FAQs and troubleshooting for self-help, we no longer offer support!
IS-FOX Encrypt is a plug-in in Microsoft Office and, like every Office plug-in, requires various components to communicate with the Microsoft components, for example the .NET framework, the Office PIA and VSTO. Unfortunately, the combination of these required components can also lead to errors on individual systems.
Support for IS-FOX Encrypt was discontinued on 31.12.2021
More information can be found here.
In 95% of all error messages, the cause lies in the underlying Microsoft components ( not available, wrong version, several versions at the same time, etc.).
Basically, IS-FOX Encrypt installs itself in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE so that it is available to every user.
The registry keys for add-ins are located under:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\[Office Product]\Addins\
If an Office 32-bit version is installed on a Windows 64-bit system, Microsoft places the keys in a different path that also contains a WOW6432node:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432node\Microsoft\Office\[Office product]\Addins\
Over the years, Microsoft has tightened the rules for add-ins in Outlook and introduced a check of the add-in loading speeds with Office 2010, the so-called “Outlook Resiliency”.
The loading time of each add-in is monitored after installation and an average value is determined after 5 starts. Each add-in is then usually deactivated. In Office 2010, 2013 and 2016, however, the user can activate the add-in permanently.
Technically, this creates another registry key, but this time in HKEY_CURRENT_USER:
Computer\ HKEY_CURRENT_USER \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\
This path is the same on all systems, even if an Office 32-bit version is installed on a Windows 64-bit system (a WOW6432node is inserted under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE).
If the user clicks on “Deactivate add-in” when the message “Slow add-in detected” appears, Microsoft sets the LoadBehavior to (0) or (1). The add-in is permanently deactivated. If the user clicks on “Activate add-in permanently”, Microsoft sets the LoadBehavior to (3). The add-in remains permanently activated.
Symptoms
Potential cause
An error has obviously occurred during installation. If there are no registry keys, the Office add-in cannot be loaded. If no log files have been created, the add-in has never been started successfully on this computer.
Potential solution
Reinstall the components (see Installation).n).
Symptoms
Potential causes
Troubleshooting
In Outlook, go to File - Options - Add-Ins - go to “COM Addins” and activate IS-FOX Encrypt manually. Close the dialog. An attempt will now be made to load the add-in.
IS-FOX Encrypt is now loaded
Technically, the add-in can obviously be loaded, but it is prevented from being loaded when Outlook is started. The IS-FOX Encrypt log files are available, but do not contain an error message.
Please check the registry keys. It is very likely that the add-in is set to LoadBehavior 3 (= always start) in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and another entry exists in HKEY_CURRENT_USER with LoadBehavior 0 (= never start). Change the entry in HKEY_CURRENT_USER to LoadBehavior = 3 and restart Outlook.
For installations on a terminal server, there is also the option of having an “AllowedUser.txt”. You can use the AllowedUsers.txt file to activate IS-FOX Encrypt on a terminal server for specific users only. A separate line is used for each e-mail address. When the add-in is started, this file is checked and compared with the local e-mail address.
In order for the information in this file to be retrieved, it must be located in the installation directory, i.e. usually in C:\Program Files(x86)\HvS-Consulting\IS-FOX Encrypt.
IS-FOX Encrypt is still not loaded
The add-in obviously cannot be loaded for technical reasons. Go back to File - Options - Add-Ins - go to “COM Addins” and select IS-FOX Encrypt again. If you now read “A runtime error occurred” under Loading behavior, we have an error with an incorrect or missing base component (.NET, VSTO, PIA).
In this case, you must first temporarily switch on the VSTO error messages in order to receive an exact error message and to narrow down the error.
Now go back to File - Options - Add-Ins - go to “COM Addins” and activate IS-FOX Encrypt again. You should now receive a complete error message.
The 'common language runtime' could not be loaded (The 'common language runtime' could not be loaded):
The .NET Framework 4.5.2 or higher is not installed. Please install .NET Framework 4.5.2 or higher.
Access denied (exception of HRESULT: 0x80070005 (E_ACCESSDENIED):
The ClickOnce cache from Microsoft is faulty. Please reinstall the .NET framework.
Exception when reading the manifest from “file:///C......./IS-FOX%20Encrypt.vsto”. The manifest may be invalid or the file could not be opened.
Possible cause 1: .NET Framework 4.5 or 4.5.1 is installed. Please install .NET Framework 4.5.2 or higher
Possible cause 2: The VSTO is not up to date. Please install the latest .NET programming support from Microsoft Office (Control Panel - Programs and Features - Microsoft Office - Change - Add or Remove Features)
After successful troubleshooting, please remove the system variable VSTO_SUPPRESSDISPLAYALERTS again.
Symptoms
Potential causes
The permanent deactivation of the IS-FOX add-in can actually be done by Microsoft (see Outlook Resiliency). Microsoft has deactivated the add-in because
In Office 2010 to 2016, the user can reactivate the add-in permanently via the menu “File - About - Slow and disabled add-ins”.
In Office 365 / 2019, this permanent activation is currently no longer offered. If necessary, the add-in must be permanently activated by setting registry keys.
The file or assembly “Microsoft.Office. Interop.Word, Version...” or a dependency of it was not found. The system cannot find the specified file.
Different Office versions are installed on the computer and an outdated version of IS-FOX Encrypt is being used (1.6 or lower).
Remedy: Install the latest version of IS-FOX Encrypt
When right-clicking on a file and “Send to” the following error is displayed: “Either there is no default mail client or the current mail client cannot fulfill the messaging request”
In addition, the IS-FOX log contains the error: “The specified procedure was not found: Could not allocate memory buffer”
Cause: A Microsoft Office registry key is set incorrectly. Remedy (only for experienced users / administrators):
When sending an e-mail, the error “The operation failed” is displayed: “Error System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x86204005): Error executing the operation. at Microsoft.Office.Interop.Outlook.InspectorClass .get_WordEditor()”
Potential cause 1: The “Microsoft-VBA-Add-In for Outlook” is not loaded, but under “Inactive Add-Ins”. Please activate the “Microsoft VBA Add-In for Outlook” so that VSTO can access the Word Editor
Potential cause 2: Under “File - Options - Trust Center - Trust Center Settings - Macro Settings”, the checkbox for “Apply macro security settings for installed add-ins” is activated. This deactivates all non-signed add-ins. Please deactivate this setting.
IS-FOX Encrypt starts with the error message “Logic error or missing database”.
The password database seems to be corrupt. Please exit Outlook and delete outlook.db in the %appdata%\HvS-Consulting directory. The next time you start Outlook, the database will be automatically recreated and the error should no longer occur.
Error after migration of a user “ SQLException: file is encrypted or is not a database”.
The password database is encrypted with a part of the Windows user GUID. This ensures that only the respective user can access the database. If the GUID changes (e.g. due to a new user profile), the database can no longer be decrypted.
Please exit Outlook and delete outlook.db in the %appdata%\HvS-Consulting directory. The next time you start Outlook, the database will be automatically recreated and the error should no longer occur. To migrate the old passwords, export the database in the old user profile (in the add-in via “Password management - Import / export database”) and import this data in the new user profile in the same way.