Symptoms
You use Internet Explorer on a Windows Vista-based computer to open a Microsoft Office file from a site that requires digital certification. When you do this, the Choose a digital certificate dialog box appears unexpectedly behind the Internet Explorer window.
Resolution
This problem is fixed in the 2007 Office system hotfix package that was released on November 19, 2008.
For more information about the hotfix package, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
960053 Description of the 2007 Office system hotfix package (Mso.msp): November 19, 2008
Note After you install this hotfix package, the Choose a digital certificate dialog box appears in front of all windows as expected. Additionally, this hotfix package does not affect any other dialog box prompt that might occur as the result of other configurations.
Status
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.