Problems With Themes: Certificate Error, Certificate Expired

As much as I like themes to personalize my Nokia Eseries devices they are also a cause for the vast majority of all questions I receive to this blog. On a good day I get no questions about themes but on an average I get five questions a day. Yes, five questions per day! The questions I receive are:

"I have problems installing themes please help me" or "I get a "certificate error" message when trying to install a theme what do I do" or "I get an "certificate expired" error message when installing a theme please help"

Although this have been covered extensively in the past I guess it is still an issue.

If you try to install a theme and see the above error message "Certificate Error. Contact the application supplier" You are trying to installed an application that is not Symbian signed.

The solution is easy. Simply switch the setting in the Application Manager from "Signed only" to accept all - "Software Installation: All". You can find the application manager in the tools folder, then click on "Option" to bring up "Settings"

Another common issue is the "Expired Certificate" error. The certificate that the theme developer used may have expired. However, there is an even easier fix for this issue.

Simply set the date on your device back one year and then install the theme. After you successfully installed the theme don't forget to set the time correctly on your device.

With that being said I am now off to trawl the internet for some new great themes. If you have any themes to share with us please send them my way: Ed at "the domain of this blog". 

47 Responses to “Problems With Themes: Certificate Error, Certificate Expired”

  1. David Says:

    Thanks, perhaps it has been covered before, but its really helpful, thanks again

  2. Mitch Says:

    I have installed some themes:

    Lounge Red by ICEman, MacSilver, Nokia Nseries 1, O2 can do, Ring_TMD, White Revisited 1.4 which does not appear in App Manager.

    Do you have any solution on uninstalling these themes?

  3. Sunil Sharma Says:

    Hi
    The imformation on the site was really useful for me. I was stuck with some very important installation.
    Thanks for the help
    Sunil

  4. tyrelle Says:

    yay thanks!

  5. Cyberdog Says:

    Thanks Ed!

  6. paul s. Says:

    oh man youre the best !!!
    thx

  7. Raimundo Says:

    I have the same problem as Mitch, i can’t find a way of uninstall some of the themes i have in my phone.
    Anyone can help us.
    Thanks.

  8. Guilherme Says:

    Hi. I have already disabled certificates in the configurations menu, but still get the message “Certificate Error. Contact the application supplier”. I don’t think it’s the only solution. If you know how to manage that, I’d appreciate. Tks

  9. Tony Rome Says:

    Good feature but not comprehensive re the Expired Certificate problem. I have found many themes which still won’t install even if the date is changed…

  10. Andrei Says:

    Join Mitch and Raimundo. Tried to uninstall these “stealth” themes after rolling back system date - without any results - themes did not appear in App. Manager. Your thoughts?..

  11. ericko Says:

    @ Mitch, Raimundo and Andrei..
    Plug your memory card into card reader then
    go to private\10207114\import, that’s where themes is installed.
    Open the folders one by one and open the .SKN file using Notepad [you will know the names of the theme]
    After that delete the desire themes..
    DONE!

  12. Mitch Says:

    To ericko,

    I have cleared the unwanted themes. Thanks a lot!!!

  13. Vince Says:

    Hey - great info, thank you! (and great website!)

    Can I ask, what is the theme in the posts pictures? And where can I find it?

    I can’t seem to find it in this website’s themes-page (or is it just me…?)

    Thanks in advance for any help!

  14. lootch ville Says:

    great thinking….got it right here..thanks a lot

  15. admin Says:

    Hi Vince,
    I don’t remember the name, something about “Trance” I think. Look through the archives http://www.e-series.org/archives/category/nokia-e61e62-themes
    or use the search blog.
    Cheers
    Ed

  16. Chin Petaling Says:

    Still on the matter regarding memory cards, is it safe to format it completely?

  17. Raimundo Says:

    To ericko,
    I tried what you wrote, but didn’t solve my problem, i think is because i instaled them in the phone memory.
    Any help?
    Anyone?
    Thanks.

  18. ziga Says:

    man, you the man! ;)

  19. nilesh Says:

    well im using E-50 n tried install by changing date but no use the same error messege “certificate expired” n im unable to install.

  20. shahrin hilmy Says:

    thank you very much! keep up the good job :)

  21. nokiagurl Says:

    I just wanted to thank you. I had the expired certificate problem and it was solved with your simple solution! I love my new rose theme, I was sooo sick of the blue nokia theme. Thank you so much for your solution.

    Note: I tried to change it to 2004 first, and gave me an error. Just go back one year as instructed.

    To delete a theme you have to go to the application manager to delete it.

  22. hrishi Says:

    IT WORKS !!! thx a ton !

  23. tahseen Says:

    thank uuu soooooooo much…. .I bought a new E61 and felt soo bad when i could not download any themes ………..
    thanks ED

  24. Ordaaz Says:

    Thanks a lot! It’s a help! :)

    ~ nilesh: Maybe your application/theme is corrupted, incompatible or a copyrighted application signed by an unknown supplier?

  25. irene Says:

    Hi! I’ve come across this webpage a few times trying to solve my problem… first of all, thank you, because it has been major help! But then things got worse! ;) I just got a Nokia E65 and everything has been going just fine, I installed almost 30 themes on it to try it out the first time, and everything went perfect! All I had to do was change the software option. I never got any of those error messages. But then, for some reason (my Dad was playing around with my phone, installing things) I lost the installed themes, and when I tried to reinstall them, from my card, I couldn’t anymore! I’ve tried all of these possible solutions but nothing works. It starts installing and when the bar gets to 100% it stops for quite a while and then simply says “Unable to install”. Can anyone help me? I’ve read a lot of posts with this same problem but nobody seems to get the definite solution! Thanks a lot in advance, and I’m so sorry for bugging you with all of this again ;)

  26. bianca Says:

    my phone is E65 then I have encountering problems in installing themes for my phone. First, the “certificate expired error” then I followed the steps in solving the problem but still I encounter another error, the “certificate may not yet be valid, setting may be incorrect error”, what shall I do? Please help me…..

  27. tazuki Says:

    its really help me a lot, i thought it my phone is damaged …thanks a lot…

  28. Metalgodd Says:

    Thanks man… It’s been a along time i was finding a way to fix this thing…

  29. Vaaz&Aaz Says:

    Thanks man very very much it really works with the themes.

  30. Jeroen Says:

    Thanks! Now i can install new themes!!! And tomtom mobile! Great info!

  31. little_whisky Says:

    HOLY FREAKIN’ CRAP I LOVE YOU!!!!!! so many themes, so little time!!!
    Cheers mate, i bow to you…

  32. Crusty Leonard Says:

    This is a great blog and thanks for all the themes and super tips. However, I’m really lovin the look of the ‘DARK THEME’ and I’m not having any luck with the tips you gave with regards to installing it. Sorry to have to ask you AGAIN. I keep getting ‘certificate is expired’ message. I’ve back dated my phone a year, 6 months and 3 months. Still can’t get it. I’ve changed the settings to ‘accept all’ certificates and still can’t get it. Would REALLY love to get this theme onto my e61i. Please help.

    In addition to that, i’m in the process of getting started on the GPS facility. I’m a totally new beginner at this and have no idea where to start. Will the default programs already on the phone be good enough for a newbie? Ie. navigation, position and landmark? And where would i get GPS maps for S. E. Asia. I live in Malaysia and would love to get something for BORNEO specifically. Everything I’ve looked at talks about mapking, garmin and the majority of the maps are for North America and Europe. The best site I’ve found for this region is malsingmaps.com but still not very helpful with nokia phones. Any tips? Cheers and hope to hear from you soon.

    Cheers

    Crusty

  33. Farah Says:

    Hi,

    M using E51. Its a great phone but yes, was facing this problem with installations.. Thanks! great solution.. it just worked with a smile. :)

    Good job!

  34. Crusty Leonard Says:

    Managed to figure out how to install The Dark Theme. Sorry for the earlier question. Heheheh.. had to back-date it 2 years instead of 1 year.

    Cheers

    Crusty

  35. snehal Says:

    i tried to change my phone date but theme was not installl what can i do?
    i went to the app.manger and changed signed to all

  36. deliany Says:

    thanxx….
    really really thanxxxx
    ;)

  37. Tabrez Shaikh Says:

    Tankyou Soo Much

  38. E61 Owner Says:

    Thanks so Much, ur a life Saver =)

  39. eno Says:

    Hello,

    First of all, I want to thank you 4 everything.

    But, no matter what time I set in my E61i, I couldn’t install Vista_Ultimate_Black_N73.sis theme

    Can anyone help me ?

  40. admin Says:

    Eno,
    How far in the installation process do you get, what are the error messages?

  41. eno Says:

    Nothing.
    1.Do you want to instal Vista_Ultimate_Black_N73.sis theme?
    me: Yes

    And for about 30 seconds to 40-50 seconds I wait, and than, Certificate expired.

    I tried a lot of dates.But when I set up my time to 2003 and before, it was saying that the date/time in the phone isn’t set correctly or the Certificate isn’t inclulded by that year.

    I tryed a lot of dates, but with no success :(

    I really love this site and themes, but unfortunately…

  42. eno Says:

    I forgot to tell that there is no installation process when I wait…

  43. izelle Says:

    thank you sooo much for these information!! its really helpful :)

  44. Jem Says:

    Hi
    I followed your instructions but it came out with this error

    “Certificate may not yet be valid, is expired or phone’s date setting may be incorrect”

    I try 1 year back, 2 to 4 years back still the same response. Do you have another solutions?

    Regards

  45. Jem Says:

    DEAR ALL

    SO EXCITED! (Tat’s y i CAP)

    MANAGED TO DO IT!

    JUST CHANGE YOUR DATE TO 01/01/2008. OR FIRST JANUARY OF WHICH YEAR YOU R READING THIS….

    HOPE U ALL MANAGED TO INSTALL ALL YR APPLICATIONS AS WELL!

    CHEERS!

  46. king Says:

    WaaaLaaaa!!! that worked ………..I thought my phone is broke ………. thanks dude. Your the King

  47. yogi Says:

    guys, download mobile signer on ur mobile and then sign the .sis yourself. thats it!!!

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