Digitally signing documents using Adobe Reader

Can PDF forms created using Acrobat be digitally signed using Adobe Reader?

Thanks for the tip George. I'm using Acrobat Pro X to create a form. Can you tell me how to make the form reader-enabled so that it can be digitally signed?
Josh

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Update 9.1.2 breaks digital signing documents in Adobe 9 Pro on Windows XP

I am able to digitally sign documents using an Aladdin eToken Pro 64k with a fresh copy of Adobe 9 Pro for Windows. However when I update to version 9.1.2 digital signing fails with an "error encountered while BER decoding". Signing still works on Vista and Adobe 9.1.2 Pro. I've checked to make sure none of the settings relating to digital signing changed during the update and none have. Anyone have any ideas on how to correct the problem?

Hi Nick,
First up, there was a small error in my previous post. I said the version of Acrobat (and whenever I say Acrobat I really mean both Acrobat and Reader, but I'm too lazy to type both) that was modified to fix the bug in SHA-1 fallback was 9.1.3, but I really meant 9.3. Sorry about that.
I saw your post from yesterday (http://forums.adobe.com/thread/563601) where you broached the BER decoding error, but in the post above you said signature creation isn't failing any more, so hopefully some update has fixed the problem.
Here's a little bit about the BER Decoding error. During the signing process Acrobat writes the entire file to disk (which is why you always get the Save As dialog as part of the signing process) in the signed state with everything but the actual signature. However, it does leave a hole in the file where the BER encoded cryptographic data will reside once it's be computed and formatted. One thing that is created before the actual signature is the signature appearance. The signature appearance in the form field isn't really the signature proper, but just a graphic representation of the actual signature. The reason that the signature appearance is written to disk before the signature is created is because it too is part of the signed data and must exist before the actual signature is created.
In a perfect world, after the file is written to disk, the cryptographic signature is created and written into the hole in the PDF file, and the signing process completes without any problem. However, if we get to the point that the file has been written out, but during the actual signature creation the process fails, that hole I mentioned isn't filled in. It's not really a hole per se, but a block of zeros that act as a placeholder for the BER encoded data. Because there was some sort of failure and Acrobat didn't get the signed data back from the hardware device what you end up with is a PDF file with a signature appearance, but no real signature in the file. When you click on the signature field Acrobat tries to validate the actual signature, it finds the block of zeros where the signed data was supposed to be, it tries to decode the zeros and gets (as you might well imagine) nothing back and displays the BER Decoding error.
Let leaves us with why didn't Acrobat get the signed data back. When using hardware devices, such as tokens or smart cards, the actual cryptographic signing (the encryption of of the digest with the users private key) takes place on the device. Acrobat (nor any other application) doesn't have access to the private key, which is what makes hardware devices more secure. It's up to the device to sign the data and send it back. If there is any kind of breakdown in that communication channel (which I mentioned in my previous post) the signature creation doesn't reach fruition and you're left with an unsigned file that looks like it was signed because there is a signature appearance.
This is a case where we are providing technically correct, and utterly useless information. It's true that we can't decode a bunch of zeros, but what we should be telling the user is there is no signature (it's kind of like the Matrix where there is no spoon ).
I hope this helps explain what you're seeing. If the the signing process breaks down again please make sure you are using the latest version of Acrobat/Reader and the token software is up-to-date. If everything is current and the problem returns please let me know.
Steve

How do I edit and sign documents using adobe?

How do I edit and sign documents using adobe?

To edit a document you will need Acrobat Pro.

Cannot sign documents with Adobe Reader 10.1.3 - 10.1.10, Can sign document with 10.1.2 and 11.0.07

Cannot sign documents with Adobe Reader 10.1.3 - 10.1.10, Can sign document with 10.1.2 and 11.0.07
In my environment, we have 10.1.2 that's currently packaged. Our CIO was able to sign documents via signature with no problem. Later he got updated to 10.1.9, no longer can sign.
During testing I was able to confirm that 10.1.2 signed without problems, but anything that, it goes kaput, the Sign and options are not listed.
Latest Adobe Reader can sign... any ideas?

I'm having a similar problem. What I'm trying to do is print a Microsoft Word 2010 document with paper size A4 to Adobe pdf document paper size A4. I select "A4" for paper size in word and then print using Adobe print standard settings. What I get is an Adobe document in 8.5 x 11. This is an issue because these are patent documents for electronic filing in WIPO and they must be in A4 size.
If I select other sizes in Word, such as A3, Tabloid, and Legal, the Adobe file is in the same paper size.
If I print a Powerpoint document in A4 to Adobe, the Adobe file page size is A4.
If I print an Adobe file in 8.5 x11 to Adobe A4, the second Adobe file is in A4.
Any help?

I can not open documents using adobe reader because I have to accept "end user agreement". How do I get to agreement?

I can not open documents using adobe reader because I have to accept "end user agreement". How do I get to agreement?

thx but the only thing that happens when I open Adobe Reader is that a small icon appears in the bottom-line. There is no dialogue box where I can accept!

When printing a signed document with Adobe Reader, the comment icons appear. How do I prevent this

When printing a signed document with Adobe Reader, the comment icons appear. How do I prevent this ?

When printing from Reader, select Document instead of Document and Markups:

Why can't i see documents using adobe reader even though I have the most updated version?

Why can't I see documents using adobe reader even though I have the most updated version?

Hi lawalton,
Please tell me a bit more--what happens when you try to open your files in Reader? Are you getting an error message? Do they open, but don't display correctly?
I look forward to hearing back from you so we can get this mystery sorted out.
Best,
Sara

Issue with web links in PDF document using adobe reader 10.1.1

Hi,
We are creating the PDF documents that contains website links. The problem that is occurring is whenever we click on the website links in the pdf file, it opens up IE browser but just show connecting message without actually showing the link and its content. This is ocuurring when we open the PDF using adobe reader 10.1.1 . However it seems to be working fine with Adobe reader 9 . Moreover the length of the URL is bit large and seems like links work fine when we have 253 characters in the URL and if they are more than that then it is not working.Since it is working fine in Adobe reader 9 is there any constraint imposed on the length of URL with adobe reader 10.1.1 . Anything regarding this will be of great help.

Hi..
Try removing a plugin...
Quit Safari.
Open the Finder. From the Finder menu bar click Go > Go to Folder
Type this exactly as you see it here:
/Library/Internet Plug-Ins
Move the Adobe PDF Browser plugin (or just PDF Browser plugin) from the Internet Plug-Ins folder to the Trash.
Relaunch Safari to test.

Password protecting digitally signed documents in Adobe Acrobat X Pro

I am looking for the combination of steps to get my digitally signed documents to be password protected for secure distribution. My documents contain new "user password" information and a number of "areas" which require digital signatures to be added.
Any input as to how one would construct a document with :
one to three --> digitally signed signatures fields in one document
Password "opening" protection for the document containing the fields; both signatures and sensitive data fields
suggestions on how to make the document open to accepting more signatures without it demanding the creation of a newly saved document after being digitally signed by one signature
I have worked at this a couple of different ways but am having problems finding the right combination/sequence of steps to make it all come together.
Please assist.....
Thanks....

......meaning.......
I can't do locking of the printing or editing of the sheet after i have encrypted and signed it. Trying to do so, wipes out out signatures. Yes, it is a great fullproof to have people be unable to change something someone has signed but if there is an ammendment, can't the creator reserve that right and in an automated sense notify the signers of the rights of the author ?
Maybe I am looking for too much but, it would be great to know if that is the reality of the whole event.
Thanks,
Robert

Getting Error:Digitally Signing documents using Acrobat SDK

I am using following API's to digitally sign a document using Acrobat SDK but getting error(return code -2) while making a call to folllowing API DigSigCommitSigRefDict(ASAtomFromString("DocMDP"), tempDict, &pOutRefDict);
What am i missing?
Here's my code.
    CosObj sigDict = CosNewDict(cosDoc, true, 1L);                         //Signature Dictionary Cos Object
    CosObj sigRefDict= CosNewDict(cosDoc, true, 1L);                    //Signature Reference Dictionary Cos Object
    CosDictPut(sigRefDict, ASAtomFromString("TransformMethod"), CosNewName(cosDoc, false, ASAtomFromString("DocMDP")));
    CosDictPut(sigRefDict, ASAtomFromString("Type"), CosNewName(cosDoc, false, ASAtomFromString("SigRef")));
    refArrayObj = CosNewArray(cosDoc, false, 1L);                         //Reference array object inside signature dictionary
    CosArrayInsert(refArrayObj,1, sigRefDict);
    CosDictPut(sigDict, ASAtomFromString("Reference"), refArrayObj);
    CosDictPut(sigDict, ASAtomFromString("Type"), CosNewName(cosDoc, false, ASAtomFromString("Sig")));
    CosDictPut(sigField, ASAtomFromString("V"), sigDict);               //SigField is an AcroForm object
    DSSigRefDictParamsRec myDSSigRefDictParams;
    myDSSigRefDictParams.size = sizeof(DSSigRefDictParamsRec);
    myDSSigRefDictParams.cosDoc = PDDocGetCosDoc(pdDoc);
    myDSSigRefDictParams.rootObj   = cRoot;
    myDSSigRefDictParams.sigDict   = sigDict ;
    myDSSigRefDictParams.transformMethod   = ASAtomFromString("DocMDP");
    //myDSSigRefDictParams->transformParams   =
    myDSSigRefDictParams.bIndirect    = true;
    DSSigRefDictErrParams errParams;
    DSRetCode retCode = DigSigNewSigRefDict(&myDSSigRefDictParams,errParams);
    CosObj pOutRefDict;
    retCode = DigSigCommitSigRefDict(ASAtomFromString("DocMDP"),sigDict , &pOutRefDict);
    retCode = DigSigFinishSigRefDict(ASAtomFromString("DocMDP"), sigDict , pOutRefDict,errParams);
-amit

Thanks for the tip George. I'm using Acrobat Pro X to create a form. Can you tell me how to make the form reader-enabled so that it can be digitally signed?
Josh

HELP - Can no longer digitally sign documents on Adobe Acrobat Pro ver 9 ?

Was able to for the last 8 - 10 months then 2 weeks ago it stopped (intermittently). Now when I go to sign I get through the process and can see my signature on the docuemnt but then I get this error "creation of this signature could not be completed" unknown error - support information CSigDict-1938" and cannot save it.
I deleted my signature and re did it but that has not helped. I am running Windows 7
thanks

Support information has a value as long as the product is supported. I believe Adobe ended Acrobat 9 support about a year ago. Even if there is a problem in the product (and the support information usually indicates a problem in the product) it will not be fixed since the support for this product has ended. Upgrade to Acrobat XI, it is so much better for digital signing than 9.

How do I highlight a PDF document using Adobe Reader 8?

I frequently need to highlight text in PDF documents, such as user manuals, just for my own use. When I looked up "highlighting text" in the Knowledge Base, I found the following statement: "Commenting tools are available only in PDFs that have commenting enabled. PDFs in a review workflow typically include commenting rights." Is this the reason why I have not been able to find the Highlight Text tool option in any of the documents? Is there a workaround for this issue?

Thank you for your suggestion to search in Google. I found a few truly free, not just free trial offers, PDF editors, which I will need to test to find the one that will work best for my purpose. Thanks, again.

Finding words in a pdf document using adobe reader XI

the instructions on the website did not work for me.
"Find"works for my Microsoft word documents but not my pdfs
What to do?

Thank you for your suggestion to search in Google. I found a few truly free, not just free trial offers, PDF editors, which I will need to test to find the one that will work best for my purpose. Thanks, again.

Unable to open any PDF document in Windream using Adobe Reader (11.0.9)

Our company uses a document management system for storing and archiving important documents. Since updating to the latest version of Adobe Reader (11.0.9) last week, we are unable to open any PDF document using Adobe Reader. An AcroRd32.exe*32 process is launched, but the document will not open or display. Eventually we suffer a system crash. Opening any other PDF document (not stored in the archive management system) using Adobe Reader is fine. Documents can also be opened in the archive management system using Adobe Acrobat.

Try disabling Protected Mode (see Pat's response here: Anyone having problems with the Acrobat Reader 11.0.9 update on Win7 X64?) and see if that helps...
-Mike

Recently no matter what I do, Firefox will not allow me to use Adobe Reader instead of it's own

I used to be able to display pdf documents using Adobe Reader instead of Firefox's built in. I have tried everything that you suggest and that Adobe suggest. I have uninstalled and reinstalled Firefox. I have uninstalled and reinstalled Adobe Reader (11.0.09). I have gone to the options in Mozilla but when I try to change the Portable Document settings, I don't get the option for "Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox)". I do get the for Adobe Forms, but not for PDF documents. If I change it to use Adobe Reader, it downloads and then opens reader which is not I want. I want to use the plugin which is installed (I go to Add-ons and it is installed and "always activate").
Help? This only started happening in the last month or so. I am running latest released Firefox (33.0.2), Windows 7 (up to date with all updates, etc.).

That doesn't solve the problem. I have all those defaults. But in Firefox, it won't let me select for "Portable Document Format" to "Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox)" which it used to let me and which is what the Mozilla Firefox help stuff says to do. I can select Adobe Reader but then it downloads it and opens it in a separate reader window rather than using the plugin. If I select to let Firefox "Preview in Firefox", then the Firefox built-in PDF reader will display it. I have added an add-on "pdfViewerSwitcher" which then lets me display in the Adobe Reader plug-in but only after first displaying it in the Firefox preview. So that verifies that the Adobe Reader plug-in works. But I can't set it to always use the Adobe Reader plug-in.
I have some reasons for wanting to use the Adobe Reader plug-in. I use Nuance Power PDF Pro for editing and doing other things with pdfs.
This all used to work and stopped working at some point in the last couple months. And if you search the web, you will find I am not the only one with this complaint.
I don't know whether it is Adobe's fault or Mozilla's fault but at least one of them is broken. And I think it is Firefox since it won't even let me select it but does let me select it for Adobe Forms.

Digitally signing documents using Adobe Reader

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