What is FastAccess?

FastAccess is facial recognition for your PC (iOS and Android versions to come soon as well!). Use FastAccess to:

1. Log into Windows and websites with just your face!
2. Save energy and possibly extend the battery life of your laptop (EcoAware feature).
3. Protect valuable data by automatically switching between users or locking the computer when you step away.
4. Enforce parental controls automatically.

FastAccess is convenient, secure, and fun!

Why is FastAccess better than other facial recognition software?

1. It was originally built for use in hospitals, banks, and other demanding environments. It’s secure, accurate, and – most importantly - simple to set up and use.
2. FastAccess requires no time consuming steps to teach it what you look like. By simply using your password occasionally, FastAccess automatically keeps up with your appearance and environmental changes. It can be used simultaneously by all the people in your business or family.
3. It can save energy.
4. It's flexible. With many different settings and options, FastAccess can be made to behave the way you want it to. Balance security and convenience for any situation ranging from casual consumer use to security critical enterprise.

Why doesn’t facial recognition work like it does in the movies?

Facial recognition in the movies works no matter what the lighting is or how limited a view of the face is presented. Unfortunately, this is fiction. Just like people, FastAccess needs enough lighting and detail to accurately recognize a face. FastAccess will quickly and accurately recognize your face the vast majority of the time, minimizing how often you must type your password, but it will not recognize you 100% of the time.

There is some casual facial recognition software that seems to recognize you almost every time. But as a result it also can incorrectly recognize other people as you, which is a security hazard.

FastAccess is unique because it recognizes you very frequently while also being extremely accurate. When it occasionally asks you for a password, it's learning in order to better recognize you in the future! The software even has an exclusive feature called FaceBright that allows reliable recognition in little or no room light. This makes it a tool (instead of a toy) that you can use for real-world convenience, security and even fun!

Can I use any webcam?

Yes! FastAccess will use any standard webcam that you provide. Both integrated and external cameras are support.

How can multiple people use FastAccess on one computer?

Give each user their own Windows account with a unique password only known to that person. When each user logs into their own Windows account, FastAccess will learn their face - "enroll" it - and associate it with that Windows account. When that person's face is recognized in the future, they will be automatically logged into the correct Windows account.

If possible, do not have multiple people who share one account.

What are the system requirements?

FastAccess 4.X is supported by all computers running Vista, Win7 or Win8 that include a front-facing camera. Both integrated and external cameras are supported. Windows XP is not supported.

Is there a Mac version of FastAccess?

Safari on Mac will be supported soon. A version for iOS (iPhones, iPads and iPod touches) will also be released in the near future.

Do SensibleVision products support installation and use on a domain?

Yes, All FastAccess 4.X software will run on a Microsoft default domain.

Note, however, that various domain settings allow restrictions to be placed on the installation and operation of software such as FastAccess. Should a domain administrator choose to implement such security policies, FastAccess cannot override them.

What version of FastAccess do I have?

Note that this knowledgebase applies ONLY to FastAccess 4.X. See the FAQ section for details on earlier versions.

All previous versions of FastAccess except for FastAccess 2.X from Dell are eligible for a free upgrade to FastAccess 4.X. We strongly recommend that all users take advantage of this major upgrade.

Note that 2.X users must first purchase the upgrade made available to you in the 2.4.97 software itself. With the activation key that comes as a result, you may download and install 4.X and use the activation key as instructed. Please contact SensibleVision tech support for assistance if necessary.

Is FastAccess Win8 compatible?

Yes.

FastAccess 4.X was specifically designed to take advantage of Windows 8. It will also work in Win7 and Vista. XP users may continue to use FastAccess 3.X as normal.

Can multiple people share one Windows account?

While this is certainly possible, it is strongly not recommended. There are two primary concerns.

1. Part of the security provided by FastAccess is strong access logs….a list of who used your computer and when. With multiple people sharing one Windows account, this access logs are not as useful. You can still check who logged in by using the photo access log feature (if enabled by the Windows administrator for your machine), but this is far less convenient.
2. More importantly, recognition performance (how many times the software successfully recognizes your face and logs you into Windows) will be degraded. There is a certain amount of storage allocated for each Windows account to hold multiple versions of how you look. Video from the camera is compared against this entire “biometric database” every time you try to access your computer. If you share your account with someone else, then both of your faces will occupy the same storage space. Each of you will effectively have fewer versions of your face for comparison against the video coming from the camera. This will make it less likely that either one of you will be recognized and logged into Windows quickly.

What happens if the camera is broken or disabled?

You may always log into your computer by selecting your username and typing your password by hand, even if the camera is broken or otherwise disabled.

Any time you log in without the software being able to see your face for any reason, you will see a message indicating that face recognition is temporarily inactive. In effect, this all means that the traditional features enabled by facial recognition will not be available. For example, the computer will now lock according to the settings that you set in your screen saver instead of by the method you chose in the “Security” section of FastAccess. Automatic account switching will not function and you may have to log into to FastAccess using your Windows username and password each time you want FastAccess to automatically sign you into a remembered website.

On the login screen, I see a new “Face recognition options” user account “tile”. What is that used for?

This tile is a programming requirement of Windows. It can be used to turn FastAccess on and off.

How can I use FastAccess to enforce parental controls?

First, make sure that both you and your child each have your own, unique Windows accounts. Be sure that your child does NOT know your own password. Enable whatever Parental Controls through Windows that you wish to on your child’s account. In FastAccess, it is recommended that you select “Continuous Security” mode under the “Security” section of the management window. This will ensure that your machine will be automatically locked after you leave view of the camera. This way your child can not simply walk up to the computer and use your account should you forget to secure it manually when you leave your desk. The access logs within FastAccess will also help you accurately monitor when your child is using the computer.

When first starting the computer, the FastAccess window along with the video takes several seconds to appear. Why?

When booting your computer there are many components of Windows that must be loaded in the correct order. FastAccess itself loads relatively early in that process. FastAccess has no control, however, on when the video camera is activated. It may, therefore, take several additional seconds after the login window appears before the video becomes functional. You may log into Windows manually before the camera is activated, however, most FastAccess features such as automatic account switching, automatic desktop locking and automatic website login will be disabled if you do this.

I use multiple Windows accounts on one computer. Can I still use FastAccess?

Yes. It is recommended that you pick the account that you use most often to associate your face with. When you log into this account, keep your face in view and type your password to enroll your face as normal. With accounts that you use less frequently, cover the camera or stay out of view when you log in with your password. This prevents your face from being enrolled into multiple accounts simultaneously.

If you do accidentally enroll your face into more than one account, it may become unpredictable which account you're logged into when your face is recognized. To correct this, open the FastAccess management console and go to Advanced > "Face Database". Select the account that you use less often and press "Delete". This removes the biometric templates for that account (it does not affect the account itself) which assures that when your face is recognized that you're only logged into your most frequently used account.

I right click the FastAccess icon in the system tray and see “Collaboration Mode for 10 minutes”. What is this for?

Collaboration mode is a way to temporarily suspend FastAccess functions.

Specifically, Collaboration Mode turns off the automatic desktop locking, automatic web logins and the virtual camera. This mode might be used if, for example, you wish to deliver a power point presentation where you may be looking at the projection screen instead of the camera. You can use Collaboration mode to temporarily keep the computer from locking when you look away. Similarly if you want to share an online video with a group of friends, you can suspend the automatic locking for a brief period of time to allow this conveniently. When the 10 minute timer expires, the desktop will lock even if the computer is in use. You will, however, be alerted to the pending lock and given the opportunity to extend Collaboration Mode for another 10 minutes.

When I take certain actions (looking at the access logs, managing stored website passwords, etc.) within the Configuration Console, sometimes I see a video of my face pop up and other times I don’t – why is this?

Since the goal of FastAccess is to ensure the security of the computer, it’s also important to ensure the security of FastAccess itself! Because of this, FastAccess tracks the identity of the user currently in control of the computer. If it loses track of that identity at any point, it may prompt you for your Windows password in order to both prove your identity as well as to learn more about how you look, making it less likely that it will need to prompt you the next time. This process ensures that only people who are Windows Administrators can make changes to parts of FastAccess that affect security for the entire computer.

I installed a new camera and want to use it with FastAccess instead. How do I tell FastAccess to make the switch?

Open FastAccess and go to Advanced > "Camera Settings". Choose "Select your Camera" in the middle. Choose your new camera from the list on the right and click "Apply".

Note that the camera must first be installed properly in Windows in order for it to be available in this list. In order for it to function within FastAccess it must also not be currently in use by any other video enabled programs.

Once a new camera is selected, you must either disable and then re-enable FastAccess or log out of and then back into Windows in order for the camera switch to take place.

Can I use FastAccess with another Windows login tool – for example another biometric device like a fingerprint reader?

While the use of other biometric products at the same time as FastAccess may or may not work, this is not a supported configuration.

To log in I'm being forced to press Ctrl + Alt + Delete (CAD) before I can even see video. Why?

If your computer is connected to a domain (a corporate network) then this may be required by the company’s Administrator as a network security precaution. If this is how your Administrator requires that your computer function, then there is nothing that FastAccess can do to alter that behavior. You will simply need to press CAD in before FastAccess will function on the Windows login screen.

If you are the Administrator of the Domain, then simply set the “Require Ctrl+Alt+Delete” option to "Disabled" in the domain’s Group Policies. Turing this feature off may allow keyboard logging programs to capture your password.

Does FastAccess support the use of multiple cameras?

Yes although FastAccess will, of course, only use one camera at a time.

You may switch between any installed cameras by going to Advanced > Camera Settings > "Select Your Camera". Note that a changed camera selection will not take affect until you log out of Windows and back in or until you disable and then re-enable FastAccess. This is a security precaution to prevent hijacking of the video stream.

I have "Security After Login" set to "None". I've already logged into Windows but FastAccess seems to continue using the camera anyway – why would it do this?

In addition to logging you into Windows itself, FastAccess provides additional convenience by also allowing you to log in automatically to many websites. In order for these stored website password to remain secure, FastAccess tracks your presence in front of the computer for a short time after you log in with Security After Login set to "None". It will also turn the camera back on for a short time any time there is web browser activity. This optimizes your experience with the Web Login feature because you will less frequently need to wait for the camera to start after arriving a web page that FastAccess can log you into.

How does the screen saver behave when "Security After Login" is set to "Continuous Security"?

When in Continuous Security mode, your screen saver will work when you face is no longer in view of the camera. As long as FastAccess can see your face, it will prevent the screen saver from starting.

Note that if you log in to Windows manually without your face being visible to FastAccess (no green square tracking the position of your face on the Windows login screen) then FastAccess will not be able to lock the desktop automatically as it normally would in Continuous Security mode. In this case, your desktop will revert to locking according to the settings of your screensaver alone.

Is FastAccess available on phones or tablets?

SensibleVision has versions of FastAccess for both Android and iOS. Both of these versions can automatically share all your website and apps passwords with your Windows computer.

There are no plans at this time to support Windows Phone or Blackberry.

How can I try / purchase FastAccess?

FastAccess is available for direct purchase from SensibleVision. You can download a trial or purchase from the FastAccess product page in the top menu. You will receive an activation key by email.

How do I license FastAccess?

This depends on how you obtained FastAccess:

Purchased from the SensibleVision website, through Logitech or Creative — After your purchase, you will receive an email with an activation key. Copy/paste this key into FastAccess either during the installation process or afterward by opening FastAccess and going to Advanced > "Licensing".

Purchased with your Dell computer — No licensing steps are required. Your copy of FastAccess is automatically authorized to run on the computer it was purchased with.

I downloaded the trial version expecting a free trial period but didn't get it.

Some versions of FastAccess come with a free trial. If after installing the software and rebooting the trial period has not activated, there are few possible reasons.

You installed the trial copy on any computer that has had FastAccess (or AlienSense) installed on it in the past. FastAccess only allows one trial installation per computer no matter what version. If you would like to try FastAccess again, please contact us.

In some cases, running a "Registry Cleaner" will incorrectly remove the Windows registry keys that FastAccess needs in order to maintain your license information. If this happens, undo any registry changes that led to the problem and set up "exclusions" to prevent it from happening again. Alternately, simply do not run the registry cleaner tool.

If after installing the trial you fail to reboot (rebooting after installation is required!), and then attempt to start FastAccess not from the shortcuts provided but instead by navigating to the Program Files directory and directly double-clicking the FastAccess executable, the license may be corrupted. It's strongly recommended that you follow standard installation procedure and reboot after installation, then start FastAccess from the Start menu in Win7, the FastAccess "user tile" on the login screen, or the Modern Desktop shortcut in Win8.

Is FastAccess a subscription service or a permanent license?

Permanent license. Future major upgrades may be optionally purchased (as is standard for all software), but you may use the current version including free minor updates for as long as you wish.

Note that the Cloud Account service (the ability to store your website passwords in a secure online account) does require a subscription. FastAccess may be used with or without a Cloud Account.

Can I move my copy of FastAccess from one computer to another?

Dell pre-installed (or downloaded from Cirrus): No. This version of FastAccess is only authorized to be used on the computer that it was purchased with.

Purchased from SensibleVision: Yes. This includes FastAccess 3.X copies purchased by Dell users as an upgrade to an older 2.X copy. Installation is only permitted, however, on one computer per license at any given time. Before installing on a second computer you must, therefore, de-install from the first computer first. If you de-install while connected to the internet, your activation key will automatically be granted an additional use.

Can one activation key be used on multiple versions of FastAccess?

Yes and no.

FastAccess software as obtained from Logitech, Creative, or SensibleVision is now exactly the same so an activation key purchased from SensibleVision may be used in all cases. Software pre-installed (or obtained through Cirrus) on your Dell computer is licensed simply by being installed on the computer which it came with. An activation key is not required.

What is included with "M-1 Maintenance & Upgrades for FastAccess" item?

Minor updates and bug fixes to a given major version number (i.e. all 4.X versions) are provided for free until a major new version is released. For example, if Microsoft changes something in Windows that creates a problem with 4.X versions of FastAccess, the update that corrects that issue will be provided for free until version 5.X is released.

Major upgrades including major new features (such as supporting a new browser) and moves to a new major version number (such as moving from 4.X to 5.X) will be provided at no cost for 90 days after a purchase. After that, they will only be provided for free to customers who included the Maintenance & Upgrade item with their original purchase and who are still within 1 year of that purchase. All other users must pay a separate upgrade fee. This upgrade fee will typically be higher than the cost of the "Maintenance & Upgrades" option available at the time of the original purchase.

Do I need to de-install my trial version in order to install the copy that I purchased?

No.

If you still have a trial version of FastAccess installed, you may license it simply by using the activation key that you received by email after completing your purchase.

To enter your activation key, open FastAccess and go to Advanced > "Licensing". Copy/paste the activation key and click "Activate FastAccess". As long as you're connected to the internet, your trial copy will convert into a full copy automatically.

Do I need to purchase a license for every computer I own?

Yes.

One license of FastAccess is good for one computer only. Note that if you buy multiple licenses at the same time that one activation key may be good for more than one computer. For example, if you purchase 3 licenses at once, you will still only receive one activation key. That key will, however, be good for 3 computers.

Do I get a CD or DVD of FastAccess with my purchase?

No.

FastAccess can be downloaded at any time from our website. When purchased, you receive an activation key by email. No physical media are provided.

How do I change the email address used to register FastAccess?

There is no need.

FastAccess is not "registered" per se. If you have the download link and activation key then that's all that is required.

While entering my activation key, I was informed that there are no more activations left. Why?

SensibleVision protects it's software by limiting how many times an activation key can be used before it expires. In an emergency, we can re-authorize your key for an additional use, but there are other more preferable options:

If you know that you'll be rebuilding a computer, be sure to de-install FastAccess first. If you de-install while connected to the internet, your activation key will automatically be granted an additional use for when the rebuild is complete.

If you need to move your copy of FastAccess to a different computer, be sure to de-install it from the original computer first. This will also automatically grant your activation key an additional use on the new computer.

I see a notification that my Cloud Account Subscription is expiring, but I already purchased the software!

The FastAccess software itself (for Windows computers) only needs to be purchased one time and you own it forever. However, FastAccess 4.X has an optional feature called a "Cloud Account". A Cloud Account is an storage location that lets you securely store your website usernames and passwords online and automatically synchronize those passwords with other Windows computers and even Android devices and iPads/iPhones! The Cloud Account requires an annual subscription.

A Cloud Account is not required to use FastAccess on a Windows computer (it is required for Android and iPad/iPhones).

New purchases of FastAccess Anywhere for a Windows computer comes with a one year subscription to a Cloud Account for free. You may also purchase a Cloud Account subscription separately on our Purchase page.

I purchased a one year Cloud Account subscription, but didn't receive an activation key. Why?

When you purchase FastAccess itself, you received an activation key which you entered either during or after installation. When you purchased or renewed your Cloud Account subscription, you did not. This is because no activation key is required. All Cloud Account subscriptions are maintained automatically.

When you purchased your Cloud Account, you entered your username (an email address). The Cloud Account subscription associated with that email address was automatically extended for one year and with no further action required from you. You may simply continue to enjoy the benefits of automatic password synchronization between devices that the Cloud Account provides.

During the First Use Wizard, FastAccess learned what I look like. What happens if I change the way I look?

Not to worry, FastAccess uses a learning technique that allows it to easily accommodate any appearance changes that you may experience.

If for ANY reason while logging into your computer FastAccess does not recognize your face quickly, simply click your username “tile” and type your password by hand. FastAccess will learn a bit more about what you look like, making the next attempt both be both more likely to succeed as well as faster.

During the First Use Wizard, FastAccess couldn't see my face (there was no green "corners" tracking my face location). Does this mean that FastAccess will not work?

No – it will still work just fine.

If during the First Use Wizard FastAccess cannot see your face, it will give you a warning message. This simply means that FastAccess was unable to learn what you looked like at that time. You will still have access to your computer at all times, however, by logging in manually. Also, this is not the only time that FastAccess can learn what you look like. Any time you log in manually when FastAccess can see your face, it will learn more about your appearance, making its next attempt to recognize your face more likely to succeed.

I don’t have video on the login window. I just see a picture of a camera that says “Initializing Webcam”. What do I do?

If no video is present, this likely means that another application is currently in control of the camera. Log in manually, close all other applications that might be using the camera, lock the desktop by pressing the Windows key + “L”, and try logging in again. Other video applications can still be made to function using the “Virtual Camera” provided by FastAccess, but FastAccess itself must use the actual camera driver within Windows.

If I choose not to enable an option such as a Second Factor of authentication, setting up a Cloud Account or enabling EcoAware, can I try those features later?

Yes!

You may enable or disable any and all FastAccess features whenever you want.

How does the learning algorithm work?

FastAccess is unique in the world of biometrics. Most biometrics require you to “enroll” or teach the software what your fingerprint, retina, etc. look like only one time. To improve on this limited approach, FastAccess continues to learn about your face even after you enroll for the first time. This allows it to easily and quickly adapt to your changing facial appearance and environment.

Specifically, any time you are not recognized, simply log in with your Windows password with your face visible (green “square” tracking your face in the video). This will cause FastAccess to acquire additional “biometric templates”, or facial measurements, and add them to a database associated with your Windows account. FastAccess even acquires additional biometric templates if you are recognized successfully but slowly, in order to improve future performance

Ultimately, FastAccess will store up to 100 versions of how you look. Once the initial 100 biometric templates have been acquired, FastAccess continues to optimize the biometric database by deleting older, less successful templates in favor of newer ones.

This technique allows FastAccess an unprecedented combination of extremely high recognition accuracy while simultaneously recognizing your face the vast majority of the time.

If you are using XP and FastAccess does not learn your face after repeated attempts (and there is no entry for your XP account under Advanced > Biometric Enrollment), please click here for additional details.

Why doesn't FastAccess recognize my face and log me into Windows every time?

FastAccess will dramatically reduce the number of times that you type your username and password. The more you use the system, the better it will become at recognizing your face. It will never recognize you 100% of the time.

Whenever you are not recognized within a few seconds, simply click your username “tile” and type your password. This teaches FastAccess to know you better. The next time you present your face to the system, it’s more likely that it will see who you are quickly and grant you access to the computer or website.

How can I improve recognition performance?

Make sure there are four "green corners" visible that track the location of your face. These corners should be visible consistently. If they are not visible or blink on and off irregularly then both face learning and face recognition will be difficult. To be sure that they are present:

• Make sure your eyes, nose and mouth are in clear view of the camera.

• Turn on FaceBright.

• If prompted, turn on additional lights.

• If your face is very small within the video frame, "zoom" the camera slightly to make your face bigger.

• On desktops especially, if you look down at your hands to type your password try looking back up at the camera before logging in. This assures that if the "green corners" disappeared during typing that they will re-appear before login.

• When logging in, act naturally. Place your hands on the keyboard and simply look at the screen.

• Making faces at or talking to the camera will slow the recognition process.

• Even lighting provides the best recognition. Strong shadows on the face will require more frequent manual logins.

• Whenever face recognition takes more than a few seconds, click on your user name and enter your password if required to login to the computer. This teaches the software to better recognize your face and can improve the speed of face recognition under the same lighting conditions.

• Use a consistent position in front of the computer. While different positions during recognition can and will be learned over time, a consistent position when logging in will improve recognition speed.

• Hair obscuring your face will slow recognition.

• Slight natural body movement is beneficial. If you are not being recognized, there is no benefit to sitting perfectly still.

During login, sometimes the screen turns white. What is this?

The white screen is a FastAccess feature called “FaceBright”. FaceBright detects when additional light may be beneficial for optimal recognition and turns the screen white creating, in effect, a video light.

Precisely how much light is projected onto your face depends on the size and brightness of your monitor in addition to how far away from it you sit. FaceBright can be turned on or off in the "Options" area of the login screen.

When enabled, FaceBright will only turn the screen white when additional light is needed.

Where is the program I need in order to put my face into the system?

There isn't one! FastAccess learns your face as you use the computer normally. If ever it doesn't see who you are (recognize you) quickly, simply log in with your Windows username and password. This will teach the system a bit more about what you look like. Click here to read more about how FastAccess learns about your face.

It recognized me as someone else!

The vast majority of the time that FastAccess is perceived to have recognized one user as another the underlying cause is actually something other than a true failure of the recognition algorithm – something other than a “false positive”. There are several common possibilities:

• Continuous Security Locking Speed timer – if you are in Security After Login: Continuous Security mode and move away from the desktop, it will take the amount of time that you specified to lock. If during that time another user sits down, they may be able to view your desktop for a period of time. This is not a false positive. Adjust the Locking Speed to balance your workflow and security needs.
• User Switching mode – if you are in Security After Login: User Switching mode and move away from the computer and another user sits down, FastAccess will only switch to that user’s Windows account if they are recognized. If they are not recognized (either because they have not trained FastAccess to recognize them well or because they don’t have a Windows account on that machine) then they will continue to view your desktop. This is also not a false positive. If additional security is desired, select Security After Login: Continuous Security mode instead.
• Weak, easily guessed or non-existent password – if a Windows account has either no password or one that is easily guessed, it is not secure. Should another person guess your password, they will be able to log into your Windows account…with or without FastAccess. After this occurs, their face then may be used to log into your Windows account later. This is not a false positive as the other user was able to enroll their face into your biometric database. To remedy this, click here for instructions. If additional security is required, add or strengthen your password and consider using a Second Factor.
• Multiple users sharing one Windows account – If multiple users choose to share a Windows account, then all of their faces will be enrolled into the same biometric database. Having all users be recognized and logged into the same Windows account is, in this case, correct. It is, however, very poor security practice, will cause recognition performance to suffer, and is strongly not recommended.
• Insufficient Recognition Strength - FastAccess 4.X has four levels of Recognition Strength. The Default setting (the lowest) is appropriate for casual use and a small number of users. As the number of users increases and as security becomes more important, using a higher recognition strength is recommended.

With all security measures there is a small but finite chance that a true false positive or other undesirable event could occur. Passwords can be guessed or discovered, badges can be given away, etc. In standardized tests, a true false positive at higher recognition strengths occurs in less than 1 in a million attempts. There are certain conditions that can slightly affect these odds. Lighting – the better (even, bright enough) the lighting, the more facial detail is visible, the lower the odds of a true false positive. Very low levels of detail will be rejected by FastAccess for a recognition attempt, but in general the more even the lighting on the face the better. FastAccess helps to mitigate these situations with a feature called FaceBright that turns the computer monitor itself into a video light.

Out of focus camera – this also decreases available detail. An out of focus camera is unlikely while using an integrated web camera but is possible with an external camera.

FastAccess has implemented numerous technologies to prevent false positives. If one is truly confirmed however, (most often through the picture access log) then the steps to remediate it are similar to a stolen password. Clear the affected biometric database (the database of the user who the system incorrectly thought that it saw) and increase the recognition strength. If this procedure does not rectify the issue, please contact SensibleVision.

Windows logs right in without trying to recognize my face! Why is this happening?

If you have only a single Windows account and that account is not password protected, Windows will not display the login screen but instead will log in immediately. This bypasses any chance to recognize your face. To secure your system, you must password protect your account with or without FastAccess.

Some face recognition programs allow you to “train” it to your face manually. Why doesn't FastAccess include this?

FastAccess is designed to be as easy to use as possible. Because of this, we make the process of “training” the software to the various ways that you might look completely automatic! There is no need to go through time consuming manual steps. Should you ever fail to be recognized within a few seconds, simply log in with your Windows password. FastAccess learns what it needs to learn completely on its own.

What happens if I put a phone to my ear, take off my glasses, grow a beard or otherwise change my appearance?

FastAccess uses a learning technique that allows it to continuously adapt to any appearance changes that you might experience. If for ANY reason you are not recognized quickly, simply click your name “tile” and type your password manually. This will update FastAccess with the new way that you look, making it more likely that you will be recognized quickly the next time you log in.

I want to store a new version of my face. How do I delete the currently stored version?

It's never necessary to delete the currently stored version of your face in order to enter a new one. FastAccess learns - it stores new versions of your face (and will automatically store many versions at once) - every time you log into Windows with your password. In fact deleting your biometric database (stored versions of your face) will actually make recognition worse, not better!

Typically the only time you may wish to delete your biometric database is if someone had access to your password and enrolled their face in your account. Click here for details on this procedure.

How can multiple people use FastAccess on one computer?

Give each user their own Windows account with a unique password only known to that person. When each user logs into their own Windows account, FastAccess will learn their face - "enroll" it - and associate it with that Windows account. When that person's face is recognized in the future, they will be automatically logged into the correct Windows account.

If possible, do not have multiple people who share one account.

I put an object in front of the camera – FastAccess outlined its face! Why can’t it tell the difference between a human and an object?

FastAccess is designed to detect face-like patterns. Some things like stuffed animals, photographs, pets, etc. also have those kinds of patterns on them. FastAccess may “see” those patterns on non-human objects and draw a green square* around them. What it will NOT do, however, is grant access to your Windows account based on holding a non-human object up to the camera.

As a warning - you can technically hold an object or animal with a face up to the camera and then log in manually with your Windows username and password. That “face” would then be associated with, or “enrolled” into your Windows account. It could then be used to access your account in the future. Just like you shouldn't write down your username and password on a sticky note and put it on the monitor, however, intentionally causing the software to learn something other than your own face is to be avoided if you truly want to maintain security!

Alienware users note: In AlienSense versions 2.X, instead of a green box tracking the location of your face you will instead see a blue outline of an "Alien Head". The function is identical.

What about twins?

In limited testing, FastAccess has shown the ability to tell the difference between adult identical twins when set to the highest recognition strength settings. To be safe, however, we strongly recommend implementing aggressive two factor authentication if this is a concern. By periodically prompting for additional information (either a Swipe Gesture or the selection of a Secret Shape), the chances of one twin being authenticated as the other will be minimized.

If I dim or turn off the lights, I can no longer log in automatically. What can I do to fix this?

There are two options. The first and easiest is to turn the lights on. FastAccess uses a camera which, like all cameras, must have light in order to function. If you must use your computer in the dark you can always log in manually. In this case the computer will lock according to the settings that you set in your screen saver. Automatic account switching will not function and you may have to type your Windows password into FastAccess each time you want FastAccess to automatically sign you into a website that it’s remembering for you.

FastAccess also includes a feature called FaceBright which optionally turns the login screen white. This acts as a video light, increasing the light on the face which may make recognition possible in otherwise marginal lighting conditions.

Why doesn't FastAccess use blink detection?

It's time consuming, ineffective, and unnecessary.

Blink detection is a technique used by some other solutions to help distinguish between a photo and a person. The photo rejection in FastAccess is already so strong that the delay introduced by blink detection (the software must wait for the user to blink, after all) would be more detrimental than helpful. Unlike SensibleVision’s photo rejection technology and optional second factor, blink detection is ineffective against video.

What is the "Best Recognition Performance" checkbox?

Enabling "Best Recognition Performance" under the Security > "Recognition Settings" turns on a more advanced recognition algorithm.If you move your computer around, this new algorithm may provide up to 30% more recognitions and up to 80% more in static conditions.

It may also use slightly more memory and CPU cycles. This will not be an issue except on very old or very slow machines such as a Netbook. Some machines may have the option disabled automatically. On all other machines it should be left enabled.

Does FastAccess support the use of multiple cameras?

Yes although FastAccess will, of course, only use one camera at a time.

You may switch between any installed cameras by going to Advanced > Camera Settings > "Select Your Camera". Note that a changed camera selection will not take affect until you log out of Windows and back in or until you disable and then re-enable FastAccess. This is a security precaution to prevent hijacking of the video stream.

I’m have "Security After Login" set to "User Switching". I got up and someone else sat down. Windows didn't switch to their account – why?

FastAccess’s user switching mode is designed to make switching between various Windows accounts more convenient. It switches between accounts automatically as soon as the new user’s face is recognized.

If a new person's face is not recognized quickly, however (if there was a facial appearance or lighting change, for example), then the accounts may not switch. You can always secure the desktop by hand by hitting “Windows+L” and then having the new user log in manually. This will teach FastAccess more about what the new user looks like, making the automatic account switching more likely to happen quickly in the future.

Is it possible to backup or transfer my face database to another computer?

No.

Because your face database is the key to good security on your computer (along with a strong Windows password, of course!), the individual "biometric templates" (authorized versions of your face) are encrypted in a way that intentionally prevents them from being moved. This is a security precaution.

Enterprise users please contact SensibleVision for more information about our Central Management solution.

The Web Login feature stopped working even though it is still enabled. Why?

FastAccess interacts with browsers through what are called "Add Ons" or “Extensions”. Browsers have a privacy mode that disables all add-ons by default. If the FastAccess Add-On is disabled by a privacy mode or by any other means, the Web Login feature will stop working even if it's still enabled in the FastAccess management console.

Note that as of early 2013, all three major browsers now automatically disable extensions or add-ons installed by third party programs (such as FastAccess). For the web login feature to work, you must manually enable the extension or add-on. See your browser for detailed instructions.

The FastAccess Add Ons and Extensions are:

Internet Explorer: "FAIESSO Helper Class", "SSOIEAddonBHO Class, or "Face recognition web login for FastAccess" Firefox: "FastAccess Web Login" Chrome: “FastAccess SSO”

What browsers are supported?

FastAccess 4.X supports all current (non-beta) versions of IE, Firefox and Chrome.

The only exception to the above is the Win8 "Modern UI" (formerly called "Metro" - the desktop with all the square tiles) version of IE. This browser does not contain the ability to install plugins which prevents all advanced functionality. Note that the standard desktop version of IE in Win8 works as expected.

Some websites don't seem to work at all.

1. FastAccess does not offer to remember credentials in the first place: In this case, you may need to type credentials manually for this site. If the web login feature is failing to trigger for ALL websites, please check this article instead.
2. Website requires more than just a username and password: Please note that FastAccess can only automate the entry of a username and password. If you encounter a site that also requires, for example, the selection of a security image or answers to “personal knowledge” security questions, you will need to enter that information manually.
3. FastAccess remembers credentials and enters them into the page, but does not automatically submit them – i.e. it does not “click” the login button. This is a possible limitation of some websites.
4. Username and password are located on different web pages: This type of website is not supported by FastAccess.

I entered the wrong password and told FastAccess to remember it. How do I fix this?

There’s a chance that FastAccess will figure out the error on its own. If your login to the website fails and you are returned quickly to the original login page then FastAccess will assume that you typed the wrong username and/or password and will prompt you to enter the correct ones.

If the login “failure” page is different from the original login page, however, this may not work. In that case, you can change the remembered password by hand. Open FastAccess and click the “Web Login” tab. If operating in Local mode, select the website in question, change the password and click "Apply". If storing your website passwords in a secure cloud account, click the "Open" button and change the password using the website interface.

Every time I arrive at a web page that FastAccess is remembering for me, I’m prompted to log in to FastAccess (next to the video window). Why?

This is expected functionality when FastAccess is set to "Security After Login: None" mode. In this mode, FastAccess recognizes your face to log you into Windows, but then stops using the camera. Because of this, when you arrive at a protected website FastAccess must re-start to the camera and go through the process of recognizing your face again in order to safely enter your website username and password into the browser. If Security After Login is set to “User Switching” or “Continuous Security” modes, FastAccess continues to track your face even after logging into Windows which greatly reduces (but will not eliminate) the chances that an additional recognition will be required when you reach a protected website.

Note that even when Security After Login is set to "None", that FastAccess will preemptively re-attach to the camera any time that web browser activity is detected. This enhances the speed of the Web Login feature.

Note also that if FaceBright is enabled that the entire screen may turn white if additional light is needed for best recognition performance. This is normal.

Can I use FastAccess with another sign-on bank (password vault, automatic website logon tool, etc.)?

Yes. In fact such programs can benefit greatly from the added security provided by FastAccess and it's Security After Login: "Continuous Security" feature.

You may want to disable the Web Login feature in FastAccess, however, in order to avoid having two different programs trying to perform the same function at the same time.

Are passwords stored with the Web Login feature encrypted?

Yes! Passwords are strongly encrypted for secure storage.

In fact with passwords stored in the cloud account, not only is strong encryption used, but the encryption key is completely unique to each individual user. This means that there is no master key which a hacker could use to gain access to everyone's information at the same time. This makes accessing a large amount of stored data far more difficult and far less attractive to attempt in the first place.

It also means that not even SensibleVision can access your stored website passwords. We are also unable to re-set your Cloud Account password.

I told FastAccess never to remember a password for a website and now I've changed my mind. How do I get it to prompt me again to remember my password?

Open FastAccess and select "Web Login" at the top. If operating FastAccess in Local Mode (i.e. not storing website passwords in a secure Cloud Account), select the website in question and click "Delete". FastAccess will now prompt you again to remember the website password the next time you login.

If storing your passwords in a secure Cloud Account, click the "Open" button and delete the website in question from the online list.

Sometimes when I arrive at a web page I’m prompted to log in to FastAccess. Why?

If at any time FastAccess loses track of your identity (if, for example, you turn away and then turn back and aren't quickly re-recognized), it will prompt you to log in manually to prove your identity before it will automatically enter your saved website login information. This further protects your valuable online information and accounts. Logging in manually also teaches FastAccess more about your face, making the next time you use the Website Login feature more likely to succeed without the need to enter your Windows password into FastAccess first.

I have multiple different accounts at one website, how do I store multiple sets of usernames and passwords?

When you tell FastAccess to remember the website login for the first time, there is a check box that says “Multiple Accounts”. Check this box. The next time you go to this site, you will see the “Account Chooser” window appear. Either select one of your existing accounts or click “”. This will give you the opportunity to enter and have FastAccess remember a second (or third or more) username and password that you can then choose from later.

Will saved websites work between different browsers?

Yes. Unlike password tools built into the browsers themselves, passwords that you save using FastAccess in one browser will automatically be entered when you visit the same website in a different supported browser.

Note that while the vast majority of websites will be fully functional in all supported browsers, it is possible for a website to behave differently between them.

I changed my password for a website that FastAccess is remembering….how do I tell FastAccess about this change?

There is a chance that FastAccess will figure it out for itself. FastAccess will at first, of course, submit your old - now incorrect - username and password to the website. If the website rejects that login and returns you to the exact same login age quickly, FastAccess assumes that your login is now out of date and will prompt you to enter and remember a new username and password.

If the login failure page is different from the original login page, however, then this process may not work. In this case, open FastAccess and go to the "Web Login" section. If you're storing your website passwords in a secure cloud account, click the "Open" button on the right and change the password for your website manually using the cloud website. If you're storing your passwords locally, select the website in question, change the password on the right and click "Apply".

I went to a website and the FastAccess window appeared. I typed in my password for that website and the login failed! What happened?

When the FastAccess window appears and your face is not recognized, you must type in your Windows password (or other Override details such as a swipe gesture or secret shape) in order to proceed. When the FastAccess video window appears, you're proving your identity to FastAccess - not to the website. FastAccess always works with your Windows password.

I need to log into a site, but the username is on one page and the password is on the next. Can FastAccess automate this logon?

FastAccess may be able to automate the entry of your password onto that page, but it will not be able to automate the entry of a username alone. FastAccess requires that a password field be present on a page in order to offer to remember anything for that page.

I log out of a website, it takes me back to the login page and FastAccess logs me right back in! How can I stop this loop?

Each website that you have FastAccess remember can submit your username and password to that site either automatically, or only when you prompt it too.

If this type of loop is a concern, turn off “auto-submit” for that website. To do this, either uncheck the box called “Auto Login” checkbox when telling FastAccess to remember the site in the first place, or if the website has already been learned, open FastAccess, click the “Web Login” at the top of the window, select the website in question, and uncheck the “Auto Login” checkbox.

Note that if you're using a secure cloud account to store your website passwords that the "Auto Login" button can only be checked when the website is first remembered.

My bank or other site requires more than just a username and password. Can FastAccess automate it all?

No. FastAccess can automate the entry of username and password for most web sites. However it cannot automate, for example, the selection of a security image or the answers to any “personal knowledge” security questions.

When I open FastAccess and click “Web Logins”, I can’t add websites to this list! Why not?

You never need to add websites to this list by hand. As long as the Web Login feature is enabled, FastAccess will automatically offer to learn the usernames and passwords for supported websites. Just login to your websites normally. The “Web Login” section of the Configuration Console allows you to view and manipulate websites that FastAccess has already learned.

Various browsers can also remember my website usernames and passwords. Do I need to enable this for the FastAccess Web Login to work?

No. Although superficially similar in function, the Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome password auto-entry features are completely separate from that of FastAccess. The advantage of using FastAccess for this job is that your access to important online accounts remains secure – even if you forget to lock or log out of Windows.

Will FastAccess Web Login simply put my username and password into the website, or will it actually log me in as well?

The majority of the time FastAccess Web Login feature will not only enter your username and password into the appropriate fields within a website, it will also “click” any buttons or links necessary to actually log you into that site.

It is possible, however, that certain websites may not support automatic submission of usernames and password. In other words, FastAccess may enter the username and password onto the page, but not be able to “click” the login button.

As a trouble shooting step if you find a site such as this, go to the “Web Login” section of the Configuration Console and delete the site. Return to the website login page and login again. Pay attention to whether you use the mouse to click the “login” button or hit the “Enter” key on your keyboard. Try both methods as it’s possible that one method will work while the other does not. If both methods of enrolling a website into FastAccess fail then the website does not support automatic submission of credentials.

Note that you do have the ability to turn this feature off when enrolling a website. Simply un-check the "Auto Login" checkbox in the FastAccess window that asks if you want to remember this website or not. You may also turn off the Auto Login feature after the website is already learned.

Problems updating a stored, incorrect username or password.

If you login to a website for the first time and enter a bad username or password, that bad information will be remembered if you say "Yes" when asked if you want FastAccess to remember the website. One of two things will happen next:

The website takes you to a "failure" page with a different URL than the login page.

In this case you'll need to open the FastAccess management window and change the bad information directly.

The website takes you to a "failure" page with the same URL as the login page.

In this case you'll see the message "Your saved login info isn't working. Login to the site so FastACcess can automatically save the corrected info.". You should now login again with the correct information. You will then be asked if you wish to remember the website. If you say "yes", the entry in FastAccess will be updated. Note, however, that the "failure" login page must be fully loaded in the browser first. If you re-login too quickly you may not be asked to remember the website and the entry in FastAccess may not be updated. In this case, manually update the bad information in the FastAccess management window.

Can I backup my Web Login database?

Yes!

New in version 4.X, you may now backup your entire web login database (all your website passwords) to an encrypted, password protected file which you store on your computer.

Go to the Web Login section > Management > "Backup & Restore" and follow the prompts.

The Web Login feature stopped working even though it is still enabled. Why?

FastAccess interacts with browsers through what are called "Add Ons" or “Extensions”. Browsers have a privacy mode that disables all add-ons by default. If the FastAccess Add-On is disabled by a privacy mode or by any other means, the Web Login feature will stop working even if it's still enabled in the FastAccess management console.

Some browsers may allow you to manually re-enable extensions. Please see the browsers documentation for instruction on how to enable Add Ons and Extensions. The FastAccess Add Ons and Extensions are:

Internet Explorer: "Face recognition web login for FastAccess" Firefox: "FastAccess Web Login" Chrome: “FastAccess SSO”

The Web Login feature doesn't work in Internet Explorer if I launch it from the Win8 "Modern" desktop!

This is a limitation of the version of Internet Explorer (IE) that is available from the "Modern" desktop (the desktop with all the square tiles) in Win8. Microsoft elected not to include a plugin architecture in this version of IE. This prevents all advanced functionality including but not limited to the Web Login feature in FastAccess.

Note that the version of IE launched from the Win8 Standard desktop (the version that looks mostly like Win7) works as expected.

I disabled (or enabled) the Web Login feature in FastAccess, but it kept working (or didn't start working)!

Web browsers only read the current status of the FastAccess web login feature when they're launched. If you either enable or disable the Web Login feature from within FastAccess while a browser is running, you'll need to close and re-open the browser for that change to take effect.

After updating Chrome, the Web Login feature no longer works.

With the update to Chrome 25, Google implemented a feature which disables all browser Extensions installed by third parties - even with the user's permission. Because FastAccess relies on an extension to communicate with Chrome, this new Chrome feature temporarily breaks the Web Login functionality.

You may, however, re-enable it easily.

In Chrome, go to the Settings Menu (the icon showing three horizontal bars in the upper right corner).

Go to Tools > Extensions.

Scroll down to "FastAccess SSO" and check the "Enable" checkbox. The web login feature will immediately start working again.

I want to backup my Web Login password database but can't.

Backing up your database of website passwords is easy. From within the FastAccess software itself, simply go to Web Logins > "Backup & Restore". The backup process makes it easy to select a password to protect the file containing your critical passwords.

If you're using a FastAccess "Cloud Account" (a secure online storage location which allows you to synchronize your passwords to other devices running FastAccess), you may also backup your passwords. To reach your cloud account in a browser window, first open FastAccess. Next go to Web Login and click the "Open" button on the right. This will display your cloud account information in your default web browser. Click the "Import / Backup" link and then the "Backup Now" link. This will create a file which is automatically password protected using your Cloud Account password. In this case, you may not select a separate password to protect your backup file.

I cancelled out of the face recognition after logging into a website, but FastAccess tried to recognize me again the next time. Why?

When you log into a website, FastAccess will try to recognize your face. Cancelling the recognition process means that you never get the chance to tell FastAccess how to handle the website in the future.

If you want to prevent FastAccess from prompting you about a particular website, allow the face recognition to succeed (or log in with your override details if recognition fails), then click "Never for this website" when prompted.

Note that successful recognition is required to make ANY changes to your website database - including adding a website for which you do not want to have FastAccess remember the password.

What is a Cloud Account and how is it used?

FastAccess 4.X offers an exciting new feature - the ability to automatically synchronize any website passwords you have saved between all of your Windows computers. You will soon even be able to synchronize passwords between Windows, Android and iOS devices too!

This is done through a secure "Cloud Account". A cloud account is simply an online storage area where your website and app usernames and passwords are safely stored. Each computer, phone or tablet that you connect to the same cloud account automatically has access to all your stored passwords.

Is my login information safe?

Yes! Extremely safe.

In addition to taking industry leading security measures to protect your confidential website usernames and passwords, SensibleVision goes farther.

On top of strongly encrypting your information, we also take extraordinary measures to protect your decryption key. Each cloud account has a completely unique decryption key (this is typically not the case for other online storage solutions where all the accounts share a single master key). This key is created automatically by our servers based on your computer and login details. They key itself is known to no one - not even to SensibleVision.

This method has the advantage that even if a hacker were to gain access to one decryption key, they would only gain access to one account - never to all of them! This makes everyone's data safer as the payoff for a very difficult attack is incredibly small.

Note that as a result of this strong security, if you lose or forget your cloud account password it cannot be recovered - not even by SensibleVision staff. The only option is to delete your cloud account and start over.

Can I recover my cloud account password if I lose it?

No.

For security purposes, not even SensibleVision can recover a lost cloud account password. There are, however, several choices on how to move forward:

If you have your Web Login database (list of learned websites) backed up to a locally stored file, SensibleVision can delete your existing Cloud Account, then you can create a new one and upload your websites from that file.

If you have FastAccess stored on more than one device, you may be able to authenticate with your face and second factor and change the cloud account password.

Are passwords stored in my FastAccess Cloud account secure?

Yes. SensibleVision takes multiple security measures to ensure the integrity of data stored in your cloud account.

All cloud accounts are completely independent of each other. Unlike most other online storage, there is no "master key" that could be used to access many accounts simultaneously. This makes hacking the cloud server far more difficult and far less attractive. In fact, not even SensibleVision staff can access data or reset cloud account passwords.

All data is encrypted right up until it's actually used on your device. There's no way to intercept un-encrypted data at any point in the process.All photos are encrypted and never available for anyone to view or access.

Can someone break into my account using a photograph of me?

Generally no, they cannot. FastAccess pays enough attention to how you look when you’re actually using your computer (including lighting, camera angle, angle of your face, camera type, etc.) that a standard photograph is unlikely to match all of these characteristics closely enough to allow unwanted access to your account.

FastAccess also provides several levels of protection against photos and videos that you may select.

In FastAccess under Security > "Recognition Settings", selecting a higher recognition strength setting will inherently protect against photos and videos better than lower settings. Higher settings also provide access to the "Enhanced Photo Rejection" checkbox which enables additional photo rejection techniques.

For the ultimate in security and photo/video rejection, you may also enable Two Factor Authentication. Open FastAccess and go to Security > "Second Factor Settings". By entering a Secret Shape or a Gesture in addition to having your face recognized, photo/video rejection becomes perfect!

Please see the next two questions for additional discussion.

Under what conditions COULD someone use a photograph of me to gain access to my account?

With the default FastAccess settings (the lowest level of photo/video protection), it may be possible gain access to your account with a photograph, printed at high quality that is taken either through or physically near the web camera that you use to access your computer. Since this could in theory match closely what you actually look like to the software while using your computer, it is recommended that you not allow this type of photograph to be taken.

If it is not possible to limit photographs of yourself from being taken through your web camera, we recommend enabling a higher recognition strength (Security > "Recognition Settings) and checking the "Enhanced Photo Rejection" checkbox. This will reject most photos - even those taken through the webcam itself. For the ultimate in protection against photos and videos, enable Two Factor Authentication (Security > "Second Factor Settings"). By entering a Secret Shape or a Gesture in addition to having your face recognized, photo/video rejections becomes perfect!
Please note that if you hold a photograph of yourself up to the camera and then log in manually, that photograph will be “learned” as your own face and could then be used in the future to gain access to your account. Just as you would not write your password on a sticky note and post it on the monitor, however, it is strongly recommended that you avoid doing this if you truly want to maintain account security.

What about a “brute force” photo attack?

It’s worth noting that given unlimited time and unobstructed physical access to your PC that any all security measures can eventually be bypassed through “brute force” (massive effort) methods.

Correspondingly, it is difficult - though possible - that through “brute force” trial and error that someone could create a photograph of you that would allow access to your account. FastAccess photo resistance is strong enough - especially with "Enhanced Photo Rejection" enabled - that this “attack” would likely require significant time, effort, expertise with photo manipulation and of course unobstructed physical access to your PC.

If you deem this type of attack to be of concern in your environment, simply enable Two Factor Authentication (Security > "Second Factor Settings"). Coupled with a good password, a second factor will dramatically enhance login security while still maintaining the convenience of face recognition.

What is Dual Factor (or "Second Factor) security and why would I need it?

Experts agree that any single “authentication factor” (i.e. a method for securely accessing your computer) is not truly secure. True two factor security has historically, however, been notoriously difficult to use. If you require an additional level of security on your computer, FastAccess provides true two factor authentication that is convenient to use.

In addition to having your face be recognized, you may also set FastAccess to require the selection of Secret Shapes that only you know or the entry of a Gesture. This added information is quick and easy to enter and virtually guarantees perfect protection against a photo/video attack.

See the Security > "Second Factor Settings" section of FastAccess for details.

What are the false acceptance and false rejection rates of FastAccess?

False acceptance (also known as “false positive”, or recognizing one person as the WRONG person) and false rejection (also known as “false negative”, or failing to recognize an authorized user) rates are traditional ways to measure biometric accuracy.

FastAccess is unique that the false negative rate actually improves with use. The more you log into the system, the better it gets at recognizing you! With use, FastAccess should recognize you more than 90% - often more than 95% - of the time. True false positives are exceedingly unlikely. In standardized tests, they have occurred in less than 1x10-6 (1 in a million) logins at the highest Recognition Strength setting (Security > "Recognition Settings").

Please note that if a user’s face (or an object with a face) is actively enrolled or learned into the wrong account (with a stolen or compromised password, for example) and then later recognized that this is NOT a true false positive.

Also note that the exact accuracy rates depend on the Recognition Strength setting you select (Security > "Recognition Settings"). The "Default" setting will require fewer manual logins, but has a higher risk of an incorrect recognition. For situations requiring increased accuracy, select a higher Recognition Strength value.

Too many people know my password. Can I fix this with FastAccess?

No.

Your computer security is only as good as the password that it’s based on.

If someone else knows your password, your account is compromised – even with any biometric device or other security solution such as FastAccess. You should change your password. With a secure password, FastAccess provides additional security by making a complex password easier to use and by optionally tracking when you LEAVE the vicinity of your PC in order to secure your desktop and websites automatically.

Do I REALLY need to password protect my Windows account?

Yes.

You may use FastAccess for fun and convenience without a password on your Windows account, but a Windows account without a password truly has no security at all…with or without FastAccess or any other security tool.

I've noticed that even non-administrative users can disable FastAccess through the Windows login screen. Isn't this a security problem?

No.

Even with FastAccess disabled, a person trying to access a Windows account still needs to know the password for that account (exactly as when FastAccess is enabled). Of course with FastAccess disabled, accessing the computer and protected websites will be less convenient.

What are the effects choosing a different face recognition strength under Security > "Recognition Settings"?

Recognition strength is a measure of how “picky” FastAccess is with what is considered a facial match.

Increasing this slider will more strongly protect against an incorrect recognition (recognizing someone else as you or you as someone else) but may also slightly decrease the frequency with which FastAccess makes a correct match as well (correctly recognizing you as you).

The "Default" value is intended for casual use only. It will require you to enter your Windows password very infrequently for a given physical location, but has a higher risk of letting the wrong person into your account. For stronger security and improved accuracy, you may select one of the higher settings. At the highest setting, an incorrect recognition is not completely impossible, but it's very close.

I can hold up objects that have “faces” in them like photographs, stuffed animals, even my pet and then type my password into Windows and it accepts that! Isn't this a security hole?

No.

Although FastAccess will draw a green square around objects other than human faces that also have face-like patterns (like photographs or stuffed animals), it will not let them be used to access your account.

A word of warning, however….if you hold an object up to the computer and then type your password, this object may be learned as being your own face and could then be used to access your account in the future. Just as you would not write down your password on a sticky note and attach it to the monitor, however, this procedure should be avoided if you want to truly maintain account security. If this does occur, be sure to clear your biometric database (Advanced > "Face Database", select your account and press "Delete") to remove the incorrectly enrolled object and to prevent problems going forward.

Why would I need to delete my face database? What does this even mean?

FastAccess stores an enrollment, or face database for each user. This is simply a collection of the authorized ways that your face looks while using your computer.

Each time you access your machine using facial recognition, the video from the camera is compared against this database. If a match is made to one of the versions of how you look, you are allowed access. It is possible, however, for this database to become corrupted if someone steals your password. With possession of your password, it may be possible for them to log in manually and put their face into your database. In this case you should change your password (critical!) and delete your face database in order to remove the other person’s face from your own database.

To do this, open FastAccess and go to Advanced > "Face Database". Select your own user name and hit “Delete”. If you are a Windows administrator, you may also delete the biometric enrollment information for other users on the machine if they have experienced a similar scenario.

Someone stole my password and logged in as me. How do I fix this?

First, change your Windows password. This is critical.

After that, open FastAccess and go to Advanced > "Face Database". Select your own name and hit “Delete”. This removes all the stored versions of what you look like. This is an important step because if someone has your password, it may be possible for them to put their face into your own biometric database. Removing the entire database and changing your password will ensure that all new facial “learning” going forward will be only of your own face. This is why having a Windows account that is protected by a strong password is so important.

How can I tell who has used my computer?

FastAccess provides a very strong access logs – in other words, an accurate record of who logged into your computer and when.

To find the access logs, open FastAccess and go to the "Logs" section. Along with a text-based list of who accessed your computer, if you are a Windows administrator you may also enable the “Record Photo” feature. If “Record Photo” is checked then an actual photograph of the user will be taken each time they access the computer. This further increases security by allowing a visual confirmation that the person entering a password (should a recognition not occur for some reason) is in fact the appropriate person.

I have "Security After Login" set to "User Switching". I got up and someone else sat down. Windows didn't switch to their account – why?

FastAccess’s user switching mode is designed to make switching between various Windows accounts more convenient. It switches between accounts automatically as soon as the new user’s face is recognized.

If a new person's face is not recognized quickly, however (if there was a facial appearance or lighting change, for example), then the accounts may not switch. You can always secure the desktop by hand by hitting “Windows+L” and then having the new user log in manually. This will teach FastAccess more about what the new user looks like, making the automatic account switching more likely to happen quickly in the future.

It only took three characters from my password to login!

This is correct and expected behavior if you have Two Factor authentication enabled (Security > "Second Factor Settings") using either a Secret Shape or a Gesture, but have not yet selected the shape or gesture that you wish to use.

In such a situation, FastAccess still needs to prompt for more information in addition to recognizing your face. Without a shape or gesture to use, it falls back to the first three characters of your password.

To correct this situation, choose a shape(s) and/or gesture - Security > Second Factor Settings > "Edit Secret Shapes" or "Edit Gesture".

What is an "Override Method"?

The Override Method determines what steps you need to take to log into Windows when your face is not recognized.

Note that by default this method is your Windows password (if you're not recognized, type your Windows password to login and teach FastAccess more about what you look like). If, however, you have selected either Secret Shapes or a Gesture as a Second Factor, then you may select the other one as an Override. In other words, if you have Secret Shapes set as your Second Factor for login, then you may select a Gesture as an Override Method (as an alternative to your Windows password).

I want to watch a movie. Will EcoAware interfere if the webcam can’t see my face?

EcoAware will not activate under the following conditions:

When audio is actively playing in the speaker either by itself or with video, EcoAware is temporarily disabled until the audio is finished.

Your movie is running in “Full Screen” mode (for example YouTube, iTunes, Netflix or Windows Media player can all be run in “full screen” mode) then EcoAware functionality will be temporarily disabled. Please note that “Full Screen” mode is NOT the same as an application running maximized. EcoAware will be automatically re-enabled when the full screen application is closed or taken out of full screen mode.

I want to listen to music. Will EcoAware interfere?

No.

EcoAware will not activate under the following conditions:

1. When audio is actively playing in the speaker either by itself or with video, EcoAware is temporarily disabled until the audio is finished.
2. Your music player is running in “Full Screen” mode (for example YouTube, iTunes, Netflix or Windows Media player can all be run in “full screen” mode) then EcoAware functionality will be temporarily disabled. Please note that “Full Screen” mode is NOT the same as an application running maximized. EcoAware will be automatically re-enabled when the full screen application is closed or taken out of full screen mode.
3. Alternately, simply select an EcoAware mode that does not put the PC to sleep for an extended period of time. Because music playback does not suffer when the screen is turned off, this is an effective way to both save power and continue to enjoy music at the same time.

Why does EcoAware sometimes still work when FastAccess was unable to recognize my face?

EcoAware does not need to recognize who you are in order to function. It simply needs to see that there is any face in front of the camera in order to keep the PC out of power savings. It’s very possible that in low light situations that there can be insufficient detail to perform accurate facial recognition but still be plenty of detail to determine that a face is at least present. If lighting is sufficiently dim, of course, then neither face recognition nor EcoAware will function.

Why does EcoAware sometimes disable itself, particularly in low light?

EcoAware controls the power state of the PC according to whether or not your face can be seen. In low light, it may not be possible for the camera to clearly see your face. In such situations, EcoAware functionality will be disabled and then automatically re-enabled as soon as there is sufficient light to see your face again.

I am downloading a large file, backing up my computer or charging a device from my USB connector. Can I still use EcoAware?

Yes.

The best mode to use for these tasks is "Charging Mode". This mode will not put the computer to sleep for 12 full hours when on AC (wall power…i.e. not battery) which allows for backups to run and devices to charge without interference. For more effective energy savings it is recommended that you switch back to different EcoAware mode when your task or charging is done.

Sometimes my screen wakes when my face returns to view in the camera and other times it doesn't. Why?

This depends on the specific EcoAware mode that you’ve selected. Most modes turn the display back on automatically when a face comes back into view. Some modes require you to move the mouse or use the keyboard to turn the display back on. Using the mouse or keyboard to turn the display back on can save slightly more energy.

In Custom Savings mode you may manually select whether or not the screen turns back on when a face is in view using the "Screen turns on" option. For "Screen Turns Off" timers of 10 seconds or less, this option is automatically set to "Face In View".

The display can be turned back on (as long as the PC has not been put to sleep) in ANY mode with keyboard or mouse movement.

Why are the EcoAware power savings numbers just estimates?

Very few computers support reading the actual power used by your PC. It is necessary, therefore, to estimate your power savings based on the typical energy usage for your size display and type of CPU. In general, SensibleVision has chosen conservative (low) numbers for the energy used by various displays and CPUs. With an external energy meter, you may find that your real savings are higher.

I'm burning a CD or DVD. Will EcoAware interrupt if I step away during the burn?

No.

Most, though not all, CD burning programs inform Windows of what they're doing specifically in order to keep the PC out of sleep during the burn. EcoAware also pays attention to this request and in most cases will avoid sending the sleep command until the disc burning process is complete. If your burning program does not inform Windows properly, simply choose an EcoAware mode with a longer "sleep" timer.

Does EcoAware affect the time to Hibernate?

No.

Hibernate is an even lower power state than sleep. It saves additional energy, but it requires more time to wake from hibernate than it does from sleep. EcoAware and do not affect the amount of time that your PC takes to enter the hibernate mode. If you wish to change this, open your Windows power plan and adjust the time manually (for the “Power Saver” plan, specifically, since that is the plan that Windows will be placed into when your face leaves view of the camera).

What happens if I manually select the “Power Saver” mode in the Windows Power Management control panel?

If you manually select the “Power Saver” mode, EcoAware will disable itself temporarily.

Background EcoAware is designed to switch automatically between various Windows power modes when your face leaves and enters view of the camera. By selecting a Windows power mode manually, you are choosing to manage power usage by a means other than EcoAware. When you again manually select either the “Balanced” or “High Performance” power modes, EcoAware will be automatically re-enabled.

What happens if I adjust the Windows Power Management options separately from EcoAware?

You may certainly adjust the advanced settings of the “Balanced” or the “High Performance” power plans to suit your needs.

Background When your face leaves view of the camera, EcoAware places the PC specifically into the “Power Saver” plan. For this plan you should not change the values set by EcoAware for screen dim/off and sleep (If you do change them, they will be changed back by EcoAware when you switch EcoAware modes). If you wish, you may adjust other parameters of the “Power Saver” plan in order to save additional energy.

How does EcoAware interact with the Screen Saver?

The screen saver is disabled when FastAccess is in Continuous Security mode. In Face Login or User Switching modes, if “On resume, display logon screen” is selected in the screen saver when EcoAware is active, the computer will lock with the following behavior:

The “Screen Saver” timer is longer than the EcoAware “Screen Turns Off” timer.

The screen will turn off when the EcoAware “Screen Turns Off” timer expires.

The computer will lock when the “Screen Saver” timer expires and the display will turn back on as confirmation of the locking action. The screen will turn back off in about 30 seconds. The “Screen Saver” timer is shorter than the EcoAware “Screen Turns Off” timer.

The Screen Saver will display when the “Screen Saver” timer expires.

The screen will turn off when the EcoAware “Screen Turns Off” timer expires.

The computer will lock when the EcoAware “Screen Turns Off” timer expires.

What is the "Screen Turns On" option in the Customize mode? What is it's impact on energy savings?

This option in Customize mode controls whether or not the screen will turn back on (after it has been turned off) when your face comes back into view of the camera.

If this option is set to "None", then the camera itself is also turned off when the screen is turned off. This provides a small amount of additional power savings but requires keyboard or mouse activity to turn both the camera and the screen back on. If this option is set to "Face In View" then the camera stays on when the screen turns off and the screen will turn back on when your face comes back into view. Select this option to balance your desire for responsiveness of the screen with your desire for maximum power savings.

Note that in all cases that the camera will turn off when the computer goes to sleep. Waking the computer from sleep is no different with FastAccess installed than without.

What does EcoAware do?

EcoAware saves energy (electricity) by intelligently controlling the power usage of your PC. When your face is not in view of the web camera, energy usage is significantly reduced.

Will EcoAware extend my battery life?

Likely yes, depending on how you use your PC.

If the EcoAware mode that you've chosen turns off the screen and puts the computer to sleep more quickly than you would have otherwise done either by hand or with standard Windows power management tools, then EcoAware will extend your battery life. Conversely if you always close the laptop lid (which typically activates power savings techniques) when you leave the PC then the additional power saved by EcoAware – if any at all – will be quite minimal.

How is EcoAware different than Windows power management?

Windows power management relies exclusively on keyboard and mouse inactivity timers to determine when to dim or turn off the display, control hard drives and put the computer to sleep. EcoAware performs these same tasks with more sophistication (thereby saving more energy) and more convenience by controlling the power state of the PC according to whether your face is visible or not.

How does EcoAware work?

EcoAware sets the computer to turn off the display and later put the computer to sleep after your face is not visible.

You can set EcoAware to turn the display back on automatically when the webcam sees a face or to save even more energy, to turn the display on only when there is mouse or keyboard activity. Later, EcoAware puts the computer to sleep, saving even more energy. From sleep the computer wakes up quickly, typically with mouse or keyboard activity.

How much energy will EcoAware save?

Generally the amount of power saved each day is modest, but adds up significantly over time. The actual amount of power saved depends on many factors.

1. The specific EcoAware mode that you have chosen. Some modes are more aggressive about triggering power saving techniques (like turning off the display) than others.
2. How often you step out of view of the camera.
3. The exact amount of power consumed by your specific display, CPU, hard drives, etc.

How does EcoAware interact with the Windows Power Plans?

EcoAware works by specifying values for and then intelligently switching between different Windows power plans. Typically when your face is in view EcoAware keeps Windows in either the “Balanced” or “High Performance” plan (depending on which was previously set). When your face leaves view and any timers that you have selected expire, EcoAware moves Windows to the “Power Saver” plan. The Power Saver plan is where the timers you selected in EcoAware have been written and where they take effect.

What specific steps does EcoAware take to save energy?

To maximize savings, EcoAware uses a “2 stage” energy saver technology. Both of these methods are made practical by only being triggered when your face is out of view of the camera.

1. The first stage is to turn off the display after a face leaves view of the camera. This saves a great deal of energy as the display typically consumes 15% to 30% of the total energy on a standard laptop.
2. The second stage is to put the PC to sleep. This saves up to 95% of the total energy being used by a laptop. Since waking a machine from sleep takes slightly longer than turning the display back on, the sleep timer is typically longer than the timer to turn off the display.

Does FastAccess allow me to use another video program at the same time?

Yes!

While normally only one video program can be used at a time under all versions of Windows, FastAccess allows you to use another video app at the same time as FastAccess by creating a "virtual camera" when needed. The virtual camera appears within Windows as a second video camera (it's called "faCap" in the Windows device manager). When FastAccess is done analyzing video for your face, it passes the video to the virtual camera. Other video apps can use the virtual camera and function normally.

Note: all discussions of the FastAccess virtual camera do not apply to user's of Logitech cameras. With a current Logitech webcam driver, FastAccess can obtain video in a way that leaves the "real" camera driver free for use by other video applications just as if FastAccess were not installed. The virtual camera is, therefore, not available because it is not required.

FastAccess is in disabled. I see the virtual camera (FaCap) in the Windows Device Manager anyway and it’s disabled. Can I enable it directly?

No.

The virtual camera can only be enabled/disabled by FastAccess itself. Manipulating it directly within the Device Manager is not supported.

Note: all discussions of the FastAccess virtual camera do not apply to user's of Logitech cameras. With a current Logitech webcam driver, FastAccess can obtain video in a way that leaves the "real" camera driver free for use by other video applications just as if FastAccess were not installed. The virtual camera is, therefore, not available because it is not required.

Why does FastAccess disable itself when I make a voice or video call in Skype?

FastAccess is set to disable itself automatically when you place a call - either video or voice - through Skype when the call is answered.

This releases the computer's web camera for use by Skype. When the call is finished, FastAccess will re-enable itself automatically.

I see a new camera in the Windows Device manager called faCap. This computer only has one camera….what’s the second one?

This is a VIRTUAL video camera provided by FastAccess.

Since FastAccess protects your data and web password by (optionally) continually tracking your presence in front of the computer, it can use the web camera at all times. Normally this would cause you to be unable to use any other video applications on the system while FastAccess is running. To get around this Windows limitation, FastAccess creates a virtual or duplicate video camera in software which other applications can then attach to. This allows those other applications to use video from the web camera after FastAccess is done with it.

Note: all discussions of the FastAccess virtual camera do not apply to user's of Logitech cameras. With a current Logitech webcam driver, FastAccess can obtain video in a way that leaves the "real" camera driver free for use by other video applications just as if FastAccess were not installed. The virtual camera is, therefore, not available because it is not required.

What is the interaction between the virtual camera and the various FastAccess security modes? When is the virtual camera available and when isn't it?

The virtual camera is available for use by other video applications when FastAccess is Security After Login of "User Switching" or "Continuous Security". This is because FastAccess makes continuous use of the “real” web camera driver in these modes. With Security After Login set to "None", the virtual camera is not available because FastAccess disconnects from the real webcam approximately 30 seconds after login.

When the virtual camera is active, the interaction between the integrated and the virtual camera drivers is very much as if you had two cameras installed on your computer - with the exception that one of them only exists when FastAccess is running. In both cases, only one application at a time can attach to any given camera driver. This is a Windows limitation.

If you enable or disable FastAccess while another video application is running, you may have to close the application to make video available to FastAccess or close and restart the application to cause it to attach to the other camera driver.

Note: all discussions of the FastAccess virtual camera do not apply to user's of Logitech cameras. With a current Logitech webcam driver, FastAccess can obtain video in a way that leaves the "real" camera driver free for use by other video applications just as if FastAccess were not installed. The virtual camera is, therefore, not available because it is not required.

I have a program that doesn't work with the Virtual Camera. How can I use it on a system running FastAccess?

If for some reason a video application can’t use the virtual camera, you must temporarily disable FastAccess which will release the “real” camera driver for use. When you’re finished, be sure to close the other video application and re-start FastAccess in order to continue to provide strong security for your data and web passwords.

Note: all discussions of the FastAccess virtual camera do not apply to user's of Logitech cameras. With a current Logitech webcam driver, FastAccess can obtain video in a way that leaves the "real" camera driver free for use by other video applications just as if FastAccess were not installed. The virtual camera is, therefore, not available because it is not required.

Why can I only have 1 video application running at a time?

Under Windows, only one application at a time can use a given web camera. FastAccess provides strong security for your data and web passwords by (optionally) continually tracking your presence in front of the computer at all times – which means that it uses the web camera at all times to the exclusion of other programs. To allow you to still use other video applications, FastAccess creates a “virtual”, or duplicate camera in software within Windows. Other applications can use this Virtual camera to access video from the web camera after FastAccess is done with it. Since there is only one virtual camera, you may still only run one other video application at a time.

Note: all discussions of the FastAccess virtual camera do not apply to user's of Logitech cameras. With a current Logitech webcam driver, FastAccess can obtain video in a way that leaves the "real" camera driver free for use by other video applications just as if FastAccess were not installed. The virtual camera is, therefore, not available because it is not required.

I’m running another video application while FastAccess is disabled. Then I enabled FastAccess, but it can’t seem to get video on the login screen! Why?

In this scenario, your video application starts off using the real camera driver and FastAccess is not using a camera driver at all. When you enable FastAccess it tries to attach to the real camera but cannot because it’s in use. You will need to close the video application first, then lock the PC to allow FastAccess to attach to the real camera. FastAccess will then publish the virtual camera for use by your other application. The virtual camera will likely be chosen automatically by your video application when it’s restarted.

Note: all discussions of the FastAccess virtual camera do not apply to user's of Logitech cameras. With a current Logitech webcam driver, FastAccess can obtain video in a way that leaves the "real" camera driver free for use by other video applications just as if FastAccess were not installed. The virtual camera is, therefore, not available because it is not required.

I’m running another video application while FastAccess is enabled. Then I disable FastAccess and the video application looses video! Why?

In this scenario, FastAccess is using the “real” webcam driver and your other application is using the virtual camera. When you disable FastAccess, the virtual camera is also disabled. You will either need to manually tell your video application to now use the real webcam , or close and restart the application to cause it to automatically choose the “first available” camera driver (which in this case is now the real webcam).

Note: all discussions of the FastAccess virtual camera do not apply to user's of Logitech cameras. With a current Logitech webcam driver, FastAccess can obtain video in a way that leaves the "real" camera driver free for use by other video applications just as if FastAccess were not installed. The virtual camera is, therefore, not available because it is not required.

I tried to install FastAccess, but it said that "FastAccess can only be installed on systems with a previous installation."

The version of FastAccess that you downloaded from Dell's website is an "update only" installer. Because FastAccess is not free software (it's bundled on some Dell laptops, but it is not free), the publicly available FastAccess installer that you downloaded can only be used to update an existing, valid copy of FastAccess. If you require a full installer to re-install FastAccess on the machine that it came with originally, see this question for details on how to obtain one.

The Web Login feature stopped working even though it is still enabled. Why?

FastAccess interacts with browsers through what are called "Add Ons" or “Extensions”. Browsers have a privacy mode that disables all add-ons by default. If the FastAccess Add-On is disabled by a privacy mode or by any other means, the Web Login feature will stop working even if it's still enabled in the FastAccess management console.

Some browsers may allow you to manually re-enable extensions. Please see the browsers documentation for instruction on how to enable Add Ons and Extensions. The FastAccess Add Ons and Extensions are:

Internet Explorer: "Face recognition web login for FastAccess" Firefox: "FastAccess Web Login" Chrome: “FastAccess SSO”

After login I receive a message stating that a “Guest account is not supported”. Why is this happening?

There are several possible reasons that this message could occur:

You logged into the Windows account called “Guest”. Since by definition this account is intended to be publicly accessible, it is illogical to perform facial recognition functions (facial recognition is by definition intended to identify a specific user) for this account. Use of this account is, therefore, not supported by FastAccess. Normal FastAccess functionality will return when you log into a different Windows account.

After a fresh installation of FastAccess if you try to open the management console before the required computer reboot, this error message may be displayed. Rebooting the computer as required will prevent this message from re-appearing.

In rare circumstances, it’s possible for Windows itself to incorrectly report the account type of a standard or even an administrative account as being of the type “Guest”. If one Windows account is experiencing the “Guest Account” error and the others are not, then this may be the case. Because this is a Windows OS error, there is nothing that FastAccess can do to address it. You may need to create a new Windows account and migrate your data. Note that if you are seeing this error in FastAccess 3.X that an upgrade (free) to 4.X may also address the issue by asking Windows again what your account type is.

I rarely see video, facial recognition never seems to start, and every time I reboot my computer I get a warning that FastAccess is disabled. What’s going on?

These symptoms will be evident if you only have one Windows account set upon your PC and that account is not password protected. In this situation, Windows automatically logs such accounts in when the PC reboots…effectively bypassing facial recognition. To get the benefits of facial recognition you can take one of two steps:

Recommended: Password protect the Windows account. This has the added benefit of dramatically improving the security of your account.

Alternatively: Once you've logged in and received the “FastAccess disabled” warning, lock the desktop by hand by hitting Windows + “L” or Control+Alt+Delete. You may also lock your desktop using your screensaver. After the desktop is locked, log in again with your face visible. All FastAccess functions will now work as normal until the next reboot.

I find Vista UAC (“User Account Control”) annoying so I turned it off. Now when I’m logged in as a Standard (non-administrative) user, I can no longer reach the FastAccess Admin console. Why?

This is a limitation of Windows Vista.

When logged in as a Standard user, Vista requires “elevation” (explicit permission by the user to perform a sensitive task) in order to run the FastAccess Admin console. With UAC disabled, Standard users can no longer elevate programs – including FastAccess – by any method. There is nothing that FastAccess can do to restore this ability. With UAC on, Standard users can provide elevation and run the Admin console by typing an Administrative username and password when prompted. When logged in as an Administrative user, you may run the FastAccess Admin console at will.

Note that this limitation is not present in Win7 and Win8.

The FastAccess icon in the system tray (lower right corner by the clock) keeps changing colors. What do the colors mean?

1. Green - FastAccess is working normally
2. Blinking Green and Yellow - If you have Security After Login set to "Continuous Security", this likely means your face is out of view of the camera and FastAccess is counting down to lock the desktop. It could also mean, however, that you logged into Windows when your face was not in view of the camera. In this case, your desktop will lock according to the settings of your screen saver.
3. Blinking Green and Red - You may be in "Collaboration Mode". This mode temporarily disables the automatic desktop locking, Web Login feature and the virtual camera. You may also have logged into Windows with the account called "Administrator". Logging in with this account automatically disables FastAccess. Note that not all administrative accounts will have this function - ONLY the one specifically named "Administrator".

After running a "registry cleaner" tool, FastAccess is no longer licensed. Why?

Some registry cleaner tools do a poor job of properly distinguishing between registry keys that are required and ones that are not. If a registry cleaner tools incorrectly removes the registry keys that FastAccess requires to maintain your license, then FastAccess may no longer function. If this occurs, undo any registry changes that were made and set up "exclusions" as possible in order to prevent it from happening again in the future. Alternately, simply do not run the registry cleaner tool that is causing the issue.

I logged in under the account called “Administrator” and FastAccess is disabled. Why?

If you log in under the account called “Administrator”, FastAccess assumes that you are there to administer the machine at a very deep level. FastAccess will automatically disable itself as a result.

Please note that not all accounts of the administrative type will display this behavior…only the account that is specifically and exactly called “Administrator” (if it exists at all).

I was logged into Windows with my face before video ever appeared on screen! How is this possible?

During the boot process, the camera drivers and the parts of Windows required for displaying video on the screen are actually started separately. It is, therefore, possible for the camera to be functional and for FastAccess to be analyzing video for several seconds before that video is actually shown on the login screen. If during those few seconds your face is recognized, you may be logged into Windows before the video ever actually appears. Not to worry, however - all FastAccess functions will still be available to you in such a case and your Windows account is secure and safe.

I find UAC (“User Account Control”) annoying so I turned it off. Even with FastAccess controlling the power mode, I can no longer put the laptop to sleep using the keyboard command. Why?

This is a defect in Windows Vista. With UAC disabled, the keyboard command to “sleep” is unavailable. FastAccess does not and cannot correct this behavior.

I can't see the FastAccess icon in the system tray (lower right by the clock).

Windows 7 and Windows 8 hide all non-Microsoft Icons by default. You must set Windows to allow the display of the FA Icon.

1. In the System Tray (the part of the Star Bar in the lower right of the desktop by the time and date), click the “up arrow” to the left of the visible icons.
2. Click “Customize"
3. Select the "FA" icon and set the drop-down box to "Sown icon and notifications"

When I try to open FastAccess, I get a warning in a window called “User Account Control” (UAC). The window says “A program needs your permission to continue.” in Vista and “Do you want to allow the following program..." in Win7 and Win8.

This message is a security measure put in place by Windows itself. When you run programs that can affect how the computer behaves, Windows wants to be sure that this is truly your intent. Simply click “Continue” in Vista or “Yes” in Win7 and Win8 to proceed to the FastAccess management window.

During licensing, "Network error attempting to contact License server. Please try again later."

This error is typically seen when behind some corporate firewalls or proxy servers. To license FastAccess on such a computer, please contact SensibleVision for a simple, manual licensing procedure.

While entering my activation key, I was informed that there are no more activations left. Why?

SensibleVision protects it's software by limiting how many times an activation key can be used before it expires. In an emergency, we can re-authorize your key for an additional use, but there are other more preferable options:

If you know that you'll be rebuilding a computer, be sure to de-install FastAccess first. If you de-install while connected to the internet, your activation key will automatically be granted an additional use for when the rebuild is complete.

If you need to move your copy of FastAccess to a different computer, be sure to de-install it from the original computer first. This will also automatically grant your activation key an additional use on the new computer.

It only took three characters from my password to login!

This is correct and expected behavior if you have Two Factor authentication enabled (Security > "Second Factor Settings") using either a Secret Shape or a Gesture, but have not yet selected the shape or gesture that you wish to use.

In such a situation, FastAccess still needs to prompt for more information in addition to recognizing your face. Without a shape or gesture to use, it falls back to the first three characters of your password.

To correct this situation, choose a shape(s) and/or gesture - Security > Second Factor Settings > "Edit Secret Shapes" or "Edit Gesture".

The Web Login feature doesn't work in Internet Explorer if I launch it from the Win8 "Modern" desktop!

This is a limitation of the version of Internet Explorer (IE) that is available from the "Modern" desktop (the desktop with all the square tiles) in Win8. Microsoft elected not to include a plugin architecture in this version of IE. This prevents all advanced functionality including but not limited to the Web Login feature in FastAccess.

Note that the version of IE launched from the Win8 Standard desktop (the version that looks mostly like Win7) works as expected.

I disabled (or enabled) the Web Login feature in FastAccess, but it kept working (or didn't start working)!

Web browsers only read the current status of the FastAccess web login feature when they're launched. If you either enable or disable the Web Login feature from within FastAccess while a browser is running, you'll need to close and re-open the browser for that change to take effect.

In FastAccess 4.X, the camera is on more often than in 3.X. Why?

Actually, it isn't. The camera light is on more often.

Behavior of the camera itself in 4.X is identical to 3.X.

In FastAccess 3.X, Dell requested that FastAccess keep the camera light off whenever possible after login...even when the camera was in use. This was potentially confusing. In 4.X, Dell changed this request. FastAccess now uses the more predictable, correct behavior of turning on the camera and the camera light at the same time.

The camera can be used after login for a variety of purposes - even if you have "Security After Login" set to "None". For example, with the Web Login feature enabled, FastAccess will briefly turn on the camera when you launch a web browser. Turning on the camera and starting the recognition process early helps to minimize the time it takes to log you into a website, thereby providing the best possible web login experience.

After updating Chrome, the Web Login feature no longer works.

With the update to Chrome 25, Google implemented a feature which disables all browser Extensions installed by third parties - even with the user's permission. Because FastAccess relies on an extension to communicate with Chrome, this new Chrome feature temporarily breaks the Web Login functionality.

You may, however, re-enable it easily. In Chrome, go to the Settings Menu (the icon showing three horizontal bars in the upper right corner). Go to Tools > Extensions. Scroll down to "FastAccess SSO" and check the "Enable" checkbox. The web login feature will immediately start working again.

On my Lenovo computer, video works correctly during initial FastAccess setup, for other video apps, and in FastAccess after login but no video is visible on the login screen following a desktop lock.

Lenovo has a feature called "Camera Mute" which intentionally disabled the webcam on the Windows login screen. The intention is to prevent accidental streaming of video while the computer is secured. This may help address privacy concerns, but FastAccess needs video on the login screen.

In the case of this problem, the location where video is normally shown will look like this:

To disable this feature: While holding down the "Function" key (often labeled "FN" on the bottom row of keys on your keyboard) hit F6. This should bring up the screen below. Be sure that the checkbox called "Automatically hide my video image when my computer is locked" is un-checked.

I need to re-install FastAccess but don't have a copy. How do I get one?

Most Dell computers do not ship with a backup copy of FastAccess. As the distributor of Dell FastAccess, Dell is responsible for providing backup and replacement software.

There are two primary ways to obtain software from Dell: Call Dell tech support directly and request that they send a replacement installation CD. They should be able to do this without difficulty.

Register at https://smartsource.dell.com with your service tag number. This should allow most users to download all the software that came originally on your Dell computer.

If both methods above fail, please feel free to contact SensibleVision so that we may assist further.

I tried to install FastAccess, but it said that "FastAccess can only be installed on systems with a previous installation."

The version of FastAccess that you downloaded from Dell's website is an "update only" installer. Because FastAccess is not free software (it's bundled on some Dell laptops, but it is not free), the publicly available FastAccess installer that you downloaded can only be used to update an existing, valid copy of FastAccess. If you require a full installer to re-install FastAccess on the machine that it came with originally, see this question for details on how to obtain one.

How do I license FastAccess?

This depends on how you obtained FastAccess.

Purchased from the SensibleVision website, through Logitech or Creative: After your purchase, you will receive an email with an activation key. Copy/paste this key into FastAccess either during the installation process or afterward by opening FastAccess and going to Advanced > "Licensing".

Purchased with your Dell computer: No licensing steps are required. Your copy of FastAccess is automatically authorized to run on the computer it was purchased with.

Can I install the Dell version of FastAccess on another computer?

Maybe.

Yes, if you upgraded from the Dell 2.X or 3.X version to 4.X with a $14.99 purchase through the SensibleVision website. After paying for this upgrade, you may move FastAccess to another computer, but you must de-install it from the original computer first.

No, if you have the original version of FastAccess that came with your Dell computer. This version (no matter it's version number) is only authorized to be installed on the computer it came with.

How do I upgrade from FastAccess 2.X to 4.X?

1. First, be sure you're updated to version 2.4.97. If you have not yet done this, either follow the automated prompts or go to the FastAccess configuration window > Advanced > "Check for updates".
2. Follow the prompts.
3. Reboot
4. A message will appear that talks about the availability and benefits of FastAccess version 3 (note, however, that the current version you'll be upgrading to is actually now version 4). Click either "Learn More" or "Upgrade Now" to be taken to web pages with special upgrade information and pricing.
5. Purchase an activation key. You will receive an activation key by email. This step should be done BEFORE step 6.
6. Download and install FastAccess version 4. Be sure to enter your activation key during the installation process (though you will still have the option to enter it afterward if you miss this step).
7. Reboot again.
8. Version 4 will now ready to use!

In FastAccess 4.X, the camera is on more often than in 3.X. Why?

Actually, it isn't. The camera light is on more often.

Behavior of the camera itself in 4.X is identical to 3.X.

In FastAccess 3.X, Dell requested that FastAccess keep the camera light off whenever possible after login...even when the camera was in use. This was potentially confusing. In 4.X, Dell changed this request. FastAccess now uses the more predictable, correct behavior of turning on the camera and the camera light at the same time.

The camera can be used after login for a variety of purposes - even if you have "Security After Login" set to "None". For example, with the Web Login feature enabled, FastAccess will briefly turn on the camera when you launch a web browser. Turning on the camera and starting the recognition process early helps to minimize the time it takes to log you into a website, thereby providing the best possible web login experience.

What is FastAccess Anywhere for iPhone and iPad?

FastAccess Anywhere - Fast and Secure Face Recognition for the iPhone®!

Use Your iPhone Like Never Before! No more remembering and typing passwords on a tiny screen!

“…logs you in practically the instant it recognizes your mug.”–Michael Brown, PCWorld Magazine

DO MORE: If you didn’t need to worry about passwords and security, think about all the amazing things you could do with your iPhone:

• Banking on the go
• Paying bills while waiting in line
• Logging into your favorite store to buy a last minute gift

FastAccess Face Recognition makes it easy to do all of that — and more — by securely logging you into your favorite sites with your face!

ONE STEP: Enter or change a site password on one device and it can update everywhere automatically.

Integrated directly into a web browser, FastAccess automatically syncs site user names and passwords on your iPhone, iPad® and iPod touch®, as well as your computer and other mobile devices.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:

Industry-leading photo and video rejection keeps others from logging in with a picture of you.

Fast, touch-friendly, two-factor security lets you use your face with a gesture or Secret Shape to increase security while keeping login quick and easy.

Over 7 Million Computer Users

FastAccess was developed for enterprise environments with critical security requirements and later brought to home and small business users. This background sets FastAccess apart from novelty, insecure face recognition apps.

Now the world’s best, fastest, and most secure face recognition software is available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch…as well as computers, laptops and other mobile devices!

Can I use FastAccess Anywhere to lock my iPhone or iPad?

No. Locking your entire device with any app is not permitted by Apple.

FastAccess Anywhere for iOS does, however, allow you to securely log into any website without needing to remember or type passwords on the small, onscreen keyboard.

Can I use FastAccess for iPhone/iPad to unlock other apps?

This is not permitted by Apple. All iOS apps are "Sandboxed". In other words, one app is not permitted to interact with another.

FastAccess Anywhere for iOS can still log you into websites without needing to remember or type passwords.

What is FastAccess Anywhere for Android?

FastAccess uses your face to securely enter user names and passwords for most apps and websites. It can even add an extra layer of security to any app that doesn't require a password.

Automatically synchronize saved passwords between your Android, iOS and Windows devices. Never again have to remember or type complex passwords on a tiny touchscreen!

FastAccess Anywhere for Android allows you to use your phone or tablet in ways that were never before possible.

When my picture is taken it's rotated or "jumps". What next?

Unfortunately, not all Android devices handle video and photos correctly or consistently. It's often necessary for SensibleVision to add support for a specific device if the photo is rotated or otherwise incorrect. We're working constantly to increase our list of supported devices.

If you encounter such a situation, touch and hold the green "FastAccess Anywhere" logo at the top of the screen. This will create a diagnostic report which contains the hardware details of your device. The report will automatically offer to be emailed to us through your Gmail account. We will use this information to add support for your device. We appreciate the help!

Can I use FastAccess Anywhere to lock my entire phone or tablet?

While locking the entire device is technically possible, we've chosen to take FastAccess in a different direction. There are two main reasons:

1. A phone is not a computer and shouldn't be treated like one. Traditional PC based security locks the entire device and in that context it makes sense. We all access our laptop or desktop infrequently and use it for relatively long periods of time. A phone, by contrast, is accessed very, very often and for extremely brief periods of time. Locking the entire device would force you to go through the security process much, much more often than is really necessary.
2. Most tasks on a phone or tablet don't actually require security. Why go through a security procedure just to play a game, navigate the car or check the weather? We believe it makes much more sense to protect only what needs protecting. This is why FastAccess Anywhere is only activated for apps or websites which require a password or for apps which you specifically designate to be security sensitive (whether or not they require a password to logon).

This approach ensures that you have the security you need while maintaining maximum possible convenience.

My Galaxy SIII takes a very long time to display video.

The Galaxy SIII has a feature which uses the front facing camera to determine when to turn off the screen. This use of the camera conflicts with FastAccess. In order to use FastAccess, set the SIII to turn off the screen with a normal inactivity timer instead.

What is the battery impact?

The battery impact of FastAccess Anywhere for Android is minimal. That said, just as with any other app, how much energy FastAccess consumers depends primarily on how frequently you use it.

How do I remove the "FastAccess Anywhere Lock Service" item from my Android notification bar?

You can't. Because FastAccess Anywhere runs on Android as the equivalent of a service (i.e. it runs all the time in order to protect security) the Notification Bar icon will appear on all older versions of Android.

In newer versions of Android, Google removed this requirement and the icon will not appear.

In either case, both SensibleVision and you as the user have no control over this icon.