LinkFixer Advanced Does Not Launch When FIPS Encryption Is Enabled
Modified on: Fri, 6 Mar, 2026 at 11:07 AM
If LinkFixer Advanced fails to launch after being
installed on a server, the issue may be related to the system’s FIPS encryption
settings.
About FIPS
FIPS refers to the United States Federal Information Processing Standard. 140 standard that defines cryptographic algorithms approved for use by US Federal government computer systems for the protection of sensitive data.
However, this restriction can sometimes interfere with software that relies on standard .NET cryptographic functionality.
For additional background, see the article:
How FIPS Can Affect LinkFixer Advanced
Some server environments enforce FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) encryption policies. When FIPS mode is enabled, it restricts the cryptographic algorithms that applications are allowed to use.
LinkFixer Advanced is a .NET application that uses certain standard cryptographic functions to generate hash values for child files that are not recognized as supported file types. These functions are not FIPS-compliant, which can prevent the application from launching on systems where FIPS enforcement is enabled.
Because of this restriction, LinkFixer Advanced may only run on the server if FIPS enforcement is disabled (even if only temporarily).
Alternative Solution
If disabling FIPS on the server is not possible, you can
run LinkFixer Advanced from another machine, such as:
A
workstation
A
virtual machine
A
laptop
As long as the machine is connected to the same
high-speed subnet as the server, LinkFixer Advanced should still deliver strong
performance when accessing files stored on the server.
If the Application Still Does Not Launch