How do I install a security certificate to Word documents?

D

David Ng'ang'a

I am trying to post Word documents to my website for sale. However when I do
this, viewers receive a security warning when opening the docs. I have
purchased a GeoTrust certificate which is working on https. I wonder if I can
extend the cert to cover the Word docs? If so, how?

Thanks
 
J

Jezebel

This is relevant only if your document contains macro code. If that's not
intended, remove all code modules from the document -- then the certificate
is not required.

If the macros are part of the product, open the document, switch to VBA, go
to Tools > Digital Signature and select your certificate. Your customers
will still get a warning the first time they open one of your documents,
asking whether they choose to trust your certificate. You should also lock
your VBA project.
 
D

David Ng'ang'a

Thanks for this.

However the docs contain no macros yet they still give the security warning.
And when I try using VBA, I get self-signed certificate choices only, not the
trusted certs for global distribution.

I have now installed my GeoTrust cert as a trusted cert in my comp, the
problem is I dont think it will be identified as a trusted cert when the Word
docs are opened on another comp.

David Ng'ang'a


Jezebel said:
This is relevant only if your document contains macro code. If that's not
intended, remove all code modules from the document -- then the certificate
is not required.

If the macros are part of the product, open the document, switch to VBA, go
to Tools > Digital Signature and select your certificate. Your customers
will still get a warning the first time they open one of your documents,
asking whether they choose to trust your certificate. You should also lock
your VBA project.
 
J

Jezebel

If there is no code, the certificate isn't be required -- with no code,
there's nothing to certify.

You sometimes get a problem if the document *used* to contain contain code,
even if it does no longer. Make sure there are no code modules -- Word
considers modules to be code, even if they are empty. Or copy the document
content to a new document.




David Ng'ang'a said:
Thanks for this.

However the docs contain no macros yet they still give the security
warning.
And when I try using VBA, I get self-signed certificate choices only, not
the
trusted certs for global distribution.

I have now installed my GeoTrust cert as a trusted cert in my comp, the
problem is I dont think it will be identified as a trusted cert when the
Word
docs are opened on another comp.

David Ng'ang'a
 
J

Jay Freedman

You'll also get the security warning if the document contains any
ActiveX components from the Control Toolbox or the Web toolbar.
 

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