SB 8 - code-signing fails - what did I wrong again?

[NewsArchive]

Hello Friedrich,

after years of happy using the SB 7 onmy XP-machine, I switched to Win 8 and,
of course, took the occasion to install SB 8.

Unfortunately, code-signing now fails. See attached screenshot.

During compile of the script, the Signature window pops up, but the entry
remains empty. After one or two seconds, this window closed and the script was
aborted.

I recall that I had similar problems on my old machine, caused by PKey.exe.
Each time I updated SB in the past, you installed a new PKey.exe, which did not
work (for me). So each time the very first action for me was to replace your
new one with an older, but functioning PKey.exe.

Despite the fact, that the old PKey was for SB 7 and XP, I copied this file to
my Win 8 / SB 8 combo and retried - successfully!

However, the window stayed open, waiting for me to type the PW, despite the
fact that I have included the PW in the script dialogue. But it eventually
worked.

The original PKey.exe of SB 8 is dated from 04.04.2012 10:46, while the working
one is of 17.12.206 17:53.

Of course, I am interested to know, why I had to shuffle that PKey.exe again
and furthermore, how can I get that process automated.

Thanks a lot inadvance!

Regards,
Wolfgang Orth
www.odata.de

[NewsArchive]

Wolfgang,

That simply means "something" blocks the password key injection process on
your machine. For example, your AV software, a third party product that
"steals" back focus from the password entry field and/or blocks PKey.exe,
etc.

If you can't get PKey.exe to work on your machine, you should switch to
Microsoft SIGNTOOL.EXE (and .pfx) because, by design, Microsoft SIGNCODE.EXE
does not support automated password passing at all.

BTW, there are only two versions of PKey.exe available: 1.) the "new" one
(April 2007, version 6.5.1845.0) which works for 95% of all SetupBuilder
SIGNCODE.EXE users and 2.) the "old" one (dated 2006) which did not work as
expected for 25% of the users. Because of the nature of the password
passing problem, there is not any PKey.exe that works 100%. The only bullet
proof solution is to switch to SIGNTOOL.EXE. Code-signing certificates in
form of .spc/.pvk are so yesterday <g>.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

>If you can't get PKey.exe to work on your machine, you should switch to
>Microsoft SIGNTOOL.EXE (and .pfx) because, by design, Microsoft SIGNCODE.EXE
>does not support automated password passing at all.

Then the code-signing would be automated again, as it used to be with spc / pvk?


>The only bullet
>proof solution is to switch to SIGNTOOL.EXE. Code-signing certificates in
>form of .spc/.pvk are so yesterday <g>.

Now that I have a spc / pvk, is this description for conversion still valid?

http://ellisweb.net/2008/08/signing-code-using-pvk-and-spc-files/

If I understand that description right, it requires that .Net SDK, which I
might need to install then (on a dummy machine?).


tia

Regards,
Wolfgang Orth
www.odata.de

[NewsArchive]

> Then the code-signing would be automated again, as it used to be with spc
> / pvk?

Yes. And even without any popup window.

> Now that I have a spc / pvk, is this description for conversion still
> valid?
>
> http://ellisweb.net/2008/08/signing-code-using-pvk-and-spc-files/
>
> If I understand that description right, it requires that .Net SDK, which I
> might need to install then (on a dummy machine?).

Here is more (and better) information:

http://www.lindersoft.com/CodeSign.pdf

http://www.lindersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23099

Friedrich