F-Secure PC Protection Plus provided by TruVista Communications

F-Secure PC Protection Plus End-User FAQs

1. I am experiencing technical difficulties with F-Secure PC Protection Plus. How can I proceed?
Our friendly Customer Care Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your questions. If you wish to contact us, please call Toll Free at 1-800-804-5783. We appreciate your comments and look forward to serving you!

2. I have subscribed to the F-Secure PC Protection Plus but cannot install my software. Why?
Here is a list of the most frequent reasons preventing the installation:

Please use the Online Scanner to check your PC for possible virus infections and remove them.

3. I have a shared Internet connection; can I use F-Secure PC Protection Plus on all the computers?
Yes, it is recommended to use F-Secure PC Protection Plus on each PC. Your subscription to F-Secure PC Protection Plus allows you to install it on up to three (3) computers.

4. Can I give a copy of the software to a friend?
No. Each installation of the service needs to be made using a subscription key. If your friend installs the service using your subscription key, your installation will stop working. Distributing F-Secure PC Protection Plus without permission is against copyright laws.

5. I formatted my hard drive. Do I need to register again?
No, you do not need to register again for F-Secure PC Protection Plus. If you still have your subscription number (###-###-####-####-####) you can reinstall F-Secure PC Protection Plus and use the same subscription number. However, if you have lost your registration information, click here.

6. Is the service really updated automatically?
Yes. F-Secure PC Protection Plus updates itself automatically. However, you need to be connected to the Internet.

7. I used to play network games or use peer-to-peer software on the web before I installed the software. Now these applications do not work anymore. What now?
If this occurs, please change the settings of your Internet Shield security level. The Internet Shield security levels are a set of security rules that allow you to modify your level of Internet Shield protection. In most cases, a security level set to the "Normal" status will allow you to run these types of applications without any problems. To change your active security level, open F-Secure PC Protection Plus user interface by clicking F-Secure PC Protection Plus icon in the right-hand corner (in the System Tray). Click "Internet Shield" button, click the "Advanced" link. Afterwards, choose the "Normal" security level.

8. Does F-Secure PC Protection Plus work with another antivirus or firewall software, which was previously installed on my computer?
No. You cannot have two of the same service components from different vendors installed on your PC (e.g. two antivirus solutions from different vendors). You must remove any other anti-virus or firewall software before installing F-Secure PC Protection Plus. F-Secure PC Protection Plus will automatically detect and remove your old well known antivirus and/or firewall software during the installation.

9. I have many files with extensions "0xe" or "0ll" on my hard drive. What are these files?
These files were originally viruses that have been renamed by F-Secure PC Protection Plus in order to prevent them from infecting your computer. Disinfection was not possible because these files were 100% virus code and F-Secure PC Protection Plus renamed them automatically by giving them a .0xe or 0ll extension. Renamed files (like "0xe" or "0ll") still contain malicious code, but they cannot spread or harm your computer anymore. You can delete the files manually or let F-Secure PC Protection Plus remove them automatically.

10. Does IRC (Internet Relay Chat) work with F-Secure PC Protection Plus?
Yes. If your Internet Shield Security Level is set to "Normal," F-Secure PC Protection Plus will allow IRC by default. However, if you are using another Security Level or have added your own firewall rules or services, remember to check that "Service IRC" and "Service IDENT" traffic is allowed in both ways in the Security Level that you are using.

11. Why is the first F-Secure PC Protection Plus installation package so large?
The first package contains the whole solution download. Future updates will be significantly smaller.

12. Why does downloading F-Secure PC Protection Plus updates take so long?
If you are browsing other websites while the download is taking place, this will slow down the download speed.

13. How do I know that I have the latest update?
You can see the update packages and their date stamps on F-Secure PC Protection Plus "Automatic Updates" pane. To check if there are newer updates available, click the "check now" link in the "Automatic Updates" pane.

14. Why is my PC a little bit slower than before installation?
Your F-Secure PC Protection Plus will take a small portion of free resources from your PC. This might cause a minor slowdown of your computer. However, F-Secure PC Protection Plus will not affect your everyday PC use.

15. How do I know that the software is properly installed and running?
Please check the F-Secure PC Protection Plus icon displayed on your Windows system tray, at the bottom right corner of your screen. If the product installation is still ongoing you will see an indication above the icon. In case of product malfunction or out-of-date databases, the icon will change accordingly.

16. How do I know that my F-Secure PC Protection Plus is valid and that automated updates are working?
You can check the status of the F-Secure PC Protection Plus by double clicking on the icon in the Windows system tray in the bottom right hand corner of your screen. Now you will see the main settings of the program. If the status of F-Secure PC Protection Plus is shown as "Protected" and the rest of the settings show a green light, the service is functioning. If the status lights have switched to yellow or red, please refer to user manual for further assistance.

17. Is my F-Secure PC Protection Plus compatible with Microsoft Windows XP ServicePack 2 Security Center and the operating system's internal firewall?
Yes, it is compatible. After F-Secure PC Protection Plus installation, it is not necessary to have the Windows XP internal firewall enabled anymore.

Installation

We strongly recommend that you uninstall any other Internet security software including anti-virus and firewall software before installing F-Secure PC Protection Plus. Running two Internet security programs at the same time can cause system instability, slow performance, and may prevent you from connecting to the Internet.

To uninstall other Internet security software and install F-Secure PC Protection Plus:

  1. Click here to download the F-Secure PC Protection Plus setup program.
  2. Disconnect your computer from the Internet. This step protects your computer from security threats while you remove your current security software.
  3. Open the Windows Control Panel.
  4. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
  5. Select your current Internet security program.
  6. Click the button labeled Remove, Change/Remove, or Add/Remove.
  7. If prompted to confirm that you wish to remove the program, click Yes.

When the software has been uninstalled, restart your computer. Afterwards, you may install F-Secure PC Protection Plus. Once installation is complete, you can reconnect your computer to the Internet.

18. What is required from my PC to be able to use the F-Secure PC Protection Plus?
To be able to use the F-Secure PC Protection Plus, your PC needs to meet the system requirements:

System Recommendations Required
Recommended RAM Windows XP and 2000 Professional 512 MB
Recommended RAM Windows Vista 1 GB
Recommended Available Disk Space for all OS 800 MB

19. Which operating systems does the service support?
F-Secure PC Protection Plus currently supports the following operating systems: Win 2000, XP, and Vista. However, F-Secure PC Protection Plus does not support the server versions of the above operating systems. Only Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 are server operating systems.

20. Is the F-Secure PC Protection Plus available for Apple Macintosh?
No. F-Secure PC Protection Plus is only available for Microsoft Windows (workstation) operating systems.

21. How do I uninstall the software?
Follow the steps below to uninstall:

  1. Click on Start
  2. Click on Programs
  3. Click on F-Secure PC Protection Plus
  4. Click on Uninstall F-Secure PC Protection Plus
  5. Reboot your computer

22. After I installed the product and re-booted, the computer seems to freeze and does not react. What is happening?
You most likely installed the application on top of an existing antivirus or firewall application, which was not automatically removed by the system during the installation. You will need to reset the computer and start the system in Safe Mode (reboot computer, after a few seconds the system will ask you whether or not to go into the booting options by pushing a function button). Once Safe Mode is selected, you will need to uninstall the old antivirus and/or firewall application through the Control Panel.

23. I have received an e-mail about a virus. The message says that the virus is really dangerous. What can I do?
Most likely you have received a chain letter that spreads information about a non-existent virus or a hoax. More information about viruses and hoaxes can be found on F-Secure web pages at http://www.F-Secure.com/virus-info/.

24. After installation or an upgrade I still can't access or locate F-Secure PC Protection Plus on my computer. What is wrong?
It is possible that the download process of the software package was not completed. As a result, some of the necessary F-Secure PC Protection Plus components have not yet been installed. You will need an active Internet connection to proceed with the remaining download before finalizing the installation.

25. After installation of F-Secure PC Protection Plus, I have no access to the Internet or my e-mail. Why?
One possibility is that you have denied your browser's network connections. To verify this, open the "Advanced" settings of your Firewall. On the "Application Control" panel, you will see a list of allowed and denied applications. Check that the "Access" rule is on the "Allow" mode for your browser, for example "iexplore.exe" if you are using Internet Explorer.

26. I have no access to certain Internet sites after installation of F-Secure PC Protection Plus. Why?
If this is caused by Parental Controls, you will see a notification "This webpage has been denied by Parental Controls." In this case, please check your F-Secure PC Protection Plus Parental Controls "Advanced" settings, so that access to the Internet sites are allowed. You can also manually allow or deny access to defined sites in the Parental Controls "Advanced" settings.

Anti-Virus

27. F-Secure PC Protection Plus Virus Protection has detected a virus in the "System volume information" or the "_RESTORE" folder, but it cannot disinfect, rename or delete the infected file. What can be done to get access to those files?
"System Restore" is a feature of Windows XP and if the virus infects the computer, it is possible that the virus could be backed up in the system restore folder. You need to disable "System Restore" by completing the following steps:

Windows XP

  1. Select My Computer (right click)
  2. Select Properties
  3. Select the System Restore tab
  4. Select "Turn off System Restore"
  5. Press Apply.
  6. Press OK
  7. Restart the computer
  8. Scan all hard drives and all files with F-Secure PC Protection Plus

When you have scanned all files and disinfected them, go through those steps again and turn on the system restore in step 4.

28. Should I manually scan my hard disks on a daily basis?
No, this is not necessary. The Anti-Virus solution includes real-time scanning, which means that your system is scanned for viruses real-time. You can manually scan for viruses by defining a "Scheduled Scanning" routine. To do this; open the "Advanced" settings of the Virus Protection, go the "Scheduled Scanning" and define the scanning routine. Be aware that the "Enable scheduled scanning" check box is checked.

29. How do I update the databases of F-Secure PC Protection Plus?
F-Secure PC Protection Plus automatically updates itself, no user interaction is needed. If you are using a modem, automatic updates are performed every time you connect to the Internet. If you have a broadband connection, updates are checked once per hour. In case you want to manually check if there are new updates available, choose on the "Automatic Updates" button and click the "Check Now" link.

30. My F-Secure PC Protection Plus Virus Protection manual scanning is very slow or does not finish at all. Why?
If you are running other operations on your PC at the same time this situation can occur. These other operations could be maintenance programs, such as scandisk or disk de-fragmentation. Please stop running other software activities before scanning to expedite the manual scanning process.

Internet Shield

31. What is "Internet Shield"?
The "Internet Shield" lets safe Internet traffic pass while blocking dangerous Internet traffic. It protects your computer against hackers and malicious Internet traffic such as worms and Trojan horses.

F-Secure PC Protection Plus "Internet Shield" includes: Internet Shield, application control, intrusion prevention and dial-up control.

32. What is the difference between "Internet Shield Security Levels" and "Internet Shield Rules"?
F-Secure PC Protection Plus includes several "Internet Shield Security Levels" that enable the end-user to allow more flexible or severe security policies. Every "Internet Shield Security Level" is composed out of a set of pre-configured "Internet Shield Rules." Expert users may create their own "Internet Shield Rules" to modify the "Security Level."

33. How can I change my security level in F-Secure PC Protection Plus?
Double-click the green F-Secure PC Protection Plus icon on your system tray in the bottom right corner of your screen. On F-Secure PC Protection Plus main menu, choose "Internet Shield." Then click on the "Advanced" link on the bottom right corner. In the "Advanced" window, choose your preferred "Internet Shield Security Level." After selecting your preferred security level, click on the "Apply" button.

34. How do I change the Internet Shield rules?
Double-click F-Secure PC Protection Plus icon on your system tray in the bottom right corner of your screen. On F-Secure PC Protection Plus main menu, choose "Internet Shield." On the "Internet Shield" line, click on the "Configure" link. The Internet Shield window opens up. On the "Rules" tab, click on the "Add" button. This will open the "Internet Shield Rule Wizard" window. You will define your own Internet Shield rule(s) by running through the wizard.

35. I want to allow all traffic (for some reason, temporarily). How do I do this?
The only way to allow all Internet traffic is to right click on F-Secure PC Protection Plus icon, choose "Unload" from the menu, then "Unload and allow all network traffic." Please note that you will not be secured when allowing all traffic. To restore your security again, please right-click on F-Secure PC Protection Plus icon and choose "Reload."

36. Why is my FTP software not functioning after F-Secure PC Protection Plus installation?
You have to add a new Internet Shield rule (outbound) in your security level. To add a new rule: click on the "Configure" link on the "Internet Shield" line of your "Internet Shield." Choose the "Rules" tab and click the "Add" button. Run through the wizard and use the predefined "FTP - active mode" service (step 3 in the wizard).

Parental Controls

37. Why do I need the Parental Controls password?
If Parental Controls is enabled, the Parental Controls password is necessary for every change in F-Secure PC Protection Plus settings. Even the user interface of the service cannot be opened without the password.

38. How can I change the Parental Controls settings?
New rules can be added from the advanced settings of Parental Controls. On the Parental Controls tab click on the allowed and denied website link. This will open a view listing all visited, allowed and denied websites in their own tabs. New sites can be added to the allowed or denied lists using the add button.

If you are using Internet Explorer, new sites can be listed as allowed or denied using F-Secure PC Protection Plus web filter button in the browser's toolbar.

39. How can I disable Parental Controls temporarily?
To disable Parental Controls, please click disable link on the Parental Controls line of the main user interface. NOTE! To be able to perform this or any other action of F-Secure PC Protection Plus settings, the Parental Controls password is required.

40. I have forgotten my Parental Controls password, how can I access the F-Secure PC Protection Plus settings?
If Parental Controls is enabled, you are required to enter your Parental Controls password in order to access your settings in the F-Secure PC Protection Plus Control Panel. If you forgot your password, you can access F-Secure PC Protection Plus settings by using your subscription number.

Spam Control

41. How can I change Spam Control settings?
To access Spam control settings, please click the advanced link of the main user interface. This will open the advanced settings screen. Click on the Spam control link on the left side menu to open the tree structure. In order to view or configure allowed or denied senders, click on the corresponding link on the left. New allowed or denied e-mail recipients can be added by using the add button.

For further instructions please click the help button on the bottom left corner of your F-Secure PC Protection Plus window.

42. How do I allow or deny e-mail coming from a certain address?
To allow e-mails from a certain address or a domain, go to advanced settings and choose allowed addresses on the left hand side of the Spam control menu. If you want to allow e-mails from certain domains, add "*" as the wildcard indicating any address in the certain domain, then add the rest of the address after @ sign.

Example: *@f-secure.com, on the allow list, this would allow all e-mails coming from the F-Secure domain.

Anti-Spyware

43. What is spyware?
Spyware is software that can record and send through the Internet your keystrokes, history, passwords, and other confidential and private information. Spyware is often sold as a spouse monitor, child monitor, a surveillance tool or simply as a tool, to spy on users to gain unauthorized access.

44. How do I protect against spyware?
F-Secure PC Protection Plus has a real-time spyware scanning enabled by default combined to Anti-Virus protection. You may also run a separate manual scan for spyware.

45. Why do I find lots of spyware when I scan my computer?
Most likely the majority of found spyware items are so-called "tracking cookies". Cookies are items in an Internet browser that web sites use to save some information on the user's computer. Those cookies can compromise your privacy.

46. Why does software I've been using not function after cleaning spyware from computer?
Some software may contain spyware, and after cleaning spyware from the computer that software may not function properly. If you choose to continue using the software despite the spyware, you can restore the quarantined spyware. After restoring it you can make a manual scan for spyware and choose to exclude the needed spyware. As a result, the excluded spyware will not be found in real-time scanning or manual scans.

47. How do I restore quarantined spyware?
To restore quarantined spyware:

  1. Open main user interface
  2. Choose Virus & Spy Protection
  3. Click Configure on the line Quarantined Spyware
  4. Select the spyware to restore by clicking the line and click Restore button

48. How do I delete quarantined spyware?
To delete permanently quarantined spyware:

  1. Open main user interface
  2. Choose Virus & Spy Protection
  3. Click Configure on the line Quarantined Spyware
  4. Select the spyware to delete by clicking the line and click Delete button