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Getting EFS-Web and Portal Private PAIR to work after a Java upgrade
EFS-Web and Portal Private PAIR both rely upon third-party software (a "Java applet") called Truepass. This third-pary software, which USPTO licenses from a company called Entrust, runs in the Java programming language.
Java gets updated in your computer from time to time, automatically. The most recent update, to Version 6 (also called version 1.6.0) got loaded to my computer in June of 2007. Your computer might have received that update earlier than June of 2007 or might not yet have received it. When the Java update happens, you will suddenly find that you cannot get the USPTO portal to work. The reason is that the Entrust Truepass software was written in a way that depends upon a particular version of Java being on your computer. The update to Java leads to a situation where the Entrust Truepass software does not work any more.
When this happens, what is unfortunate is that the Entrust Truepass software does not generate a meaningful error message (at least not for me) and instead simply "hangs" with a frozen screen.
Louis Ventre, Jr. has provided a sequence of steps that will likely get the Entrust Truepass software working, thereby restoring your ability to use EFS-Web and Portal Private PAIR. These steps work for Microsoft Windows platforms. The instructions as provided by Mr. Ventre were specific to Microsoft Internet Explorer, but I found them work just fine for Firefox.
When I did this, when I reached steps 8 and 9, I found not one but two certificates named "Entrust Limited". I had to delete both of them to get things to work.
These instructions will not, of course, work for Mac or Linux platforms. If any EFS-Web users who are on Mac or Linux platforms have corresponding instructions that have worked, I would be grateful if they could provide them to the group.
What happens when IFW gets its hands on otherwise nice images:
Advantages of EFS Web compared with paper filing and ABX-ePave filing:
Filing tips from participants in the EFS-Web beta:
The EFS Web beta e-filing web pages:
EFS Web information from USPTO:
Editable PDF forms (requires Acrobat Reader version 7):
Beta materials:
Official EFS Web Beta Guidelines
Slides from the November 28 training
Slides from the November 15 and 17 orientations
Access to recorded versions of the November 15 and November 28 sessions (requires that you have a Webex player installed on your computer)
USPTO's EFS-Web News Updates:
Details on the November 30, 2005 on-site training program
Suggestions for improvement in the user interface for EFS web