I'm getting the above error in a dialog box from Visual Studio 2005 when
trying to sign an assembly using a PFX file, and would like to know how to
resolve the problem.
Background:
The PFX file has been used for code-signing before (to sign an InfoPath
form), so therefore the file contains a valid code-signing key.
I have the correct password to the PFX file (because I get a different error
if I enter the wrong password - it helpfully tells me I've entered the wrong
password).
The assembly is a DLL which will be installed as an Outlook add-in, is
written in C#, and was created by using the Outlook Add-in template from
VSTO 2005. I'm signing the assembly simply by checking the "Sign The
Assembly" box, and selecting my PFX file in the drop-down list below that
box.
The Usenet news article
<http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.dotnet.general/browse_thread/thread/774d0c593789658a/d4dabaeecd4c5430>
seems to discuss a similar issue, but doesn't have any good suggestions on
fixing it that I can use.
I can sign the assembly using a key that I generate, but I need to use the
code-signing certificate that has already been deployed to our existing
users.
When building the assembly with my key file selected for signing, I first
get a dialog box that reads "Import Key File", "This project includes a
password-encrypted key used for signing. Enter the password for the key
file to import the key file into the local crypto-store database for use."
Entering the password, and clicking OK, I get the dialog "Error importing
key", "Object already exists".
Often it asks me for the password several times over.
If I try to build the project, the following error is listed immediately
after the first appearance of the "Object already exists" dialog:
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Micr osoft.Common.targets(1718,7):
error MSB3321: Importing key file "codesign.pfx" was canceled.
Please let me know if you have any good ideas on solving this issue.
Thanks in advance,
Alun Jones