Solution
To check to see if your certificate is potentially installed correctly within Windows, you will need to view the certificate within the Certificate snap-in within the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).
Part I - Opening the MMC
- From the Web server, click Start > Run
- In the text box, type mmc and click OK
- From the MMC menu bar, select Console (in IIS 5.0) or File (in IIS 6.0, 7.0) and Add/Remove Snap-in then click Add
- From the list of snap-ins, select Certificates and click Add
- Select Computer account and click Next
- Select Local computer (the computer this console is running on) and click Finish
- In the snap-in list window, click Close
- In the Add/Remove Snap-in window, click OK
Part II - Viewing the Certificate
- In the left-hand pane underneath Console Root, expand Certificates (Local Computer).
- Expand the Personal folder.
- Click on the Certificates folder underneath the Personal folder.
- In the middle pane, you should see a list of certificates. If you do not see any certificates, then this could indicate that you have not installed your certificate correctly or you have not completed the process to install your certificate.
- Double-click on the certificate that you wish to view.
- In the Certificate windows that appears, you should see a note with a key symbol underneath the Valid from field that says, "You have a private key that corresponds to this certificate." If you do not see this, then your private key is not attached to this certificate, indicating a certificate installation issue.
FAQs
In the Certificate windows that appears, you should see a note with a key symbol underneath the Valid from field that says, "You have a private key that corresponds to this certificate." If you do not see this, then your private key is not attached to this certificate, indicating a certificate installation issue.
How to check if the certificate has a private key? ›
Locating a private key in Windows
- Open Microsoft Management Console.
- In the Console Root, expand Certificates (Local Computer)
- Locate the certificate in the Personal or Web Server folder.
- Right click the certificate.
- Select Export.
- Follow the guided wizard.
Key Directories and Files
| Key type | Directories |
|---|
| User private | %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\User SID\ %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Crypto\DSS\User SID\ |
| Local system private | %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\S-1-5-18\ %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\DSS\S-1-5-18\ |
3 more rowsJan 7, 2021
Public key vs Private key
Public key is embedded in the SSL certificate and Private key is stored on the server and kept secret.
Why does my Windows certificate not contain a private key? ›
If you receive this error, it indicates that a previous attempt to import the certificate in IIS failed to include the private key. To correct this, you will: Import the certificate into the personal store using Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Capture the serial number for the certificate in question.
Does a CER file contain the private key? ›
A . cer file usually contains only the public key certificate. In contrast, a . pfx file is an all-encompassing container housing private and public key certificates.
How do I separate private key from certificate? ›
Follow these steps to extract the private key using OpenSSL:
- Open the command-line tool and navigate to the directory that contains the P12 certificate.
- Enter this command: openssl pkcs12 -in [certificate name] -nodes -nocerts -out [private key name]
- Enter the passcode for the certificate.
A missing private key could mean: The certificate is not being installed on the same server that generated the CSR. The pending request was deleted from IIS. The certificate was installed through the Certificate Import Wizard rather than through IIS.
How do I recover my private certificate key? ›
In case the RSA Key was deleted from the server and there is no way to restore it, the Reissue is the only way out. You will need to have a new pair of CSR code/RSA Key generated. Before installing your reissued certificate make sure that the old one is completely removed from the server.
What does a private key look like? ›
A private key is a 256-bit number. This means that it is represented in binary in 256 numbers of 0 or 1. In total, this means there are a total of (almost) 2^256 combinations of private keys. This number can also be expressed as 10^77 for simplicity.
Where's my private key?
- Open the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).
- In the Console Root, expand Certificates (Local Computer). Your certificate will be located in the Personal or Web Server folder.
- Locate and right click the certificate, click Export and follow the guided wizard.
PEM. This format can contain private keys (RSA or DSA), public keys (RSA or DSA) and X. 509 certificates. It is the default format for OpenSSL.
How to generate a private key from a certificate? ›
Procedure
- Open the command line.
- Create a new private key. openssl genrsa -des3 -out key_name .key key_strength -sha256 For example, openssl genrsa -des3 -out private_key.key 2048 -sha256. ...
- Create a certificate signing request (CSR).
Click Domains > your domain > SSL/TLS Certificates. You'll see a page like the one shown below. The key icon with the message “Private key part supplied” means there is a matching key on your server. To get it in plain text format, click the name and scroll down the page until you see the key code.
Where are certificate private keys stored in Windows? ›
Windows (IIS)
pfx” file that contains the certificate(s) and private key. Open Microsoft Management Console (MMC). In the Console Root expand Certificates (Local Computer). Your server certificate will be located in the Personal or Web Server sub-folder.
Can I use certificate without private key? ›
If you lose your private key, you will be unable to install your SSL certificate and will need to generate a new key pair (CSR + Private Key) and re-issue the certificate.
How do I prove I have a private key? ›
You can use OpenSSL to show proof-of-possession (POP) of a private key by signing a test file with it. This method works for both RSA and ECC keys. What is OpenSSL? OpenSSL is a very useful open-source command-line toolkit for working with X.
How to check private key in OpenSSL? ›
Check the CSR, Private Key or Certificate using OpenSSL
- Check a CSR openssl req -text -noout -verify -in CSR.csr.
- Check a private key openssl rsa -in privateKey.key -check.
- Check a certificate openssl x509 -in certificate.crt -text -noout.
- Check a PKCS#12 file (.pfx or .p12) openssl pkcs12 -info -in keyStore.p12.
A message gets encrypted by a public key, which is available to everyone, and can only be decrypted with its unique private key,which is only available to its owner. Public keys have been described by some as being like a business' physical address – it's public and anyone can look it up and share it widely.
How to check if a private key is in PEM format? ›
Run the following commands to check if your files are already in the required PEM format:
- Check to see if your Private Key is in PEM format: openssl rsa -inform PEM -in /tmp/ssl.key.
- Check to see if your Main/Server Certificate is in PEM format: openssl x509 -inform PEM -in /tmp/certificate.crt.
