How to troubleshoot problems with Google Chrome SignDoc Device Connector

Issue

This article describes a situation, 

1. where Google Chrome is used for signing PDF documents in conjunction with SignDoc Web, SignDoc Standard
2. SignDoc Device Support 2.0.1 is installed, but the usb-connected Signing Device (e.g. Wacom STU) is not recognized by Google Chrome.

Solution

To find out what the exact problem in your specific situation is, some troubleshooting steps have to be performed, please follow the step by step instruction below:

1. Check if the chrome extension "SignDoc DeviceConnector" is installed in Chrome and active, call the URL chrome://extensions, check article https://knowledge.kofax.com/E-signature/Overview-Downloads/Kofax_SignDoc_2.2_Downloads to get the latest version of Chrome Extension, and install it. 

2. Check if the Wacom SignPad is recognized by SignDoc drivers, open a cmd_prompt and enter the command "sp_wspchk -getUID".
This command should return the Model specification (e.q. SIGNPAD STU-530), as shown below:

If the command returns "no Wacom SignPad devices found, exiting..." then there is a problem either with SignDoc DeviceConnector configuration (tablet.ini file), or with the DeviceConnector Setup itself. --> If there are doubts please uninstall/reinstall SignDoc Device Support 
Assuming the SignPad is correctly recognized using above command, but still cannot be used via Google Chrome, please go ahead to the next troubleshooting step.

3. Check if signing works if you use an alternative Browser like Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer. 

If the SignPad is also not recognized using other Browsers, then there is most likely a problem with DeviceConnector Setup, please reinstall Signdoc Device Support and check if it works afterwards.

If signing works with other Browser, but not with Google Chrome, it means that basically the DeviceConnector Setup is OK, and the problem is directly related to Google Chrome and/or to the chrome extension "SignDoc DeviceConnector". 

4. The SignDoc DeviceConnector chrome extension will use the DeviceConnector backend for connecting to the SignPad. To do so, it starts the deviceconnector.exe. Please verifiy in Task Manager Process list, if the deviceconnector.exe is started.

If you don´t see the deviceconnector.exe started, then there is a problem with the Chrome Extension itself. Check if the deviceconnector.exe is available and located in:
    C:\Program Files (x86)\SignDoc Device Support\Win32

5. In Google Chrome press F12 to open the built in developer tools, check if there are Errors reported in the "Console", for instance:

If you see above error in the developer console, then the SignDoc chrome extension either cannot connect to device connector backend, because there is a problem with SignDoc DeviceConnector Setup (or not installed), or the SignDoc chrome extension is not allowed due to Group Policy Settings to call the Device Connector backend. Check next troubleshooting steps.

6. Open the file
    C:\Program Files (x86)\SignDoc Device Support\sbpluginng-manifest.json
in a text editor. It looks as following (example):

 "name": "de.softpro.sbpluginng",
 "description": "SignDoc DeviceConnector",
 "path": "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\SignDoc Device Support\\Win32\\deviceconnector.exe",
 "type": "stdio",
 "allowed_origins": [
  "chrome-extension://mjmgfgodldapcfepblcemihhdenlnimk/" ]

This bold marked string is the chrome extension ID. If the extension is correctly installed, there must be folder named in
    C:\Users\<userID>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions

which matches exactly the Chrome Extension ID, like shown in my example:
    C:\Users\<userID>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\mjmgfgodldapcfepblcemihhdenlnimk

7. Group Policy Settings can have the effect that SignDoc chrome extension is not allowed to call the Device Connector backend.
Please check following:

The communication between Chrome extension and deviceconnector.exe is done via Chrome’s Native Messaging API.
In GPO there are two policies about Native Messaging which could cause the issue:
Allow user-level Native Messaging hosts:

https://getadmx.com/?Category=Chrome&Policy=Google.Policies.Chrome::NativeMessagingUserLevelHosts

Configure native messaging whitelist
https://getadmx.com/?Category=Chrome&Policy=Google.Policies.Chrome::NativeMessagingWhitelist

-         enable user-level Native Messaging hosts via Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\ NativeMessagingUserLevelHosts = 1
-         add deviceconnector to the whitelist via Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingWhitelist\1 = " de.softpro.sbpluginng "

 

If above guidelines don´t help, please create a new support case in our support portal https://support.kofax.com 

 

Level of Complexity 

Moderate

 

Applies to  

Product	Version	Build	Environment	Hardware
SignDoc Standard SignDoc Web SignDoc Device Support	2.2 2.2, 3.0 2.0.1

References

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