NCSLI Secured Files (PDC) FAQs

Error Messages

Installation

• Failed to check Acrobat version error during installation"
• When installing the viewer I get the error message 'Adobe 6 or later is required'

Registration

• The license file I have received has an extension of .mim not .llv.  I changed it to .llv but still cannot register.
• Cannot connect to the license server. Check that you are connected, or that a firewall is not stopping this connection
• When I go to register my license file it tells me “the server is unavailable”
• License check failed server returned 407 response code
• License Check Failed. Server Returned 302 Response code

Viewing Protected PDF Documents

• Acrobat Reader (or full) must be installed and enabled to view PDF in browsers
• Server Response code 504
• Acrobat could not open "<filename>.pdc" because it is either not a supported file type or the file has been corrupted
• Failed to send data to client. Error code 10054. A component required by Safeguard is not running. Timeout.
• A component required by Lizard Safeguard viewer is not running
• Adobe Reader could not open 'filename.fdf' because it is either not a supported file type or because it is corrupted
• File does not begin with %pdf error message.  The viewer window remains blank.
• Invalid configuration detected. You have to re-install Lizard Safeguard viewer to fix this problem
• Error message when opening a PDC file 'The requested URL could not be retrieved'

General FAQ

• What happens when I change or upgrade my computer - Do I need a new license ?
• Do I have to be connected to the Internet in order to view secure PDF documents ?

1. Not enough Windows account rights - you must be logged on as a Windows adminstrator to install Lizard Safeguard.
2. Corrupted Windows registry - the Adobe Acrobat settings are no longer being displayed correctly.
3. Incomplete installation of Adobe Acrobat.

If you are logged on as a Windows administrator use the Adobe Acrobat detect & repair function, then install Lizard Safeguard again.

Error message on installation "Adobe 6 or later is required"

Yet I have Acrobat 7 Reader installed on my computer...

This error message will be displayed if an earlier version (5 or below) of Acrobat Standard or Professional is also installed. The Adobe Active X browser component automatically picks up either the standard or professional version of the software when viewing PDF files in a web browser.

The license file I have received has an extension of .mim not .llv.  I change it to .llv but still cannot register.

This is because you are using AOL or IM as an email client and AOL / IM has corrupted the license file and changed the file extension.  Please ask the publisher to resend you the license file as a zipped file or to send the registration email to a different email address.

Error Message “We cannot connect to the license server by Internet. Please check that you are connected, or that a firewall is not stopping this connection.”

This error message will be displayed if either a firewall or proxy is stopping the Lizard Safeguard viewer from getting to the Internet.

If you are behind a company firewall then your IT department may have to configure the firewall to accept an outbound connection for the viewer program pdcviewer.exe.  This is also true for personal firewalls that also need to authorize the program HKLD.exe.

NOTE : If you decide to disable your software firewall to register the viewer software then remember you must reboot your computer before it will take effect (software firewalls remain memory resident even after you disable them).

In the case of proxy servers, these are used to change the port addressing from the Windows default to some other internally determined port number.  The internal IT department must provide the port number that is actually used and if necessary give an ID and Password if you use authentication. Off the Windows Start menu > Programs > Lizard Safeguard PDF Viewer > Proxy Settings is where you enter this information.  See proxy settings.

The LockLizard admin server IP address is 82.165.43.29 is or https://www.locklizard-license1.co.uk:8444/LockLizardLicensing

Once you have registered the viewer it does not need the proxy settings again unless someone decides to change your internal proxy settings.

When I go to register my license file it tells me “the server is unavailable”

Please try registering again.

If the problem continues then the most likely reason for this is that you are using a proxy to access the Internet.  Make sure you have entered the correct proxy settings and then try again.  If you are authenticating against an active directory make sure you select the ‘Type’ NTLM.  See proxy settings.

When trying to register I get the error message “license check failed server returned 407 response code”

The most likely reason for this is that you are using a proxy to access the Internet.  Make sure you have entered the correct proxy settings and then try again.  If you are authenticating against an active directory make sure you select the ‘Type’ NTLM.  See proxy settings.

Error message “Acrobat Reader (or full) must be installed and enabled to view PDF in browsers”

However, Acrobat Reader is installed on the computer.

The most likely reason for this error message is that you are using a non-administrative Windows account and Acrobat Reader was only installed for a particular user of that computer and not under the user name you are logged on as.  As a non-administrator you only have access to applications that are installed under your Windows user name.

Error message “Server Response code 504”

This error message is displayed if access to port 8444 is blocked.  Please check with your company’s network engineers as this port needs to be open.

Error message "Acrobat could not open "<filename>.pdc" because it is either not a supported file type or the file has been corrupted"

This error message is displayed if you try and open a .pdc file directly from Adobe’s File Open menu or you have associated the .pdc file extension with Adobe Acrobat.  To open a .pdc file you must double-click on the filename in Windows File Explorer or right-click on the file and select ‘Open With PDCViewer’.

Error message "Failed to send data to client (2). Error code 10054. A component required by Lizard Safeguard viewer is not running. Timeout while checking"

This error message is displayed for either of the following reasons :

1. You are using a trial version of Adobe Acrobat that has expired.  Please make sure you have a non-trial version of Adobe installed.  In browser mode (the mode Lizard Safeguard displays secured PDF files), Acrobat Standard or Professional take precedence even if you have a later version of Acrobat Reader installed.  Therefore please make sure any expired copies of Acrobat Standard or Professional are removed from your computer.
2. You cannot open normal PDF files in your web browser.  Try opening the following file by clicking on the link http://www.locklizard.com/Plugin_Security.pdf.   If this PDF file does not display in your browser window then you have either not installed the Adobe web browser plug-in or you have not enabled Acrobat Active X Control.  Further information on resolving this can be found at http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/328233.html

   To enable the ActiveX Control:

   1. Quit Internet Explorer and Acrobat or Adobe Reader.
   2. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel.  Double-click on Internet Options.
   3. Click the Security tab in the Internet Properties dialog box.
   4. Choose the zone hosting the location of the PDF file (e.g., Internet or Local Intranet).
   5. Click Custom Level.
   6. Select Enable for the item ActiveX Controls And Plug-ins, then click on the OK button.
   7. Click the OK button in the Internet Properties dialog box.
      
3. You have an old computer and a lot of applications are currently running.  There may not be enough memory available to run Lizard Safeguard.  Close down all applications to see if this solves the problem.
4. You are running an ISA server and a proxy  - see Proxy settings and ISA Servers

Error message "A component required by Lizard Safeguard viewer is not running."

This error message is displayed for any of the following reasons :

1. Your firewall has prevented the programs pdcviewer.exe or HKLD.exe from running.  Please make sure these programs are permitted to run and can access the Internet.
2. You have re-installed Adobe Acrobat since installing Lizard Safeguard viewer software.  If this is the case you must re-install the viewer software since Acrobat has overwritten some of the viewer components.
3. You have upgraded Adobe Acrobat since installing Lizard Safeguard.  Generally this should not be an issue but some upgrades may overwrite some of the components required by Lizard Safeguard viewer.  If this is the case, re-installing the viewer software will solve the problem.
4. Lizard Safeguard cannot remove certain files in your Adobe Acrobat installation folder.  You must be logged on as a Windows administrator to install Lizard Safeguard viewer.
5. You have anti-spyware software running that is preventing the process HKLD.exe from running. Spysweeper from Webroot for example creates a false positive preventing HKLD.exe from running.  Disable your anti-spyware software, reboot your computer and then re-install Lizard Safeguard. Version 2.5 of Spysweeper enterprise has a white list feature and adding HKLD.exe to that should solve the problem - if it does not you will need to disable or remove Spysweeper and reboot the computer before de-installing and then re-installing Lizard Safeguard.

When I double-click on a PDC file I get the error message "Adobe Reader could not open 'filename.fdf' because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been corrupted."

This error is due to an issue with Adobe Acrobat viewing PDF files in a web browser.  Because Lizard Safeguard uses the web browser component it is also affected by this issue.  Adobe recommend if you get this error to :

1. Open Internet Explorer, go to Tools -> Internet Options and on the General tab to erase all temporary files, cookies and history data.
2. Under Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Internet Options, on the General tab click on Settings and make sure you select the option "Automatically" for checking for newer versions of the stored pages. Then attempt to open the PDC file again.
3. If solutions 1 and 2 do not work then uninstall Adobe Acrobat, then reinstall it again.  If you have to use this option then you will also need to de-install and then re-install the Lizard Safeguard viewer software.

It seems that Acrobat 6 is more prone to this error so upgrading to Acrobat 7 may solve the problem.

Error message "This file does not begin with %pdf".  The viewer window stays blank.

This error will occur if you have been emailed a PDC file and your email client has altered the file format.  This is a known Acrobat issue and occurs with non-encrypted PDF files.  This error will always occur with AOL email clients.

Ask the publisher to either let you download the PDC file from their web site or email it to you in a zip file.

Error message "Invalid configuration detected. You have to re-install Lizard Safeguard viewer to fix this problem."

This error message is displayed if you re-install Adobe Acrobat after installing Lizard Safeguard.  It may also be displayed if you have upgraded certain Adobe components since installing Lizard Safeguard.  Re-installing Lizard Safeguard will rectify the problem as it will replace the necessary components that Adobe Acrobat has overwritten.

If this error message is displayed straight after installing Lizard Safeguard then it may be because you have not rebooted your computer before trying to register with the publisher.

If you have rebooted your computer since installation of Lizard Safeguard and this error message is displayed when registering for the first time then Lizard Safeguard could not remove the file sendmail.api from the Adobe installation folder and it’s subfolders.  Please check that you have delete rights to this file.  You can then either re-install the viewer software (you must de-install Lizard Safeguard, reboot, re-install and then reboot your computer) or just manually delete this file from the Adobe installation folder and it’s subfolders.

Error message when opening a PDC file "The requested URL could not be retrieved"

Regardless of the default browser you are running (Mozilla Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, etc.) go into Internet Explorer > Internet Options > Connections > Lan settings, and uncheck the box that says 'automatically detect settings'.

Error message when registering "License Check Failed. Server Returned 302 Response code"

This message is displayed when the URL for the licensing server is redirected by a proxy server.  The most common reason for this message is that your organization strictly controls access to web sites and the LockLizard Licensing server has not been added to the authorized list. 

General FAQs

What happens when I change or upgrade my computer - Do I need a new license

Upgrading Computers

Lizard Safeguard can be re-installed on the same computer without you having to request an additional license from your publisher.  When you re-register with the old license details, the viewer software checks certain details with the administration server and lets the license be re-used.  So if you re-install your operating system or change your hard disk drive for whatever reason you can re-install Lizard Safeguard, re-register with your old license information and continue using the product as before.

Changing Computers

If you change computers then you will need to ask your publisher for another license so that you can install the Viewer software and register again.

Do I have to be connected to the Internet in order to view secure PDF documents ?

This depends on the controls set by the publisher.  They may require that you connect to the Internet every time you view one of their documents, or that you connect every n number of days, or that you don’t need to connect to the Internet at all.

If the publisher has limited the number of times you can print a document then you will be required to connect to the Internet each time you attempt to print the document.

On some systems, because of internal security requirements, firewall controls prevent internal applications from connecting directly to external web addresses.  Further, to help prevent attacks from hackers, and prevent keyloggers and other techniques commonly used by hackers, viruses and worms to send confidential internal data to outsiders, internal systems may use port addresses on the firewall that are not the standard ports.  Finally, the firewall may require users who wish to use external services to authenticate themselves to the firewall before they are able to use external services.

In order to support these higher security requirements, LockLizard Safeguard allows you to configure proxy settings into the viewer application.  To configure proxy settings right click on the Windows Start menu and select Programs > Lizard Safeguard PDF Viewer > Proxy Settings.  

The following panel is displayed.

As shown above, check the ‘Use proxy’ checkbox and enter the address the proxy requires. If you are an end user then your IT support group will be able to tell you the address you should enter here.

Also, ask them if you need to enter a specific port address.  LockLizard Safeguard uses port 8444 to securely address (using HTTPS) the relevant administration server for the publisher whose product you have purchased (for internal systems this corresponds to the documents you are authorized to use).  If your internal system requires the use of a different port for the connection you must enter it in the ‘Proxy port’ box.

If your internal control system requires authentication at the firewall then check the ‘Authentication’ checkbox and enter in the fields provided the username and password that your IT department have allocated to be able to access the firewall service.

If you are authenticating against an active directory then from the ‘Type’ pull-down list box select ‘NTLM’. You only need to run the utility once.

Proxy settings and PAC files

You have two solutions for coding the PAC file:

1. You can code it so the proxy server is not used if the computer is connecting to a specified site/IP (the connection is on the local address 127.0.0.1) - see the "more complex version" section of http://nscsysop.hypermart.net/proxypac.html;
2. You can code it so the proxy server automatically recognizes a connection to a local address and it makes a direct (non-proxy) connection for it, no matter what the local address is.

Also, you must be sure that Internet Explorer is set to bypass proxy settings for local addresses. Normally, this single Internet Explorer option (without altering the PAC file) should do the trick, unless the network administrator already configured the proxy server to be used for all connections (in which case, the admininistrator must recode it like it is described on http://nscsysop.hypermart.net/proxypac.html).

If a PAC file is in effect then you have to alter it.  Altering IE has no effect because the PAC file just sets it back again.

Proxy settings and ISA servers

In order for Lizard Safeguard to work with ISA servers and proxies you need to configure IE correctly.  From the Tools menu -> Internet Options menu -> Connections tab -> LAN Settings button, type in the proxy IP and its port in the Proxy Server section.  In the automatic Configuration section UNCHECK both boxes "use automatic configuration script" and "automatically detect settings".

If you cannot do this because your company is using a configuration script and/or you must automatically detect settings (for example, the network administrator forces you to do so) or you must use the server firewall settings defined by the administrator, then you must follow the procedure below (requires Windows 2003 server admin rights).

On the Windows Server (where the ISA Server is installed), the server administrator must open the ISA Server window (called "Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server"), then on the left panel go to Configuration -> General -> Define Firewall Client Settings.  Under the firewall client settings, go to the Application Settings tab and click on "New" to add a new application. On the window where you have to add the application, type PDCViewer for the application name (without its extension), then select the Key "Disabled" and select "1" for its value. Then click on OK until you exit to the main ISA window - here you have to click on Apply in order for the ISA server to apply the new settings.

On the client computer, open the client firewall window (by double clicking on its systray icon), go to the Web Browser window and make sure the box "enable web browser automatic configuration" is checked. Then click on "Configure Now" (a window will popup with a confirmation message that the configuration was completed), then on OK to exit the firewall configuration.