How to: View certificates with the MMC snap-in - WCF (2024)

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When you create a secure client or service, you can use a certificate as the credential. For example, a common type of credential is the X.509 certificate, which you create with the X509CertificateInitiatorClientCredential.SetCertificate method.

There are three different types of certificate stores that you can examine with the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) on Windows systems:

  • Local computer: The store is local to the device and global to all users on the device.

  • Current user: The store is local to the current user account on the device.

  • Service account: The store is local to a particular service on the device.

View certificates in the MMC snap-in

The following procedure demonstrates how to examine the stores on your local device to find an appropriate certificate:

  1. Select Run from the Start menu, and then enter mmc.

    The MMC appears.

  2. From the File menu, select Add/Remove Snap In.

    The Add or Remove Snap-ins window appears.

  3. From the Available snap-ins list, choose Certificates, then select Add.

    How to: View certificates with the MMC snap-in - WCF (1)

  4. In the Certificates snap-in window, select Computer account, and then select Next.

    Optionally, you can select My user account for the current user or Service account for a particular service.

    Note

    If you're not an administrator for your device, you can manage certificates only for your user account.

  5. In the Select Computer window, leave Local computer selected, and then select Finish.

  6. In the Add or Remove Snap-in window, select OK.

    How to: View certificates with the MMC snap-in - WCF (2)

  7. Optional: From the File menu, select Save or Save As to save the MMC console file for later use.

  8. To view your certificates in the MMC snap-in, select Console Root in the left pane, then expand Certificates (Local Computer).

    A list of directories for each type of certificate appears. From each certificate directory, you can view, export, import, and delete its certificates.

You can also view, export, import, and delete certificates by using the Certificate Manager tool.

To view certificates for the local device

  1. Select Run from the Start menu, and then enter certlm.msc.

    The Certificate Manager tool for the local device appears.

  2. To view your certificates, under Certificates - Local Computer in the left pane, expand the directory for the type of certificate you want to view.

To view certificates for the current user

  1. Select Run from the Start menu, and then enter certmgr.msc.

    The Certificate Manager tool for the current user appears.

  2. To view your certificates, under Certificates - Current User in the left pane, expand the directory for the type of certificate you want to view.

See also

How to: View certificates with the MMC snap-in - WCF (2024)

FAQs

How to: View certificates with the MMC snap-in - WCF? ›

To view your certificates in the MMC snap-in, select Console Root in the left pane, then expand Certificates (Local Computer). A list of directories for each type of certificate appears. From each certificate directory, you can view, export, import, and delete its certificates.

How do I view all certificates? ›

Click Start and then click Start Search. To start the Certificates snap-in, type Certmgr. msc and press the Enter key. In the left pane of the Certificates snap-in, expand the PrivateCertStore certificate store folder and double-click Certificates.

How to extract certificate from MMC? ›

Backup/Export user certificate using mmc.
  1. Click Start click Run, type certmgr. ...
  2. In the console tree click Certificates - Current user, expand Personal folder, and expand Certificates folder.
  3. In the details pane click the certificate you want to export.
  4. On the Action menu point to All tasks, and then click Export.

How to open MMC certificates snap-in command line? ›

On Windows, you can manage certificates from the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in, either for your user account, or for the computer account. To open the Certificates snap-in (for the current Windows user): Run certmgr. msc at the command line.

How do I see all certificates on my server? ›

Go to Windows Start > Windows Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. In the Connections panel on the left, click on the server name. Double-click on Server Certificates to display certificates in the IIS Manager.

How do I view certificates from the command line? ›

List the Certificates in the Certificate Database
  1. From a command prompt, navigate to the bin directory in the location to which you extracted the NSS utility. Example: C:\nss\bin. ...
  2. Run the following command: certutil -L -d certificate_database_directory -L. Lists all of the certificates in the certificate database.

Where are MMC Certificates stored? ›

Local machine certificate store: This certificate store is local to computer and global to all users on the computer. The certificate store is located in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE root.

How do I extract a certificate? ›

Under Configuration settings, click Manage endpoint security configurations > {Inbound | Outbound} > ssl_configuration . Under Related items, click Key stores and certificates > key store . Under Additional Properties, click Personal certificates > Extract.

How do I export a certificate from MMC with a private key? ›

In Windows Start, type 'Run' –> type 'mmc', and click on 'OK' to open the MMC console.
  1. Add/Remove Snap-in. ...
  2. Add Certificate Snap-in. ...
  3. Add Computer Account to Export Computer Certificate. ...
  4. Select the Computer You Want to Export the Certificate From. ...
  5. Select the Certificate You Want to Export. ...
  6. Export the Certificate.
Sep 15, 2022

What does SSL certificate look like? ›

A padlock icon and green address bar on the web browser. An https prefix on the website address on the browser. A valid SSL/TLS certificate.

How do I view certificates in Chrome? ›

Here's how to do it.
  1. Open Chrome Developer Tools. The quickest way there is with a keyboard shortcut: OS. Keyboard. Shortcuts. Windows and Linux. Ctrl + Shift + i. F12. Mac. ⌘ + Option + i. ...
  2. Select the Security tab. If it is not shown, select the >> as shown below.
  3. Select View Certificate.

How do I import a certificate into MMC console? ›

To import Root Certificates through MMC (Windows Microsoft Management Console), you must go through same process. Instead of right-clicking on “Intermediate Certification Authorities,” right-click on the “Trusted Root Certification Authorities” and go to All Tasks > Import.

How to install SSL certificate through MMC? ›

In the MMC window, go to File > Add/Remove Snap-in. In the Add or Remove Snap-ins window, select Certificates and click Add. In the Certificates snap-in window, select Computer account, click Next, select Local computer, and click Finish. In the Add or Remove snap-in window, click OK.

What is Microsoft Management Console MMC snap-in? ›

A snap-in is a tool that is hosted in MMC. MMC offers a common framework in which various snap-ins can run so that you can manage several services by using a single interface. MMC also enables you to customize the console.

How do I view all certificates in Chrome? ›

Navigate to chrome://settings and scroll down to 'Advanced'.
  1. Under "Privacy and Security," click "Manage Certificates."
  2. On the popup that was launched, select "Trusted Root Certification Authorities'. The certificate will be displayed there.
Jan 5, 2021

How do I view all certificates in Windows 10? ›

You can do this by typing either Cert or Certificate in the run menu.
  1. Select the Manage user certificates option at the top of the menu. ...
  2. Select the Certificates folder in the left navigation to view the list of digital certificates you have installed on your machine. ...
  3. That's it!

Where are my certificates located? ›

The certificate store is located in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE root. Current user certificate store: This certificate store is local to a user account on the computer.

How do I see all the certificates installed in Windows? ›

Checking Certificates (MMC)
  1. Search for MMC in your start menu and run the executable.
  2. Click 'File' –> 'Add/Remove Snap-in...'
  3. Select the Snap-in 'Certificates' then click 'Add' as seen below.
  4. Select 'Computer account' then click 'Next'
  5. Select 'Local computer' then click 'Finish'
Jan 4, 2019

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