Code-signing certs: June 1 deadline reminder

[NewsArchive]

Hi Ray,

On 4/18/2023 13:17 PM, Ray Rippey wrote:
> They respond better on the phone.

I spent over an hour with them today. Takes forever for them to find
anything - or in this case admit they couldn't do their job and I had to
do it for them.

They claimed they couldn't verify the address for my company. After
running around this back and forth it turned out they couldn't OPEN the
Wisconsin Secretary of State website where they needed to to do the
search. I mean, it took me like 15 seconds to find it (never looked
before) find the option to search the company directory, fire off the
search and find the company!

Quote from the transscript:

"We accept this link https://www.wdfi.org/"

10 minutes later:

"Actually its not opening for us can you please send as pdf file"

That is the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions that is
linked to from the Secretary of State website for company search.
Scroll down to the "Business Search" Click the "Learn More" button and
you are on their corporate search page
https://wdfi.org/apps/corpSearch/Search.aspx

They had to ask ME to print it to PDF and submit it to them!

Yeah, all warm and fussy about all the security and safety this
provides! How the heck do they know I didn't just throw it together in
Word?

Anyone who claims that this somehow verifies anything is not firing on
all cylinders!<g> Basically I'm providing them with the OFFICIAL proof
that the information I provided is correct. So what if I'm a hacker
waiting to distribute some doomsday virus out there?

Best regards,

--
Arnor Baldvinsson
Icetips Alta LLC

[NewsArchive]

I had the same issue. They couldn't access the site for Oregon and I had
to print it to a PDF.

There is nothing that I couldn't fake including the selfie with the
license. When I first did this with Comodo, I had to sign up with the
BBB and some other thing. It was much more rigorous. Whatever. I got it
done and have my code and it worked in Setupbuilder. That's all I care
about. I had to call them for everything else even after they confirmed
all my stuff. I guess they like getting called on the phone. Not sure if
it's their online software or just their operators, but they need some
serious improvement.

Ray Rippey
VMT Software

[NewsArchive]

Hi Ray,

On 4/24/2023 17:54 PM, Ray Rippey wrote:
> I had the same issue. They couldn't access the site for Oregon and I
> had to print it to a PDF.

To me it means that they are blocked on either end from actually doing
what they need to do and that is very concerning. How can a security
company not have "access" to regular web sites? I'm pretty sure this
will be the last time I deal with Sectigo - this experience is leaving a
very bad taste in my mouth. It was never easy to deal with Comodo, but
normally they at least tried. Sectigo basically lets you do their work
for them. I suspect the work is farmed out to some place where their IP
addresses are blocked and they can't do their job.

Best regards,

--
Arnor Baldvinsson
Icetips Alta LLC

[NewsArchive]

Hi Ray,

On 4/24/2023 15:17 PM, Ray Rippey wrote:
> MS is going to get us with their Windows store. Already on some
> computers I have to turn off the S mode so they can download our
> screen sharing software or our actual software. I'm probably losing
> money because people think if it's not in the MS store, it's probably
> not safe. I did a quick glance at putting our software in their store,
> and it didn't look easy. I would imagine they get a % too.

I'm not too familiar with it, but isn't the store only for apps? I.e.
UWP apps, not "regular" 32/64bit desktop applications? Can you even put
non-UWP apps in the store?

Best regards,

--
Arnor Baldvinsson
Icetips Alta LLC

[NewsArchive]

I could be mistaken about putting a regular app like ours in the store.
It seems like you could, but I'd have to read much more about that.

That being said, on many computers it won't install our app, or
splashtop our screen sharing software without turning off the S mode and
allowing external programs to be installed. I think that's where they're
heading. Hard to say.

Ray Rippey
VMT Software

[NewsArchive]

Hi Ray,

On 4/25/2023 18:31 PM, Ray Rippey wrote:
> That being said, on many computers it won't install our app, or
> splashtop our screen sharing software without turning off the S mode
> and allowing external programs to be installed. I think that's where
> they're heading. Hard to say.

I haven't had an issue installing Splashtop, except with one company
where an IT company sets everything up and locks it so that users can't
install anything. I understand that and they have been very good about
installing it for me or open it up temporarily so users can install it.
But yeah, it's a PITA to deal with. If it keeps going like this the
only thing you'll be able to run on a windows computer is Windows

Best regards,


--
Arnor Baldvinsson
Icetips Alta LLC

[NewsArchive]

it's a PITA to deal with. If it keeps going like this the
> only thing you'll be able to run on a windows computer is Windows

Looks that way, Arnor.

Just serves to reinforce my plan to exit the trenches within the next
few years.
In 3 years time I'll be eligible for full NIS pension (Social Security
to the Americans LOL ) & same year my wife can also retire from her
workplace with full pension benefits so here's hoping it all comes together.

Plus I'm tired of having to work. Not work itself but having to do so.

Jock Springer

[NewsArchive]

Hi Ray,

On 4/24/2023 17:54 PM, Ray Rippey wrote:
> I had the same issue. They couldn't access the site for Oregon and I
> had to print it to a PDF.
>
> There is nothing that I couldn't fake including the selfie with the
> license. When I first did this with Comodo, I had to sign up with the
> BBB and some other thing. It was much more rigorous. Whatever. I got
> it done and have my code and it worked in Setupbuilder. That's all I
> care about. I had to call them for everything else even after they
> confirmed all my stuff. I guess they like getting called on the phone.
> Not sure if it's their online software or just their operators, but
> they need some serious improvement.

Agreed! I got the phone verification call this morning. Went to
voicemail (was otherwise occupied) and I could barely understand the
message. I posted on my ticket asking for more information and got a
second call and got a code. Called back and after trying to figure out
how to get through their phone menu (there really should be an automated
system for this where you call back and just punch in the code) I got
someone on the line and read him the code. After that it went down hill
as the connection got worse and worse and there were several second gaps
in between quarter second of sounds. I heard something about Alabama,
but that was about all I could make out of that conversation. A few
minutes later I got an email saying that the certificate was ready for
download.

Problem is I cannot find any place to download it! The status still
says "Validating" Still no response.

The people I have talked with, chatted with and emailed with, none of
them are native English speakers. I'm pretty good with accents if I can
hear what is said, and I could barely understand every other word on the
phone and the email/chat conversations were borderline weird<g> Even
their phone menus sounded almost like Stephen Hawking's 1980 speech
synthesizer.

Nothing really happened until I told them that if someone didn't start
doing something quickly, I would report the charge on my card as
fraudulent. Then all of a sudden things started to happen!

Despite them telling me that my certificate is ready to download, the
status still says "Validating" - that's 75 minutes after I got the
email saying it was ready.

I don't think I will do business with Sectigo again. I am so beyond
underwhelmed with their service. If I was paying $10, OK, not bad, but
not satisfactory, but for $800 I would expect to get better service.
Comodo wasn't easy to deal with, but this Sectigo thing has sank way
below the surface. Just sad.

Best regards,

--
Arnor Baldvinsson
Icetips Alta LLC

[NewsArchive]

Mine did the exact same thing.. so I waited a day, still nothing.
Finally I called them, again, and the validated got the validation on so
I could download. Then I had to figure out how to extract and they sent
me an Email. Huge PITA. I got these guys for 4 years. I might go with MS
next time, they have a service.

I can't retire... but it's not like my job is that stressful, and I like
it. I get my SS now which is a nice bonus every month. If I can just
keep my mind for a little longer.

It will be OK in the end. And if it's not OK, it's not yet the end.

Ray Rippey
VMT Software

On 4/26/2023 9:57 AM, Arnor Baldvinsson wrote:
> Despite them telling me that my certificate is ready to download, the
> status still says "Validating" - that's 75 minutes after I got the
> email saying it was ready.

[NewsArchive]

> I could be mistaken about putting a regular app like ours in the store.
> It seems like you could, but I'd have to read much more about that.
>
> That being said, on many computers it won't install our app, or
> splashtop our screen sharing software without turning off the S mode and
> allowing external programs to be installed. I think that's where they're
> heading. Hard to say.

Hi Ray,

Win32 apps can now be distributed via Microsoft Store
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-u...e/desktop-apps , and
for "normal" apps (not games) I think there isn't even any kind of
revenue sharing needed with Microsoft, so you would get 100% of the app
revenue.

You would just need a one-time payment of $99 for a company developer
account and then do all the necessary stuff to meet the app
certification requirements
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...taller-msi-exe
.. And then submit your app via Partner Center.

Haven't done that myself, but it seems possible if you're using a
well-behaved MSI or EXE installer.

Cheers,
--
Timo