FAQ
- Can I personnally change the password associated with my digital signature?
- I lost the password associated with my digital signature. What should I do?
- I can't find the file with my digital signature profile (.epf). How can I find out where it is?
- What do I do if the file with the .epf extension has been destroyed?
- How do I make a backup copy of my digital signature file (whose filename is engineer's_name.epf)?
- I can't use my digital signature to sign documents in Adobe Acrobat (standard or professional versions).
- I have Adobe Reader and can see the signature appended to a PDF document but can't validate it.
- How do I sign a document and keep it from being modified afterward or even keep it from being saved under another name?
- How do I sign a document and keep it from being modified while allowing two other people to sign it afterward?
- How do I sign a document knowing that others need to sign it as well?
- What are the protection methods for the document?
- What is the difference between password-locking a document in Acrobat and certifying a document then disallowing all modifications?
1. Question : Can I personnally change the password associated with my digital signature?
You can change this password. Here's the procedure for doing it.
Don't forget to make a backup copy of the new file with the .epf extension and delete the old backup copy.
2. Question : I lost the password associated with my digital signature. What should I do?
You should print, fill out and sign the Technical Assistance Request Form and fax it back to us at (514) 281-1226 or 1-888-878-1130. A request administration fee of $25 plus tax is charged.
Once your request is received, the person responsible for it will get in touch with you.
3. Question : I can't find the file with my digital signature profile (.epf). How can I find out where it is?
Click Start , Search and then For Files or Folders . . .
Select the All files and folders option.
Enter the profile name in the All or part of the file name: field (e.g. John Smith.epf or *.epf ).
If necessary, select My Computer on the Look in: field's dropdown list.
Now click Search .
Take note of the profile's location when it appears onscreen.
4. Question : What do I do if the file with the .epf extension has been destroyed?
If the file is destroyed or cannot be found on your hard drive, you can no longer use your digital signature. We suggest you make a backup copy on diskette and copy the .epf file to the proper location on your workstation's hard drive, i.e. c:/program files/Entrust/Entrust profile (or "profil Entrust").
If you don't have a backup copy of your file with the .epf extension, you have to print, fill out and sign the Technical Assistance Request Form and fax it back to us at (514) 281-1226 or 1-888-878-1130. A request administration fee of $25 plus tax is charged.
Once your request is received, the person responsible for it will get in touch with you.
5. Question : How do I make a backup copy of my digital signature file (whose filename is engineer's_name.epf)?
- Find out where the file with the profile is located on your computer. Its filename is a combination of the user's name and an .epf extension (e.g. Anne Brown.epf). If you don't know where your profile is located, refer to the following question: "I can't find the file with my digital signature profile (.epf). How can I find out where it is?" (lien vers la question 3)
- Insert a diskette in the drive.
- Select the digital signature file (filename is engineer's_name.epf).
- With your cursor over the selected file, right-click and select Send To / 3 1/2 Floppy (A).
- The "engineer's_name.epf" file is then copied. Write the file's name and date on the diskette.
Recommendation : We recommend making a backup copy of the .epf file on a diskette and storing it in a secure location that is only accessible to the holder of the signature.
Warning : You should make a new backup copy of your file with the .epf extension whenever you change your password or get a message from the Entrust application that your certificates have been renewed.
6. Question : I can't use my digital signature to sign documents in Adobe Acrobat (standard or professional versions).
The required applications may not have been installed properly. The following order of installation should be followed:
- The Entrust ESP 7.1 application
- The Adobe Acrobat application (Standard or Professional version)
- Verify the configuration of Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Professional version)
Note : ConsignO, which is used to digitally sign PDF file, was developed by Notarius. This software is included in the installation kit along with the PDF995 application, which is used to convert documents to the PDF format.
7. Question : I have Adobe Reader and can see the signature appended to a PDF document but can't validate it.
Adobe Acrobat has to be configured in order for it to validate a digital signature attached to a document. See Procedure.
8. Question : How do I sign a document and keep it from being modified afterward or even keep it from being saved under another name?
Certify the document and disallow all modifications.
9. Question : How do I sign a document and keep it from being modified while allowing two other people to sign it afterward?
Create two signature fields, certify the document and only allow form fill-in actions.
10. Question : How do I sign a document knowing that others need to sign it as well?
Sign the document without certifying it.
11. Question : What are the protection methods for the document?
a) Certifying the document and choosing from Disallow all editing, Allow form fill-in actions only or Allow commenting and form fill-in actions.
This is useful if the author is the only one signing the PDF document or when he/she knows how many people will be signing the document (by creating signature fields before certification).
b) Password-locking the document in Acrobat, then choosing from Request a password to open the document, Request a password to print the document and Request a password to edit the document (and choose Only Document Assembly to add, delete or rotate pages, Only Form Fill-in or Signing, Comment Authoring, Form Field Fill-in or Signing, or General Editing, Comment and Form Field Authoring to let users do anything except extract contents.
This procedure is useful when the author must have the PDF document signed by others (by creating signature fields before applying the protection), whether or not he/she signs the document.
c) Activating the Protection certificate option, and then choosing which people with an Entrust digital signature are authorized to open the document (also choosing the type of changes that are allowed).
This procedure is used when the author wants to restrict the opening of the PDF document to only certain people with a digital signature.
d) Signing and encrypting the document for yourself.
This procedure is useful when the author wants to keep the document (Word, AutoCAD, PDF or other) confidential and allow no one but him/herself to decrypt the information.
e) Signing and encrypting the document to only allow specifically designated people with a digital signature to decrypt and open the document.
This procedure is useful when the author wants to restrict access to the document (PDF, Word, AutoCAD or other) to only certain people with a digital signature.
12. Question : What is the difference between password-Locking a document in Acrobat and certifying a document then disallowing all modifications?
• Once a PDF document has been certified and all modifications disallowed, there is no way of removing the protection, not even by saving it under another name.
• Once a PDF document has been password protected, revealing the password is sufficient to counter the applied modification restrictions.
Note that in order to modify its protection, the PDF document must not contain any signature.