Clearing Digital Signature Adobe Pro 9.4.5?

Question

I have a need to edit several PDF files I created in 2008 AND signed. I am unable to clear the signature field to perform the edits, the "Clear Signature" option is not available on these documents. I suspect this is due to the Digital ID used in 2008 NOT being available on the current PC, since on recently created PDF files I have no problem clearing the signature.
I am guessing here that the digital ID is lost when wiping or replacing a hard drive or obtaining a new PC???
Question is as follows: Is there a way to "open" my own documents for editing purposes when the "clear signature" option is not available? I guess a companion question for future reference would be if the lack of the original digital ID is the problem, is there a way to transfer the digital ID to replacement hardware so that legacy documents I have signed could be opened for editing?
SHG

Answer 1

Hi Shelby,
All I meant by escrow was to save off a copy of the digital ID file in a safe location. As complex as the terminology can be in the PKI universe, in this case escrow isn't one to the bazillion (a highly technical term ) PKI acronyms.
As far as digital ID files go, they either have a .P12 extension or a .PFX extension and the end goal is to find or create one.
Digital IDs can reside in several different location; a file (see above), the Windows Certificate Store (in this case think of "store" as storage, not as a place you buy things), the Mac Keychain, a hardware device such as a smart card or token, or a server. The place you want to start is in the Security Settings dialog as it will tell you where the digital ID resides.To get there:
Select the Advanced > Security Settings menu item
Select Digital IDs from the tree view on the left side of the Security Settings dialog
In the list view on the upper right of the Security Settings dialog is a column labeled Storage Mechanism
That's where you find where the digital ID resides. If it says Digital ID File then you've already have it in file format. To see exactly where the file is located expand Digital IDs in the tree view and select Digital ID Files. In the list view on the upper right of the Security Settings dialog is a column labeled Folder, and that's where the file is.
If the Storage Mechanism says Windows Certificate Store you have to use Windows to export the digital ID to a file. Although there are a couple of ways to do this, the easiest is to use Windows Internet Explorer.
Launch the IE browser
Select Tools > Internet Options (depending on the version of IE you might find Tools on the menu or as a toolbar button)
Select the Content tab on the Internet Options dialog
Click the Certificates button
Select the Personal tab on the Certificates dialog (it is the default, so you shouldn't need to click on it)
Highlight the digital ID you want to export from the list view and then click the Export button
Follow the on screen instructions
Just be sure that you save the file to a safe place that gets backed-up and you remember the password.
Steve