:

    Have you checked the Windows logs for related errors? Launch the Event Viewer and look. I previously had repeated F-Secure errors, although it never caused any crash. They stopped when I upgraded IS 2014:

    http://community.f-secure.com/t5/Security/fshoster32-exe-registry-leak-at/m-p/33793

     

     

    Regarding Task Manager I recommend you try Process Explorer. You can find much more information than in Task Manager. And it has an option to check(scan) all processes on VirusTotal, a multi-engine scanner with 50+ different AV's. Really smooth way to scan all running processes with 50 AV's! If you like it there's an option to replace it as Task Manager.  

     

    I've written about it here: http://community.f-secure.com/t5/Security/How-to-easily-scan-all-processes/m-p/43599

     

    PS. You need to launch it with administrator rights to access processes running with System privileges.


    hello nikk, as you recommended i opened event viewer and i found several errors of "f-secure gatekeeper" it is related with office14/MSOSYNC.EXE /MSOUC.EXE and also with ........fsgemt.dll. this thing is above my understanding. i am not able to decide whether everything is alright or not. these were one of the several errors of "f-secure gatekeeper"

  • NikK
    NikK Posts: 903 Forum Champion

    ok, I think sending an FSDIAG to support is your best shot to solve this

  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser
    I wonder if MSOSYNC relates to some sort of Outlook / Office process? Are you syncing anything on the affected machine with another device?
  • kris
    kris Posts: 38 Explorer

    @Simon wrote:
    I wonder if MSOSYNC relates to some sort of Outlook / Office process? Are you syncing anything on the affected machine with another device?

    hello simon and nikk, it seems that office one note. the application i downloaded few days ago is the real cause of problem. i was even unable to uninstall it through control panel. i uninstalled it with microsoft tool. now there is no more bandwidth consumption in background. everything seems to be came to normal. will wait for few hours and report again if i will find anyhing regarding this issue.

  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser
    Interesting... It might still be useful if you could send an FSDIAG in to F-Secure, by way of a support ticket, so they can try to establish if there are any incompatibilities between FS and Onenote.

    Don't worry that you've now uninstalled it - what went on will still show up in the FSDIAG. :)
  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser
    Oh, and refer them to this thread, as it might be helpful to them to see the discussion.
  • kris
    kris Posts: 38 Explorer

    @Simon wrote:
    Interesting... It might still be useful if you could send an FSDIAG in to F-Secure, by way of a support ticket, so they can try to establish if there are any incompatibilities between FS and Onenote.

    Don't worry that you've now uninstalled it - what went on will still show up in the FSDIAG. :)

    thanks nikk  and simon. will do.

  • NikK
    NikK Posts: 903 Forum Champion

    office14/MSOSYNC.EXE is part of Office 2010 which I've previously run for at least a year alongside F-Secure without problems. The process ran in the background with hidden systray icon (I think) without interfering with anything else, so I don't think it's a general problem with Office. If it were we would have heard of it before.

     

    FSDIAG will hopefully explain what's going on.

  • Ville
    Ville Posts: 671 F-Secure Employee

    @Simon 

     

    You are not entirely correct. There are multiple F-Secure host processes running in a system. One, which runs as SYSTEM is running our scanners, updates etc. For each logged in user, there is a separate host process, which shows user interface (tray icon, launch pad, notifications etc).

     

    The severity of the problem depends on which one crashed here, but naturally none of our processes should crash.

     

    Ville

    (F-Secure R&D)

     

    Ville

    F-Secure R&D, Desktop products

  • Simon
    Simon Posts: 2,667 Superuser
    OK, I was just going by my own experience of my tray icon disappearing, and this being described as a host process. Thanks for the correction, and further info, Ville.
  • Jack
    Jack Posts: 69 Active Engager

    Please tell me what F Secure Host Process is.  My system is shutting it down saying it is unnecessary.  Please help me to know if it is important toward watching for viruses.  If I don't need it I have nothing to worry about but I have no idea what it is.  What is F Secure Host Process?

  • Ville
    Ville Posts: 671 F-Secure Employee

    @Jack 

     

    All F-Secure processes are required for the product to work properly. Please do not shut down any of them or you will compromise your security.

     

    F-Secure host process is a generic container process that hosts plugins. Plugins are for example virus scanning logic or user interface.

     

    Ville

    (F-Secure R&D)

     

    Ville

    F-Secure R&D, Desktop products

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