Error:

The certificate has expired or is not yet valid.

 

Details:

All DecisionTools Suite (DTS) code is digitally signed and timestamped.

• Timestamping means a trusted certificate authority verified that the code was signed while the certificate was valid.
• Because of this, it does not matter if the certificate later expires.
• Code that was signed while the certificate was valid remains trusted and usable indefinitely.
• An expired certificate only prevents signing new code; it does not invalidate existing signed code.

When Microsoft shows the message “This certificate has expired or is not yet valid,” it is technically correct but misleading in this context.

• You are not trying to sign new code; you are running code that was already signed and timestamped when the certificate was valid. No action is required.

Why the latest certificate may not appear in Excel Trust Center:

Excel may keep showing an older certificate for the same publisher.

• If the software is installed in a trusted location, Excel may not check certificates at all.
• If macro security is set to Enable all macros, Excel does not need to validate certificates.

How to view the certificate used to sign the add-in:

1. Launch @RISK or another DTS tool
2. Press Alt+F11 to open the VBA editor
3. In the Project Explorer, select the add-in (for example RiskXLA)
4. Click Tools » Digital Signature
5. Click Details, then View Certificate

How to view the installer certificate without running the software:

1. Right-click the installer file and select Properties
2. Open the Digital Signatures tab
3. Select Palisade Corporation and click Details
4. Click View Certificate

Remember, certificates must be valid on the date the installer or add-in was created, not on the date you are viewing or running it.

• Expiration does not make previously signed DTS software unsafe or invalid.

Related Article:

Excel Macro Security Settings