Question : Problem: Palm Treo 755p - Issue converting and installing GoDaddy cert for sync with Exchang 2003 S2

I have an SBS 2003 SP2 server domain running Exchange 2003 SP2. The security cert purchased from GoDaddy last year expired on Oct 31st. So our hand-held users were no longer able to sync with Exchange - as expected. We requested a cert renewal from GoDaddy, sent them the expired cert and within hours received the new cert back which was installed on the server and distributed to the client workstations to install in IE for Outlook with RPC over HTTP. This went perfectly, as did the installations in the iPhones and Blackberries. Everything on that end is working perfectly.

BUT  we have users who have Palm Treo 755p's. For them we downloaded the latest version of Palm HotSync (for Sprint) v4.1.4 along with the latest available version of the Palm Certificate Tool (Certificate Authority Updater).

The certs were converted from their original format...

"email.domain.biz.crt"  
to
"cert.pdb"

...using the method found here: http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/versamail/certmodtool.html

During the process, however, it was necessary to change the file-type of the new GoDaddy cert from "crt"  to "cer" in order for the Palm Certificate Authority Updater tool to recognize it for the conversion to a "cert.pdb" file.

Once the new "cert.pdb" file was in the Certificate Authority Updater, we ran HotSync and all data was synchronized.

BUT a review of the logs showed that each time we tried (and it was a dozen or so) the newly converted "cert.pdb" was rejected and deleted from the sync file path as being no-good or corrupt.

Here is the entry from the HotSync log:

"- Invalid handheld file deleted: C:\Program Files\palmOne\UserName\Install\certs.pdb
OK Install with 1 message(s)"

My concern is the new cert from GoDaddy. Does anyone know if this issue is due to the file type being "crt" rather than "cer" ?

It concerns me that there was no way to make the Palm Certificate Authority Updater recognize the GoDaddy cert in its original file format, and that it had to be changed to "cer".

Has anyone come across this before?

Answer : Problem: Palm Treo 755p - Issue converting and installing GoDaddy cert for sync with Exchang 2003 S2

Palm software doesn't support anything above 128 bit certificates.  By default GoDaddy gives 256 bit certificates. It is not a well know issue but you can confirm in by calling Palm (although it took me four hours to get it out of them) or here's a couple of sites that mention the issue;

http://forums.palm.com/palm/board/message?board.id=activesync&message.id=4545
http://forums.palmone.com/palm/board/message?board.id=activesync&thread.id=1411

To get the 128 bit compatible certificate you'll need to contact GoDaddy and have them give you the directions to make the certificate.

Good luck to you,
tenaj