The publisher could not be verified - WinXP

Hi,
Recently a ToGo application triggered a windows security dialog.
The message is: The publisher could not be verified. Are your sure you
want to run this software?
It also displays the name of the exe file.

I've tried adding the exe file name into the Firewall exceptions but it
doesn't seem to make any difference.

The program can be run by simply pressing the Run button, but is a
nuisance.
Can anyone help?

Cheers, Theo Pronk

Hi Theo,

> a windows security dialog.

This was introduced in XP SP2 ... any file downloaded via Internet
Explorer, then run, will trigger it.

If you code sign the download, the warning is a little less "scary",
but there is still a warning. I think the situation will be improved in
Vista as it has so many security warnings they will all start to blur
into each other for the average user.

If you do a google search for code signing, you should find a lot of
tutorials and places that sell the certificates. This is a good summary
of what is involved here:

http://www.kinook.com/blog/?p=10

FWIW: It sounds like someone is directly downloading your togo
executable? ... If you wrap the executable in a setup file using
something like innosetup (or a zip file), then the user will only get
the warning when they install/unzip your app, not when they run it. In
addition, I am not sure if you can code sign a togo executable (I have
never tried) ... but you can definitely sign most setup files.

Steve
 --
[hidden email]

Steve Alan Waring wrote:
>
> FWIW: It sounds like someone is directly downloading your togo
> executable? ... If you wrap the executable in a setup file using
> something like innosetup (or a zip file), then the user will only get
> the warning when they install/unzip your app, not when they run it. In
> addition, I am not sure if you can code sign a togo executable (I have
> never tried) ... but you can definitely sign most setup files.

Hi Steve,
Actually the togo is installed on a server at a client (very simple
apllication). It uses a simple messageBox to request an name and runs
pkunzip afterwoulds.

Actually the user gets the message TWICE: first at start up then when
pkunzip is executed!

Two client PC's have the same problem, I dont have the problem (dialog
popup) using my laptop connected to the same network .

Seems to be because I have Smalltalk X6 installed, but don't know what
it does to prevent the problem.

Hi Theo,

Is the dialog the same one as in the screenshots at:
<http://www.kinook.com/blog/?p=10> ?

> Actually the user gets the message TWICE: first at start up then when
> pkunzip is executed!

Did they also download the pkunzip executable using Internet Explorer?

> Two client PC's have the same problem, I dont have the problem (dialog
> popup) using my laptop connected to the same network

Do you see the dialog for other executables you download? If not maybe
that dialog is suppressed on your machine, or maybe you don't have
WinXP service pack 2 installed?

If you do see the dialog for other executables, try uploading the togo
executable to a web server somewhere. Then download it (using Internet
Explorer) to another location on your hard drive. Run it, and you
should get the warning.

BTW: You could tell the users to uncheck the "Always ask before opening
this file" checkbox.

Steve
 --
[hidden email]

Steve Alan Waring wrote:

> Is the dialog the same one as in the screenshots at:
> <http://www.kinook.com/blog/?p=10> ?

Yes, the same as the first one - except the is NO check box "Always ask
before opening
 this file"

> Did they also download the pkunzip executable using Internet Explorer?

No this file has been in uses for many years initially called by a .Bat
file now by a ToGo.

> Do you see the dialog for other executables you download? If not maybe
> that dialog is suppressed on your machine, or maybe you don't have
> WinXP service pack 2 installed?

Same operating system on my PC as the ones with the problem, I think
there is something supressing the dialog on my pc and that's what I'm
looking for.

Thanks, Theo

Tried moving the ToGo to the C:\ drive and the problem was gone, then
moved it to another server to the one it normally is on and it also
works OK.
The server it originally was on is an AS/400 IFS and the O/S is out of
date, perhaps that's what has been causing the problem - ie it may seem
to becoming from the internet.
 
Thanks again Steve,
Cheers, Theo