How to add the chat service to trusted in Trend Micro Internet Security

If you are using Trend Micro security system and experience trouble connecting online with your operator console, or encounter any performance issues, such as disconnects during chat or delays in messages posting, this may indicate to the need to allow the chat service through Trend Micro.

Below we are explaining how to white list the chat service with Trend Micro (TM). We are covering two of the Trend Micro's most popular products: TM Internet Security and TM Maximum Security, and discussing two of the available options: to white list by domain and by application.

Which option to go with? You have some freedom of choice here...

If you are getting "Cannot connect to the ProvideSupport Chat Server" from your operator console, it means that the application is totally blocked by Trend Micro, in which case adding the console to allowed in the firewall settings would be most natural. However, if you decide to add our domain to trusted instead of adding the application, it should have just the same effect.

If you are experiencing any performance glitches, such as sudden going on and off line, quitting, freezing etc. of the operator console, in this case we recommend running both set of instructions and making sure all ProvideSupport items, the console and the domain, are excluded from all sorts of scans and do not interfere with the antivirus.

Please note, that when you are white listing the domain, it is very important to add a wildcard before the domain name, like this: *.providesupport.com. The asterisk stands for all the subdomains under the main providesuppport.com domain. It is crucial to allow them all to get connected.

To white list the domain:

1. Open Trend Micro Internet Security dashboard (by clicking on its icon in the system tray or from the computer Start menu)
2. Switch to My Computer tab
3. In the left panel click Internet & Email Controls
4. Below Protection against Web Threats option click Settings
5. Click the link Approved Websites, press the button Add
6. Type in *.providesupport.com (including the asterisk) into the text input field at the top
7. Click OK

To white list the application:

1. Open Trend Micro Internet Security dashboard (by clicking on its icon in the system tray or from the computer Start menu)
2. Switch to My Computer tab
3. In the left panel click Personal Firewall Controls
4. Below Personal Firewall click Settings >> Advanced Settings
5. Switch to Program Control tab, click Add >> Browse, select the file ProvideSupportConsole.exe
6. Click OK

Another possible solution to unblock an application is described in Trend Micro's community forum  at http://community.trendmicro.com/t5/Home-and-Home-Office-Forum/How-to-unblock-programs-from-Trend-Micros-Internet-Security/td-p/1551

To white list the domain:

1. Open Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security dashboard (by clicking on its icon in the system tray or from the computer Start menu)
2. Click Protection Settings
3. Switch to Exception Lists tab on the left
4. Click Websites below Exception Lists, click Add
5. Type in *.providesupport.com (including the asterisk) into the text input field at the top and select Trust from the drop-down list next to Response
6. Click OK

To white list the application:

1. Open Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security dashboard (by clicking on its icon in the system tray or from the computer Start menu)
2. Click Protection Settings
3. Switch to Exception Lists tab on the left
4. Click Programs/folders below Exception Lists
5. Click Add >> Browse and select the file ProvideSupportConsole.exe
6. Click OK

Make sure to restart your operator console after taking the necessary steps.