SSL certificates authenticate website identity and provide security for online communications. Without these small data files, your site won’t function properly and become vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks. Managing your certificates efficiently is a task you shouldn’t take lightly. From following the best installation practices to renewing them on time, you should regularly check your SSL installation for potential errors.
Sometimes, you need to remove a certificate because it’s been compromised or stolen. But in most cases, you have to get rid of it before it expires to avoid encryption outages and keep sensitive data safe. Either way, no matter what server you use, there isn’t a single “delete” button to uninstall your certs.That’s why in this article, we’ll show how to remove SSL certificates from Windows 10. If you’re looking for instructions on how to install an SSL cert on Windows, check this comprehensiveIIS SSL installation guideinstead.
Before we begin, we encourage you to backup your certificates, as any modifications to root and intermediate certs may lead to unexpected errors.
How to remove your certificate from Windows 10
Follow the steps below to remove your certificate from Windows 10.
Launch the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) by clicking the Windows icon on the taskbar and searching for “MMC”.
In the MMC, click theFilebutton in the top-left corner and selectAdd/Remove Snap-in.
ClickCertificatesin the left column, and then clickAddto move it to the right column. ClickOKto continue.
From theCertificates Snap-inwindow, selectComputer accountto view certificates for all users on this machine and then clickNext.
On the next window, selectLocal computer (the computer this console is running on).
ClickFinish, and thenOKto close the snap-in manager screen. You should then see a list of certificates on your local machine in the left-hand column of MMC.
Now, you need to find the cert that you want to remove. Use the folder list on the left side to locate the certificate. Click theThird-Party Root Certification Authoritiesfolder, then selectCertificates.
Find the certificate you want to remove and right-click on it. SelectProperties. Then, in theGeneraltab, in the section calledCertificate purposes, select theDisable all purposes for this certificateradio button and then clickApply.
Restart your server. And that should be it.
Every time you need to remove an SSL certificate from your server ensure you know exactly what files to disable. Deleting a wrong root or intermediate cert may cause SSL connection errors. The method we’ve provided is efficient when you’re dealing with a small number of certs. But if your company is deploying dozens of certificates for various needs, it’s better to automate the process and use SSL management tools.
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Press Windows Key + R Key together, type certmgr. msc, and hit enter. You will get a new window with the list of Certificates installed on your computer. Locate the certificate you want to delete and then click on the Action button then, click on Delete.
Press Windows Key + R Key together, type certmgr. msc, and hit enter. You will get a new window with the list of Certificates installed on your computer. Locate the certificate you want to delete and then click on the Action button then, click on Delete.
Locate and right-click on the certificate you wish to remove. Click on Properties and then in the General tab, click on Disable all purposes for this certificate in the Certificate purposes section. Hit Apply and restart your server to complete the removal process.
The Command Line Interface (CLI) is another way to remove certificates from Windows 10. This method is more advanced and requires the user to have a basic understanding of the Windows Command Prompt. To remove a certificate, open the Command Prompt and type “certutil –delstore” followed by the certificate name.
Certificates stored on the Windows 10 computer are located in the local machine certificate store. Windows 10 offers Certificate Manager as a certificate management tool for both computer and user certificates.
Once the certificate expires it is no longer valid. Therefore, once a certificate expires you can safely remove it from the CA database. The one exception to this is if have Key Archival configured on the CA.
What happens to your site if you remove an SSL certificate? When you remove an SSL certificate, any internal link in your site that starts with HTTPS will throw an insecure browser warning. This can cause visitors to leave your site.
Important: Removing certificates you've installed doesn't remove the permanent system certificates that your device needs to work. But if you remove a certificate that a certain Wi-Fi connection requires, your device may not connect to that Wi-Fi network anymore.
Find the certificate you want to remove and right-click on it. Select Properties. Then, in the General tab, in the section called Certificate purposes, select the Disable all purposes for this certificate radio button and then click Apply. Restart your server.
Press Windows + R and type explorer shell:::{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70} in the Run dialog box, hit Enter key to open Credential Manager snap-in.
Choose the credentials you want to remove and click on down arrow icon next to it.
As a result, your browser may serve a warning that the SSL certificate is not issued by a trusted authority. In most cases, this is resolved by reinstalling the SSL.
These are processed via a third party, Comodo, and cannot be reversed or refunded once the certificate has been generated. However, if the SSL certificate has not yet been issued (common while the certificate is pending completion), the purchase can be cancelled.
Select your domain. Go to SSL/TLS > Edge Certificates. For Disable Universal SSL, select Disable Universal SSL. Read the warnings in the Acknowledgement.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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