F-Secure 18.1 released

Zartarra

Level 7
Verified
Well-known
May 9, 2019
312
Well, I contacted F-Secure through the beta program and got a reply within a few hours.

1) The Rainbow Six Siege issue is known to them. F-Secure injects code into it, and apparently the game doesn't like it and refuses to start. I think most third-party AV products injects code into most processes, and usually the AV company and the game developers works together to come up with a solution to not cause any incompatibility. F-Secure hasn't done that it seems. They have asked me to submit the exe file explaining the issue in details. I'll do that and see what happens. Maybe they'll skip injecting code into it based on certificate whitelisting? I don't know...anyway,

2) Turns out F-Secure's game mode relies on Windows's own game mode. Game mode is enabled by default on Windows and when it detects a game it automatically enables it for the game. When Windows does that, F-Secure also enables their game mode. According to them, they tried to do the full-screen detection method for activating game mode, but that caused problems for them and didn't receive positive feedbacks. So they've chosen to go this route. This is a pretty good idea IMO.
There's gonna be some games where Windows's Game mode won't activate, but it's very easy to enable that for that particular game.
Here are examples:

i) Run a game then press "Windows Icon + G" to access Game Bar, press the settings icon there to see whether game mode has been activated for the game.
If it Windows recognizes the game, then it'll look like this.
View attachment 261562
Here I'm playing the game "Death Stranding" and Windows has detected that and activated game mode automatically. Which means F-Secure's game is also activated. In this case you won't have to do anything.

ii) Here I'm playing Telltale Games, Game of Thrones - Season 1 the game. Windows hasn't detected it as a game, so game mode hasn't been activated.
View attachment 261563
All you need to do is to access game bar again by pressing "Windows Icon + G", click the settings icon and tick the option "Remember this is a game". From now on Windows will always activate game mode when this game is run meaning F-Secure will do the same too.
You can do it for literally any programs whether it's a game or not.
Thanks @SeriousHoax for the information and explanation.

I am going to test the game mode with some Blizzard games.
 

Szellem

Level 6
Verified
Well-known
Apr 15, 2020
251
Well, I contacted F-Secure through the beta program and got a reply within a few hours.

1) The Rainbow Six Siege issue is known to them. F-Secure injects code into it, and apparently the game doesn't like it and refuses to start. I think most third-party AV products injects code into most processes, and usually the AV company and the game developers works together to come up with a solution to not cause any incompatibility. F-Secure hasn't done that it seems. They have asked me to submit the exe file explaining the issue in details. I'll do that and see what happens. Maybe they'll skip injecting code into it based on certificate whitelisting? I don't know...anyway,

2) Turns out F-Secure's game mode relies on Windows's own game mode. Game mode is enabled by default on Windows and when it detects a game it automatically enables it for the game. When Windows does that, F-Secure also enables their game mode. According to them, they tried to do the full-screen detection method for activating game mode, but that caused problems for them and didn't receive positive feedbacks. So they've chosen to go this route. This is a pretty good idea IMO.
There's gonna be some games where Windows's Game mode won't activate, but it's very easy to enable that for that particular game.
Here are examples:

i) Run a game then press "Windows Icon + G" to access Game Bar, press the settings icon there to see whether game mode has been activated for the game.
If it Windows recognizes the game, then it'll look like this.
View attachment 261562
Here I'm playing the game "Death Stranding" and Windows has detected that and activated game mode automatically. Which means F-Secure's game is also activated. In this case you won't have to do anything.

ii) Here I'm playing Telltale Games, Game of Thrones - Season 1 the game. Windows hasn't detected it as a game, so game mode hasn't been activated.
View attachment 261563
All you need to do is to access game bar again by pressing "Windows Icon + G", click the settings icon and tick the option "Remember this is a game". From now on Windows will always activate game mode when this game is run meaning F-Secure will do the same too.
You can do it for literally any programs whether it's a game or not.
Thank you for your help. ;)
 

upnorth

Moderator
Thread author
Verified
Staff Member
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Jul 27, 2015
5,457
Game Mode that with version 18.1 is turned ON automatic, does 2 parts with the software, that is important to understand. Unless one don't game that is.
automatically stops all scheduled scans and suspends product and database updates
Scheduled scans is not ON by default, meaning users have to click it in settings and enable it first. Game Mode " issues " in F-Secure will not even risk effect schedule scans, unless one actually have it enabled. I also have not seen any actual confirmation on this specific part in this thread or elsewhere. Same thing with the suspension or not on the product and database updates.

If F-Secure does not register a game in it's user interface ( might very well be a " bug " as the automatic feature and text shortcut/notification in the user interface was very recent added ) it's highly recommended to contact the official support. It's also very recommended to supply the file ( FSDIAG ) that F-Secures support tool create.

F-Secures support:

Btw, this thread is for the stable version of F-Secure. All Beta version reports or information is to be posted in the correct thread/s as otherwise it risk confuse.
 

Zartarra

Level 7
Verified
Well-known
May 9, 2019
312
Since today I cannot start several Microsoft Office 2016 application like Excel, Word and Powerpoint. I have no issues with Outlook and Access. It seems that Deepguard is causing the issue. But I get no notification. When I disable Deepguard or add the applications to the exclusion list, I can start all Office applications.

Have someone else also this issue?
 

BigWrench

Level 17
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 13, 2014
845
Since today I cannot start several Microsoft Office 2016 application like Excel, Word and Powerpoint. I have no issues with Outlook and Access. It seems that Deepguard is causing the issue. But I get no notification. When I disable Deepguard or add the applications to the exclusion list, I can start all Office applications.

Have someone else also this issue?
No issues here.
 

upnorth

Moderator
Thread author
Verified
Staff Member
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Jul 27, 2015
5,457
Since today I cannot start several Microsoft Office 2016 application like Excel, Word and Powerpoint. I have no issues with Outlook and Access. It seems that Deepguard is causing the issue. But I get no notification. When I disable Deepguard or add the applications to the exclusion list, I can start all Office applications.

Have someone else also this issue?
Interesting, but nope, no problem here. I even tested open Excel, Word and Powerpoint and those work flawless. But it's the latest version Office 365 and not sure what version @BigWrench use?

It's interesting from the point of view if Deepguard catch something, but you can't fully trace what. Probably best advice in your case and if your comfortable with it, you should contact the official support. Use also the support tool that create the FSDIAG file. It will help the support possible trace the " issue " much faster. The support tool is normally located local on your system as it also gets installed when you install F-Secure. Found in the same folder in the start menu.
 

BigWrench

Level 17
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 13, 2014
845
Interesting, but nope, no problem here. I even tested open Excel, Word and Powerpoint and those work flawless. But it's the latest version Office 365 and not sure what version @BigWrench use?

It's interesting from the point of view if Deepguard catch something, but you can't fully trace what. Probably best advice in your case and if your comfortable with it, you should contact the official support. Use also the support tool that create the FSDIAG file. It will help the support possible trace the " issue " much faster. The support tool is normally located local on your system as it also gets installed when you install F-Secure. Found in the same folder in the start menu.
Office 2016, and Office 2013.
 

Zartarra

Level 7
Verified
Well-known
May 9, 2019
312
Thanks for the info @upnorth & @BigWrench.
I opened a call via their chat. First thing they said is to uninstall Safe an try Office again. Strange anwser because Office is working. There is only an problem with Word, Excel and Powerpoint. If I add the exe's to the Deep guard exclusion list, I can open Excel.

I got a follow-up mail and answer the steppes that I took and that the issue is still their. I got this as respons: "May I know is everything okay? Is there anything else I can help you with?" :unsure:.
 

upnorth

Moderator
Thread author
Verified
Staff Member
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Jul 27, 2015
5,457
I opened a call via their chat. First thing they said is to uninstall Safe an try Office again. Strange anwser because Office is working. There is only an problem with Word, Excel and Powerpoint. If I add the exe's to the Deep guard exclusion list, I can open Excel.

I got a follow-up mail and answer the steppes that I took and that the issue is still their. I got this as respons: "May I know is everything okay? Is there anything else I can help you with?" :unsure:.
A plain re-install of SAFE is many times the normal procedure, but I think it's always best for a official support to be left alone until they actually 100% state they can't do anything more. It sounds very weird that their support would just start and end it with a SAFE uninstall advice, and call it a day!? 🤷‍♂️

As long you actually supplied the FSDIAG file, if not do it in your next reply, and try be a bit more stubborn this time. As I said before, it sounds to me that Deepguard catch/ react to something on your system, and that should be interesting even for the support. Extra so if it's something malicious.
 

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