How to get rid of the security warning "Foxit Reader/PhantomPDF has been opened by the following app without an valid signature. This may indicate a security issue." – Help Center | Foxit Software

After version 8, when open Foxit PhantomPDF from applications without valid digital signatures, you will be prompted with pop-up security warning messages to ask you to allow Foxit PhantomPDF to continue opening PDF files from applications without valid signatures included.

Below is a warning message that shows a third program was detected with an invalid signature when calling up Foxit program.

"Foxit Reader/PhantomPDF has been opened by the following app without an valid signature. This may indicate a security issue."

If you need to open PDF files from many applications without valid signatures frequently and feel the warning messages are annoying since you already know that those applications are actually safe. In such case, you could choose to add those harmless apps as trusted applications in Foxit PhantomPDF to avoid getting warning messages.

Use Preferences settings

Use GPO

Use XML file

Use MST file with MSI Installer

Use Preferences settings

1: Under File tab,click Preferences.

2: In Trust Manager,click on option Change settings… which is under Open Foxit PhantomPDF from applications without valid digital signatures part to bring up Trusted Apps… dialog in which you could individually add your trusted apps there one by one:

For instance, I have an application called Comm100 Live Chat.exe which is under C:\Users\LISA\AppData\Local\Programs\Comm100LiveChat this location and I want to add this application as trusted application in Foxit Reader. I would input C:\Users\LISA\AppData\Local\Programs\Comm100LiveChat\Comm100 Live Chat.exe in the blank field under Specify Apps Allow and click Allow button to add it,click on OK OK buttons to save the settings and close the Trusted Apps… and Preferences dialog boxes.

The trusted apps that have added in Preferences dialog box are written into the following XML file:

C:\Users\Public\Foxit Software\Foxit PhantomPDF\TrustApp.xml

In this TrustApp.xml file,it also includes existing computer's UUID information,so we can not deploy this XML file to other computers to set security apps on other computers.

Use GPO

To disable the security warning, complete the following steps:

1. Open Group Policy Editor, go to Computer Configuration or Users Configuration > Administrative Templates > Classic Administrative Templates.

2. Choose Foxit PhantomPDF, select Preferences, and double click on Trusted Applications.

3. Select Enabled and click on Show… button which is next to Trusted Application List to open Show Contents dialog. Single click on the blank field under Value column to focus on this blank field and then double click on it again to enter into this blank field before you could input your trusted application there.

For instance, I have an application called Comm100 Live Chat.exe which is under C:\Users\LISA\AppData\Local\Programs\Comm100LiveChat this location and I need to add this application as trusted one in Foxit Reader. I input C:\Users\LISA\AppData\Local\Programs\Comm100LiveChat\Comm100 Live Chat.exe in the blank field under Value column and click on OK OK buttons to save the settings and close the Show Contents… and Trusted Applications dialog boxes.

Use XML file

If you typically use an XML file to force settings on users, you can create and distribute an XML file to a dedicated folder on Users’ machine to preset trusted applications in Foxit PhantomPDF for users. Below are steps:

Create and Apply an XML File

1. Follow here to download an appropriate XML Editor.

2. Open XML Editor, go to Preferences tab,choose Trusted Applications item, click on Browse button which is next to Trusted Application list to open an Open window in which you could navigate to select your trusted application,click on Open button to close the Open dialog box. To continue adding another one trusted application, please click on the Browse button again to navigate to select another application. Click on Export to create an XML file. The default name would be ProfStore.xml.

If you already have a ProfStore.xml file, import it by clicking on Import button to import it into XML editor before you configurate settings in XML editor.

3. Distribute the XML file into “C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software\Foxit PhantomPDF\ProfStore”.

4. Restart PhantomPDF to apply the settings in XML file into PhantomPDF application.

Use MST file with MSI Installer

If you want to preset trusted applications for Foxit PhantomPDF when deploying MSI installer file, you can use the MST file to implement it.

1. Follow here to download an appropriate version of Foxit Customization Tool (FCT).

2. Run FCT, click on File to open the appropriate MSI installer file.

3. In the General tab, click on Browse button under Replace ProfStore.xml to add the XML file (ProfStore .XML). See Use XML file section for how to creating an XML file.

4. Everything is done, click on File > Save to save current settings as .mst file.

5. Use the following command to apply MST file

msiexec /i Setup.msi TRANSFORMS=xxx.mst

Tips:The ability to configure trusted applications by using GPO, XML file and MST file is only available for Foxit PhantomPDF 9.1 and the greater versions.

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