Download and Install the PalOMoney Root Certificate

From PalOMoney
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The PalOMoney root certificate enables PalOMoney users to install signed PalOMoney software without the nag warning screens that pop up when installing unsigned software. It also guarantees that downloaded software is a genuine product of PalOMoney.com.

Not So Fast

Because unsigned software is very common in the web, users have trained themselves to ignore, nay, welcome the Windows warning messages that pop up when installing downloaded apps. Accordingly, it is nearly pointless to install the PalOMoney root certificate just to skip the nag screens. However, if you intend to install the PalOMoney into a high security, locked down environment, you very well might need the certificate installed to proceed. You may not even have administrative rights to your machine. If so, you may have to beg your system administrator to install the root certificate for you so that you can install the PalOMoney software at all.

The other reason to install the PalOMoney root certificate is that you want to make sure that downloads including future updates are genuinely from PalOMoney.com. This might be a better reason; however, if like nearly everyone you have trained yourself to ignore "Untrusted or Unknown Publisher" popup warnings, it will not help you.

Should the PalOMoney software some time in the future include Windows device drivers, these must be signed or modern versions of Windows will not install or launch them. At that point, the PalOMoney signing will either be signed by an already trusted root certificate authority, or you will have to install the PalOMoney root certificate yourself. This scenario is unlikely because PalOMoney is financial application software, and does not and likely will never contain a Windows kernal driver component.

Note that signing certificates only assure that the publisher is PalOMoney.com. It offers no assurance as to the quality of the software in any way.

Instructions

  1. Download the certificate here.
  2. Save the PalOMoneyGenuine.p7b file to a folder on your computer.
  3. Locate the file, right click, and select Install Certificate. The Certificate Import Wizard will pop up, click Next.
  4. Select the option to Place all certificates in the following store, hit the Browse button, and select Trusted Root Certification Authorities, and click Next.
  5. Click the Finish button. The Security Warning will appear.
  6. Look at the link above and compare it to the dialog. They should match. Do not skip this step.
  7. If they do not match, click No and leave a support request message in the Installation Support forum. Do not install a bogus or obsolete certificate to your root certificate store! Do not continue this procedure: you are done for now until your support issue is resolved.
  8. If they do match, click Yes, and observe the "The import was successful" message. You are done. You can now install PalOMoney signed software without the Windows warning messages.

Extra Credit

Perhaps you would like to learn more about certificates. One thing you can do is examine your Windows certificate stores. Do this by entering certmgr.msc at a command prompt or the Start Menu Seach Programs and Files prompt. Click on the Trusted Root Certification Authorities and admire the august and renowned group represented there.

While you are there, also scan for any root certificates that are from entities of whom you are not aware. It is possible that some software or web site tricked you or a member of your family to install a bogus root certificate. If so, you can save the certificate and delete it pending further investigation. You can always reinstall the certificate using the procedures above if some day you discover that some vital software no longer works because of a lack of that questionable certificate.

In this light, consider putting a note in your calandar to delete the PalOMoney certificate some time in the future, e.g., next year. You can always install it again or its successor if you need to install more software. The certificate is not needed to run the software.