Symptom
- When you click Update Now nothing happens, the update window never appears and the add-in stays on the same version.
- You get an error message when you start Microsoft Word (Access is denied at IM-Update.Updater.CheckForUpdates())
Error Log Details
If I look at the logs in C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\Information Mapping\FS Pro 6\Log\logging.log I can see, Access is denied:
System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception (0x80004005): Access is denied
at System.Diagnostics.Process.StartWithShellExecuteEx(ProcessStartInfo startInfo)
at System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(ProcessStartInfo startInfo)
at InformationMapping.Update.Updater.LaunchUI(Boolean auto)
at InformationMapping.Update.Updater.CheckForUpdates()
at InformationMapping.FSPro.Word.Ribbon.InitUpdates()
at InformationMapping.FSPro.Word.Ribbon.InitFSPro()
at InformationMapping.FSPro.Word.Ribbon.Ribbon_Load(IRibbonUI ribbonUI)
Possible Cause
There may be an antivirus rule blocking some access.
Many organisations deploy the Microsoft Defender Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rule Block all Office applications from creating child processes. This rule is enabled by default in the Microsoft Defender security baseline, and it prevents Word (the FS Pro host) from spawning our updater (wyUpdate.exe) or other helper tools.
Steps to Check Windows Defender
To check whether Defender is blocking an item, follow these steps:
|
Step |
Action |
|---|---|
|
1 |
Go to Settings. |
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2 |
Navigate to Privacy & security. |
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3 |
Select Windows Security. |
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4 |
Click "Open Windows Security." |
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5 |
Go to Virus & threat protection. |
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6 |
Click on Protection history. |
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7 |
Look for Risky action blocked events with the same timestamp as the moment you tried the update or that you started Microsoft Word and saw the error. |
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8 |
If you have Administrator access, click the event for more details (blocked file name, ASR rule, and full path).
If Windows Defender is blocking items, the following items will be helpful for your item administrator to solve the issue
If you can share it with us we can also have a look. |
Solution for Windows Defender
If Windows Defender shows the following:
- Blocked by: Attack surface reduction
- Rule: Block all Office application from creating child processes
Then ask IT to add the following Policy in Intunes:
|
Step |
Action |
|---|---|
|
1 |
Go to Endpoint security. |
|
2 |
Select Attack surface reduction. |
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3 |
Click on Create Policy. |
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4 |
Select platform Windows 10, Windows 11, and later. |
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5 |
Choose Attack Surface Reduction Rules. |
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6 |
Give the policy a name. |
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7 |
In the Configuration settings, enable Attack Surface Reduction Only Exclusions. |
|
8 |
Add the necessary paths that have been blocked, as seen in the Defender logs, until everything works properly, such as: • C:\Program Files (x86)\Information Mapping\FS Pro 6\FsproProgressBar.exe |
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9 |
Result: The PC will still be secure and the FS Pro add-in will be able to show you the progress bar. |
What does this new Policy do?
Microsoft Defender's for Endpoint Security Baseline sets the "Block all Office applications from creating child processes" rule to true by default. While this improves security, it can also block our Add-In, which needs to start some support applications for proper operation.
Rather than turning off this feature entirely, we suggest configuring it to allow FS Pro to run the necessary applications while blocking all others. This maintains security while ensuring our Add-In functions correctly.
For more information on the Attack surface reduction rules, please visit the Microsoft documentation.
Alternate Workaround (Manual Update)
If you cannot change the Defender policy right away, follow these steps:
|
Step |
Action |
|---|---|
|
1 |
Uninstall the current build. Open Start ▸ Settings ▸ Apps ▸ Installed Apps, search and select FS Pro for Word, and click Uninstall. |
|
2 |
Download the latest installer Go to the KB article “Where do I download FS Pro for Word?”, choose the most recent build, and save it locally. |
|
3 |
Install with administrative rights Right-click the downloaded .ese (or .msi) file, select Run as administrator, and complete the wizard. This installs the new version without Word needing to start the updater process. |
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4 |
Pause automatic update checks In FS Pro, open Application Settings ▸ Settings ▸ Update Settings, And select Never under Check for updates, and click OK. This prevents further error messages until Defender exclusions are in place.
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You can re-enable automatic updates from the same dialog once the Defender policy has been adjusted.
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