The ESET Endpoint Encryption (EEE) client software includes a service component.  If this service is not started then 3 minutes after EEE is launched an error will appear detailing "An error occurred communicating with the ESET Endpoint Encryption subsystem. The ESET Endpoint Encryption software may not be installed correctly."

1. Old version of EEE (formerly DESlock+) being installed on newer operating system

The most common cause for this error is when an out of date EEE client is installed on newer operating systems.

Installing EEE versions older than v4.7.5 on Windows 10, or on Windows 8.1 with the November 2014 rollup, will exhibit this problem.

Installing the current, most recent version of EEE will fix this issue.

If you still see the error after updating to the latest available version of EEE then you should check to see if the EEE service is present and running.  To do this follow the steps below:

• Press Windows Key + R.
• In the Run prompt enter the text services.msc then click OK.
• In the list of installed services there should be an entry called DESlock+ Service
• Depending on the state of the DESlock+ service entry try the solutions provided below.

2. Service not present

• If the entry is not present then you should open the Programs and Features Windows control panel. 
• Select the ESET Endpoint Encryption entry in the list of installed software.
• Click the Repair button.
• Allow the EEE Installer to repair the system and restart.

3. Startup type incorrect

The Startup Type of the DESlock+ service should be listed as Automatic. If the Startup Type is incorrect follow these steps:

• Right click the DESlock+ Service.
• Click the Properties item from the context menu.
• Use the drop down selection to change the Startup Type to Automatic.
• Click the OK button.
• You should now start the service as detailed below.

4. Service not started

If the service Status is blank or Stopped start the service using these steps:

• Right click the DESlock+ Service.
• Click the Start item from the context menu.

• The Status should change to Started.
• If the EEE front end is running, then exit it by right clicking the EEE system tray icon and selecting Exit.

• Run EEE again by clicking its entry from the Windows Start Menu.

5. Create/adjust a registry key to adjust the service start-up time allowance

If starting the service manually and rebooting the machine does not fix the problem, then perform these steps:

• Open the Run dialog by holding the Win+R and enter regedit

• Navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
• Check for a value called ServicesPipeTimeout
• If it doesn't exist, then create a DWORD (32bit) Value and name it ServicesPipeTimeout
• Set the decimal value to 120000

• Restart Windows for the change to take effect

6. Other solutions

We have seen cases where some anti-malware and anti-virus systems incorrectly flag the EEE service and prevent it from being installed.  You should check the logs of any such utilities to verify this is not the cause of the problem you are experiencing.  If the software is being incorrectly flagged you should ensure that the EEE software is white listed and the install repair process performed.

We have seen rare instances where other software being installed recently prevents the DESlock+ service from starting.  You should ensure you restart Windows again if this is the case as it may resolve the problem.

If the client in question is managed by an EEE Server you should also check the logs of any Firewall software to see if it has blocked the DESlock+ Service from starting.

Related article

KB200 - Recovering from a bluescreen caused by installing DESlock+ on Windows 8.1 with November 2014 Rollup.

Keywords: 0xC01C0007, timed, out, install