Health Check FAQ

System Requirements

1. What technology is F-Secure Health Check using?

F-Secure Health Check works with ActiveX. This also means that currently it works only with Internet Explorer.

2. What is ActiveX?

ActiveX is a programming interface (or a so-called API) that allows web browsers to download and execute Windows programs.

3. Apart from Internet Explorer 6 and 7, are any other browsers supported?

No. For the time being, only Internet Explorer 6 or 7 is supported.

4. I am using Windows 2000. Is it supported?

No. Windows 2000 operating system is not supported. Only Windows XP and Windows Vista 32-bit are supported.

However, if you are using Windows 2000 SP4 and want to run the check, you can do it as soon as you install GDI+ on your computer. You can download GDI+ from Microsoft.

For more information about GDI+, see http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms536380.aspx

5. What is required from my computer to be able to use F-Secure Health Check?

Running F-Secure Health Check

1. When I start F-Secure Health Check, a warning is displayed saying that the current security settings prohibit running ActiveX controls. When I click OK, the F-Secure Health Check window closes. Why is this happening?

Your Internet Explorer security settings prevent ActiveX controls from being downloaded and installed on your computer. You need to lower your security settings a little in order to run F-Secure Health Check in Internet Explorer. To fix the issue,

1. In the browser, select Internet Options from the Tools menu and click on the Security tab.
2. Click the Custom Level button to display the security settings.
3. Under ActiveX controls and plug-ins, change the setting of option Download signed ActiveX controls from Disable to Prompt and finally click OK.

There is no need to change anything else. This change will now cause Internet Explorer to prompt you before installing an ActiveX control instead of just rejecting it. Before you accept an ActiveX control, always check the signature of the ActiveX control and that the signature has been verified by a trusted CA.

Warning: Do not select the Enable alternative for downloading ActiveX controls, since it might lead to that harmful content is installed on your computer without your knowledge.

2. A security warning is displayed when I open the F-Secure Health Check page. It asks me if I want to install and run Health Check. Why is this happening?

The F-Secure Health Check architecture is based on ActiveX (for more information, see What is ActiveX). Depending on the security settings, Internet Explorer will, for security reasons, probably ask the user for confirmation before any ActiveX control can be downloaded, installed and run. This is to prevent unwanted malicious software from being installed on your computer. To ensure that F-Secure Health Check is safe to install, check that

3. How do I uninstall F-Secure Health Check from my computer?

F-Secure Health Check only installs ActiveX controls. Usually you do not need to uninstall ActiveX controls. If, however, you need to remove ActiveX, it can be done as follows:

1. In Windows Explorer, open the Downloaded Program Files folder under the Windows folder.
2. Right-click on F-Secure Health Check and select Remove.
3. Delete folder PCHC_1_1 in C:\Documents and Settings\xxxxxxx\LocalSettings\Temp\.

Functionality

1. Does F-Secure Health Check check my computer for Viruses, Trojan Horses, Backdoors, Bots, Rootkits and other malware?

No. Use your security software, such as F-Secure Internet Security or F-Secure Online Virus Scanner to scan your computer for malware.

F-Secure Health Check checks your computer for potentially unsafe software and, by suggesting solutions, helps you to resolve the situation before it turns into a problem.

2. Does the F-Secure Health Check protect me against viruses, hackers and phishing attempts?

No. We strongly suggest that you install and use a security software, such as F-Secure Internet Security to protect your computer against malware.

F-Secure Health Check analyzes your computer for potentially unsafe software and by suggesting solutions helps you to resolve the situation before it turns into a problem. What security measures you take, is entirely up to you.

3. F-Secure Health Check did not report checking one of my installed software tools. What does this mean?

The list of known vulnerabilities and applications that can be checked by F-Secure Health Check is quite extensive yet still limited. However, F-Secure Health Check can help you to take appropriate security measures by suggesting applicable solutions. What security measures you take is entirely up to you.

Please make sure that all software you use is as secure as possible. Install all the security-related updates and patches available, and, if possible, upgrade your software to the latest version available.

4. Why does Health Check recommend not to use unsupported software?

Once a vendor has stopped to support a specific software version, there will no longer be any fixes to vulnerabilities or issues, if any, with that particular version. Also, if you have an outdated software version and need support, the vendors advice will most likely be to install the latest version of the software.

5. The big traffic light gives me a yellow result after the check. What does that mean?

The yellow result in the check indicates that you have taken care of the most important things regarding your security, such as the security software and Windows updates. You can further add to your security by patching the issues found by Health Check and upgrading your applications to secure versions.

6. The big traffic light gives me a red result after the check. What does that mean?

The red result in the check indicates that you have issues in the most critical parts of your security, i.e. vulnerabilities in your security applications and Windows. To be safe, you need to have an up-to-date security application with Anti-Virus, Firewall and Anti-Spyware. You should also install the latest Windows updates.

Fixing Security Issues

1. F-Secure Health Check found vulnerabilities in my computer. What should I do?

Click the Solve button, then download and install the update from the third party company. Once your have installed the update, the vulnerabilities will be repaired.

If there are unsupported applications installed on your computer, you should either get a newer version from the software vendor or uninstall the unsupported version and start using another application for the purpose.

2. I followed the instructions to fix a vulnerability but I am not able to fix the issue with the downloaded patch. What should I do?

If the patch from the software vendor does not work, contact the vendor of the software. Note also that if the software is no longer supported, you may need to uninstall the software or upgrade to a newer version to fix the issue.

3. F-Secure Health Check tells me that Windows does not have the security update KB900936 installed. What should I do?

KB900936 is not actually a security update. If F-Secure Health Check tells you that it is missing, it means that your computer cannot connect to the Microsoft Live Update server. Therefore, you cannot receive the latest Windows security updates. For instructions to fix the connection, please see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/900936

Privacy

1. What does F-Secure Health Check check for?

F-Secure Health Check checks your computer and the software installed on it for vulnerabilities, and it gives you suggestions about how to make your computer safe for using the Internet.

F-Secure Health Check does not check your computer for any malicious software, neither does it protect you against infection or installation of any malicious software.

2. Who will be informed about the result of the analysis?

F-Secure Health Check is fully confidential and respects your privacy. Only you will informed about the result of the analysis.

F-Secure, your Internet Service Provider and the software manufacturers will not be informed about the result of the check.

3. Does F-Secure Health Check report the content of my hard disk to Microsoft?

No. F-Secure Health Check is fully confidential and respects your privacy. F-Secure Health Check does not report any information to anyone else but you.

F-Secure, your Internet Service Provider and the software manufacturers will not be informed about the result of the check.