Technical Note: How to stop unwanted smartcard pop-up's in FortiClient

[chkvpatel_FTNT]

Description

This article provides a means to stop unwanted smartcard windows from popping up when opening the FortiClient dashboard or when clicking on the VPN tab in the dashboard.

Solution

1. Backup the FortiClient configuration file.  This can be done in the FortiClient GUI under File > Settings > Backup.

2. Edit the configuration file and modify the XML settings 0 to 1 (the default setting is 0).

<vpn>
...
        <ipsecvpn>
            <options>
             ...
             <show_auth_cert_only>1</show_auth_cert_only>

3. Restore the configuration file to FortiClient.

If the issue still persists, run the FortiClient diagnostic tool, reproduce the issue and save the .cab file.  Attach this file to the ticket if you contact Fortinet technical support for assistance.