Digital Certificate for runtime installs. (Not Self Cert)

[Guest]

I was wondering if anybody knows the best place to get a digital certificate
for "commercial" use. NOT USING SELF CERT

 

[Scott McDaniel]

I was wondering if anybody knows the best place to get a digital certificate
for "commercial" use. NOT USING SELF CERT

I got mine from Comodo, cost $99 a year:

http://www.instantssl.com/code-signing/

Scott McDaniel
scott@takemeout_infotrakker.com
www.infotrakker.com

 

[Guest]

I was wondering if this type of digital certificate completely fixes and
removes all of the startup securtiy dialogs that pop up when a user runs my
application?

 

[Scott McDaniel]

I was wondering if this type of digital certificate completely fixes and
removes all of the startup securtiy dialogs that pop up when a user runs my
application?

No. Many of these have to do with the computer's security settings and such. A digital signature merely "tells" the
enduser that the software (or install package, as the case may be) is the same as when it was signed.

Scott McDaniel
scott@takemeout_infotrakker.com
www.infotrakker.com

 

[Guest]

No. Many of these have to do with the computer's security settings and such. A digital signature merely "tells" the
enduser that the software (or install package, as the case may be) is the same as when it was signed.

Scott McDaniel
scott@takemeout_infotrakker.com
www.infotrakker.com

Let me rephrase my question, using a commercial digital certificate (like
the one from comodo), along with setting the computers security settings to
medium (in the computers registry during install) should take care of all
startup security warnings. Right?

I simply want to make sure that the program will install and run on any
computer running windows xp without any security warnings on program startup.
(I am already chaining the Jet sp8 update with the installer.)

 

[Scott McDaniel]

Let me rephrase my question, using a commercial digital certificate (like
the one from comodo), along with setting the computers security settings to
medium (in the computers registry during install) should take care of all
startup security warnings. Right?

I don't think you need to reset user's security level if you sign your project and make sure that the enduser has SP8. I
could be wrong about this, but from the way I read it, in theory it should work. This is from the "About Digital
Signatures" page (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP010397921033.aspx):

In High or Medium security, a file signed by a trusted entity will be opened without any security warnings.

addiional excerpt:

Note that a digital signature does not apply to the entire database. It covers only those parts of the database that
could be modified to do malicious things, such as VBA code, macros, action queries, SQL pass-through queries, data
definition queries, the ODBC connection string in queries, and properties of ActiveX controls.

Here's a link of interest:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011225981033.aspx

I simply want to make sure that the program will install and run on any
computer running windows xp without any security warnings on program startup.
(I am already chaining the Jet sp8 update with the installer.)

Scott McDaniel
scott@takemeout_infotrakker.com
www.infotrakker.com

 

[Guest]

Ok, let's try this again. (You have been extra helpful!)

I noticed that Comodo says you need to have "Microsoft Internet Client SDK"
installed in order to work with the digital certificate. After searching on
google, I noticed a place that said you needed to have an old computer with
windows 95 installed in order to install the sdk. Is this true?

-Don

 

[Scott McDaniel]

Ok, let's try this again. (You have been extra helpful!)

I noticed that Comodo says you need to have "Microsoft Internet Client SDK"
installed in order to work with the digital certificate. After searching on
google, I noticed a place that said you needed to have an old computer with
windows 95 installed in order to install the sdk. Is this true?

No, you don't need 95, but the information about this is very confusing (I ran into the same problems when I first tried
using a digital cert). I'm running WinXP Pro SP2.

-Don

Scott McDaniel
scott@takemeout_infotrakker.com
www.infotrakker.com

 

[Guest]

I got the certificate, signed the project, packaged it, installed it on
another machine and it didnt run, got an error and it sent me too office
update for a update that didnt install properly, they then directed me to
"full file" updates and it did work but took a long time ... so i switched
gears and tried to convert it back to access 2000 (friend recommended it) ...
but you cant create mde's in access 2000 format you have to convert it to
2003 for mde's.... any idea's would be helpful.

 

[Guest]

It just hit me! USE THE CUSTOM STARTUP WIZARD TO MAKE MY MDE FILES!

This should cure everything.

Thanks for all your help, you've been great!

-Don

 

[Guest]

HAHAHA! All I can do is laugh, seems like developers like us just can't win.
After digitally signing a project my program crashes with a link to an error
page which then directs the user (who is trying to run software they just
bought from me) to office update. Where the user must update in order for
the software they just bought from me to work. I could just download the
necessary updates and chain them to my installer but that would add another
50 megs or so to my file. Right?

I figured out how to run the Jet SP8 update hidden setting command line
arguments in the setup.ini, but if I convert back too access 2000 file format
I shouldn't need the SP8... so that is what I did.... I thought to myself
"Problems All Fixed", and my friend and I were right... but this new one
seems to have popped up.

Does anybody have any workarounds, ran into this problem before, or do I
just have to chain the updates into the installer? If so, where can I get
the file(s) and what file(s) do I need exactly? Also include a basic
chaining order if you have done this before please. Assuming this is the
only thing I can do, is it ok if I run all of the updates hidden?

-Don

 

[Scott McDaniel]

HAHAHA! All I can do is laugh, seems like developers like us just can't win.
After digitally signing a project my program crashes with a link to an error
page which then directs the user (who is trying to run software they just
bought from me) to office update. Where the user must update in order for
the software they just bought from me to work. I could just download the
necessary updates and chain them to my installer but that would add another
50 megs or so to my file. Right?

I figured out how to run the Jet SP8 update hidden setting command line
arguments in the setup.ini, but if I convert back too access 2000 file format
I shouldn't need the SP8... so that is what I did.... I thought to myself
"Problems All Fixed", and my friend and I were right... but this new one
seems to have popped up.

Does anybody have any workarounds, ran into this problem before, or do I
just have to chain the updates into the installer? If so, where can I get
the file(s) and what file(s) do I need exactly? Also include a basic
chaining order if you have done this before please. Assuming this is the
only thing I can do, is it ok if I run all of the updates hidden?

Regardless of the format (2000 or 2003) I'd certainly require SP8 for either.

Not sure what installer you use, but I think it would be a good idea to check for the Jet version BEFORE running your
setup ... if the enduser machine must update, then advise them of this and exit your install (possibly with a link to
the Office Update site). It is typically expected that your program sets minimum requirements, and a fully current
version of the database engine would certainly be a reasonable requirement.

-Don

Scott McDaniel
scott@takemeout_infotrakker.com
www.infotrakker.com

 

[Guest]

I have installed the software on machines with Jet SP8 already installed and
it still crashes. After digitally signing a project this happens. The user
is then redirected to Office Update to install Office 2003 SP2 and an Office
2003 Security Update. Office 2003 SP2 is 100 megs for the full file. This
just doesn't make sense!

I am using the Microsoft Office Developers Toolkit for packaging -
"Packaging Wizard".

I just don't get it, how can someone who buys my software (and doesn't have
Office installed) update anything until my software is installed?

-Don

 

[Guest]

Just a thought: What if I distribute my access 2000 file format "MDE's" with
the access 2000 runtime instead of the 2003 runtime? I wonder if that would
fix my issues?

 

[Guest]

Don,

Check out Sagekey at www.sagekey.com. I use their Access 2002 and 2003
products with the Wise Installation System (Professional). [Apparently Wise
is now Altiris, but www.wise.com gets you there.] I think you will find this
approach far superior to the Microsoft Packing Wizard.

EarlM

 

[Guest]

I just don't see what changing the installer will do for my problem.

I appreciate your response, but still hope to hear from others that have
gone through what I am going through now.

-Don

 

[Chris Mills]

Sagekey does claim the things you want (no certificate, updated runtime)

There's also this article on updating runtime files
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916176/

Chris

 

[Guest]

The Sagekey script checks for missing updates such as Jet sp8 and can either
install them from your file or direct user to download and install them from
Microsoft.

I have been using a Verisign VBA digital certificate for over two years with
Access 2003 for a wide mix of users accross the country. I have not had any
of the problems you describe. Two points: You need a VBA certificate not a
EXE/DLL one, and don't install a digital certificate in an Access 2003 MDB
and than convert back to 2000/2002 because those versions don't support
digital certificates.

EarlM

 

[Guest]

Just A Few Facts: After a fresh install of my program (2000 or 2003 file
format - BOTH ARE ALSO DIGITALLY SIGNED USING A VBA CODE SIGNING CERTIFICATE
THAT I PURCHASED FROM COMMODO) my program crashes until the user installs
Office Update SP2. If I do not sign the project (in either format) the crash
never happens. I tried it with and without Jet SP8 installed.

I went and checked out SageKey. I am not against spending money on useful
tools. I simply thought I already bought them from Microsoft.

I think my best route at this point is to try to use the 2000 runtime.

Does anybody have any thoughts?

 

[Guest]

Don,

One more thing: Check your module references and make sure they are all
necessary. That nailed me once.

EarlM