Error when you update or install a signed extension in Visual Studio 2010 SP1

Symptoms

This article discusses issues that occur when you install or update digital signature extensions in Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Issue 1

If you did familiar action with the following scenario:

You have a signed extension installed in Visual Studio 2010 SP1.
You use Extension Manager to try to install an update for the extension. The update renews the signature of the extension.

In this scenario, you receive the following error message:
The installed version of 'Extension Name' is signed, but the update version has an invalid signature. Therefore, Extension Manager cannot install the update. If you trust the update, try the installation again after you uninstall the installed version.

The installed version of 'Extension Name' is signed, but the update version has an invalid signature. Therefore, Extension Manager cannot install the update. If you trust the update, try the installation again after you uninstall the installed version.

Issue 2

When you try to install a signed extension that has a valid signature in Visual Studio 2010 SP1 on a computer that is running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, you receive the following error message in a Download and Install dialog box:
The certificate for a digital signature in this extension is not valid.

The certificate for a digital signature in this extension is not valid.

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Cause

Cause of issue 1

This issue occurs because signatures are compared incorrectly.

Cause of issue 2

This issue occurs because Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 handle the Certificate Revocation Lists (CRL) differently than other operating systems.

When Extension Manager handles the Certificate Revocation Lists (CRL), Extension Manager uses the same method for all operating systems. However, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 handle the Certificate Revocation Lists (CRL) differently than other operating systems. Therefore, issue 2 occurs.

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Resolution

Resolution for issue 1

To resolve issue 1, uninstall the installed version of the extension, and then install the updated version.

Resolution for issue 2

To resolve issue 2, use one of the following methods:

If you trust the validity of the extension, click Install in the Download and Install dialog box to install the extension.
Click here to install the hotfix.

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More Information

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft. However, it is intended to correct only the problem that this article describes. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

To resolve this problem, contact Microsoft Customer Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft website:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

Prerequisites

To apply this hotfix, you must have Visual Studio 2010 SP1 installed.

Restart requirement

You have to restart the computer after you install this hotfix if an instance of Visual Studio is being used.

File information

The global version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

File name	File version	File size	Date	Time	Platform
Microsoft.visualstudio.extensionmanager.implementation.dll	10.0.40219.340	732,592	05-Aug-2011	18:11	x86
Vsixinstaller.exe	10.0.40219.340	149,848	05-Aug-2011	18:11	x86