digital signatures on incoming e-mail S-L-O-W Outlook 2007

[LorettaYeo]

Three problems with digital signatures. I get them from one organization
because it requires all its personnel to use them.

1. All the digitally signed messages appear in my folders as though they
have attachments, so it's useless to try to sort for REAL attachments.

2. My computer takes 30-45 seconds to verify the signature on EACH incoming
e-mail.

3. In line with #1 above, I can't use the bulk "save attachments" option
anymore, apparently because Outlook is hyperventilating over the
non-attachment digital signatures. If I want to save all attachments in a
message, I have to right-click on each one and save it separately.

I just spent more than 20 minutes waiting on Outlook to process half a dozen
e-mails with a total of about 20 attachments. This is a colossal waste of my
time.

Does anyone have any ideas for making digital signatures work in the
background without intefering with the normal operation of Outlook????

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Three problems with digital signatures. I get them from one organization
because it requires all its personnel to use them.

1. All the digitally signed messages appear in my folders as though they
have attachments, so it's useless to try to sort for REAL attachments.

That's because the DO have attachments. The digital certificate is an
attachment - a REAL attachment.

2. My computer takes 30-45 seconds to verify the signature on EACH incoming
e-mail.

It usually takes about three to five seconds for me, buty it can take longer.
Not that long, however. Outlook must query the Intermediate and Trusted Root
authorities first for certificate revocation, then for certificate validity.

3. In line with #1 above, I can't use the bulk "save attachments" option
anymore, apparently because Outlook is hyperventilating over the
non-attachment digital signatures. If I want to save all attachments in a
message, I have to right-click on each one and save it separately.

Works for me. Opening the message, clicking File>Save Attachments does not
detect the digital certificates as attachment.

Does anyone have any ideas for making digital signatures work in the
background without intefering with the normal operation of Outlook????

I find I can work with messages and their attachments even while Outlook is
waiting to verify the digital certificates.

 

[LorettaYeo]

Yeah, I know the digital signatures are "real" attachments, but they are
fouling up the ability to batch save. The workaround is just that -
consenting to use a less than ideal method because Outlook had made the
better option unavailable by lumping digital signatures in the same category
as documents sent with the e-mail. When is Microsoft going to write the
necessary code to have Outlook handle digital signatures as something
different from user's choice attachments?

And no, when Outlook is verifying signatures, my mouse freezes and I can't
do anything in Outlook or any other program on my computer until the 20-30
seconds per message it takes to complete the process. Multiply that by a
couple of dozen signed messages, and tell me how much time I'm sittiing here
staring at a very expensive paperweight.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Yeah, I know the digital signatures are "real" attachments, but they are
fouling up the ability to batch save. The workaround is just that -
consenting to use a less than ideal method because Outlook had made the
better option unavailable by lumping digital signatures in the same category
as documents sent with the e-mail. When is Microsoft going to write the
necessary code to have Outlook handle digital signatures as something
different from user's choice attachments?

I'm telling you that it already does that for me. Saving attachments does NOT
include the digital signature. Unfortunately, I can't think why that wouldn't
be the case for you. While there may be something peculiar on your particular
PC, it is not a general bug in Outlook.

 

[LorettaYeo]

No, it doesn't do that for me. I click on the button to save attachments,
and I get the hourglass - oh excuse, the blue circle - from hell, and it
locks up. Every time.

If it "did it" for me, I wouldn't be spending all this time asking for help.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

No, it doesn't do that for me. I click on the button to save attachments,
and I get the hourglass - oh excuse, the blue circle - from hell, and it
locks up. Every time.

If it "did it" for me, I wouldn't be spending all this time asking for help.

I realize that. I'm not disputing it. I am, however, disputing your
statement "Outlook had made the
better option unavailable by lumping digital signatures in the same category
as documents sent with the e-mail." It doesn't or it would for everyone. I
also dispute "When is Microsoft going to write the
necessary code to have Outlook handle digital signatures as something
different from user's choice attachments?" because they alreday have or id
wouldn't work correctly for me either. As I said, I can't expliain why you
see what you see, but it's a problem local to you and not systemic in Outlook.