What is the certificate ?

Question

Save Database As > Advanced > Package and Sign > Save As
displays such message box:

Windows Security
Confirm Certificate
(...)
APNS certificate
Issuer: Apple iPhone Device CA
(...)
OK

instead of creating a package. In other words, creating the package is impossible. Thank you in advance for possible answers.

Answer 1

Hi,

If you're looking for the old Packaging Wizard, it's been taken out of Access 2010. The Package and Sign option is basically just a way to compress and encrypt the file for distribution. It's like using WinZip.

Answer 2

That would be fine. But what to do with the certificate. After pressing OK in the mentioned message box, the wizard shuts down packaging. So it doesn't work at all. The Apple certificate seem to be taken by mistake.

Answer 3

Hi. Do you have a digital certificate to use to sign the package? Was it issued by Apple? I was able to create and sign a package using my CAC with a certificate issued by DoD.

Answer 4

Also, take a look at this page: Access 2010 Security

Hope that helps...

Answer 5

I don't know what is certificate, never heard about such thing, don't know what is that Apple message, don't know what this everything means.
How to create a package ?

Answer 6

Hi. Check out the link I posted above. It should explain how the Package and Sign feature works. Here's the link again: Package and Sign

Answer 7

This is Access 2016, not 2010. Options listed in that website don't exist in Access 2016, there is no "Select Certificate dialog box", but that strange Confirm Certificate box. I have nothing to do with that APNS certificate, don't know what is that and what is "certificate".

After pressing OK under that message box with this strange name "APNS", such message appears:

This certificate is explicitly marked unfit for code signing. Please chose another certificate.

Obviously I don't understand this message at all.

Answer 8

Hmm, I don't have 2016, but the functionality should be the same. Have you tried using the feature in a different 2016 machine? I am just thinking that if you use a different machine, you might get a different prompt. Bottom line is, you need a digital certificate to sign a package. If you don't have one, then you can't use that feature. Why did you want to use that feature anyway? What were you expecting to happen? Like I said earlier, if you're looking for the old Packaging Wizard, it's been taken out since version 2010. Hope that helps...

Answer 9

I have Access 2016 and still previous Access 2002 used from 13 years. Your answer is not applicable to Access 2016. And never heard about the term "2016 machine".
> If you don't have one, then you can't use that feature.
I don't know if I have "certificate". I don't even know what is "certificate". Maybe someone knows, why I don't have this thing called certificate (if I don't).

Answer 10

Hi. You didn't answer my question of why you're trying to use the Package and Sign feature of Access 2016. By "2016 machine," what I meant was to try the feature on another computer with Access 2016 installed to see if you also see the prompt about the Apple certificate. I suspect that Access looks at all the installed digital certificate on the machine and asks you if you want to use it if it finds any. If you don't know what a "digital certificate" is, then I am not sure you can use the Package and Sign feature. Just because I don't have a copy of Access 2016, it doesn't mean my answer is not applicable to it. The Package and Sign feature was introduced in Access 2010, and I don't expect it has changed since then. Again, what do you expect to happen when using the Package and Sign feature? What were you trying to accomplish in the first place? Perhaps if we knew what you're trying to do, we can tell you if you're using the correct feature. Just my 2 cents...

Answer 11

Hi DK,

>> Windows Security Confirm Certificate

Could you share us a screen shot about this? I made a test with your steps under Access 2016, I got the Select Certificate dialog box as below:

I suggest you create a digital signature, and then try this again. For adding a digital signature, you could refer the link below:

# Show trust by adding a digital signature
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Show-trust-by-adding-a-digital-signature-2f6b7d18-a9d3-400d-9f63-9029551e61a1

Best Regards,

Edward

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Answer 12

Thank you for your answer.

>> Could you share us a screen shot about this?

It looks exactly like yours, but with one certificate (APNS) and "Confirm Certificate" instead of "Select a certificate".

> I suggest you create a digital signature, and then try this again.(...)
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Show-trust-by-adding-a-digital-signature-2f6b7d18-a9d3-400d-9f63-9029551e61a1?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US&fromAR=1

I found this website earlier. I says, that SelfCert.exe can be used only for personal or limited workgroup scenarios. So it can't be used for database uploaded to the internet, probably even not commercial one (?) like in my case. They write that in other cases certificate should be obtained from a commercial certificate authority (CA). What is this ?

There is no Digital Certificate for VBA Projects in Microsoft Office Tools in Start like described in that website. Maybe because this is only Access, not entire Office. However Windows Search found SELFCERT.EXE in the following directories:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office10 - here also file named MAKECERT.EXE
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16

MAKECERT.EXE created certificate. "Confirm Certificate" changed to "Select a certificate" in that dialog and it shows two certificates now - APNS and new one, I called "test". Issuer ("issued by") and "issued to" are "test" too and can't be changed, at least not so easy ...

After selecting this certificate:
Save Database As > Advanced > Package and Sign > Save As
Access created .accdc file - Microsoft Access Signed Package.
However it contains only one .accdb file, additional files and directories can't be added to such package. And prompts can't be added too. So this package can't ask for confirmation of something before extracting. Moreover .mdb files can't be packed.

Answer 13

Hi DK. Although you haven't directly answered the question I have been asking you on exactly what you're trying to accomplish, I can tell from your response to Edward that you're expecting to see the Packaging Wizard, which I have been telling was already removed since version 2010 (maybe even 2007). You can try to install it, but I am not sure it's still available in 2016. Otherwise, you'll have to use a third-party packaging tool like Inno Setup or SSE. In any case, you're trying to use the Package and Sign feature for the wrong purpose. Hope that makes sense... If not, try going back to the link I posted earlier, and it explains the purpose of the Package and Sign feature. It's not supposed to be used as a replacement for the Packaging Wizard. Cheers!

Answer 14

Hi _DK,

I agree with DB.

>> However it contains only one .accdb file, additional files and directories can't be added to such package. And prompts can't be added too. So this package can't ask for confirmation of something before extracting. Moreover .mdb files can't be packed.

Based on your description, it seems you want Packaging Wizard. As the reply from DB, this function has been removed FROM Access 2013, and it is not supported in Access 2016.

>> Package, sign

With this function in Access 2016, you could add only one database to a package, and you could not add other files.

You could refer the link below for suggestion of sharing Access with others.

# Access Package Solution Wizard
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Discontinued-features-and-modified-functionality-in-Access-2013-bc006fc3-5b48-499e-8c7d-9a2dfef68e2f?CorrelationId=9158ef7c-26a8-468e-b2a6-a4b7ac39a85d&ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US

Best Regards,

Edward

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