Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Can't export Private Key /w Digital Cert

0 helpful
3 replies

by Member 33455425

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

Windows 2000 SP4 + most crit security patches,etc.

Received a digital certificate for a web site, but it doesn't work (Page can not be displayed).

Tech support says either our firewall is blocking thier sever from sending private key transmission (worked forever, dont really suspect this but I don't know much about certificates and keys) or the PC is messed up.

When we try to export the digital certificate from IE suing the export wizard, the "Yes, export the private key" option is grey.

Similar behavior in this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;259732&sd=tech

Any ideas what's up and what can be done?

3 replies

by bfilmfan

Make sure that you are logged on with the Administrator account.

Did you attempt to export the private key from the Certificates Snap-In in the Microsoft Management Console?

Use the instructions here to attempt the export this way:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/deploy/confeat/advcert.mspx

If you cannot export the private key, it may be possible that the profile or user account holding the key was deleted, it's held by an account that the Administrator doesn't have rights for the file or it is stored on a Certificate Authority server.

by Member 33455425

I just tried and same problem. There are the 3 certs labeled 'Administrator' for File Recovery purpose. One of those I can export the pricate key, not the others. I'm not certain what that means.

I'm guesing the local admin profile might have been replaced. Is there anything that can be done? We have tried have them send us a new cert but they all fail.

by andrenel

This worked for me:

I found the directory:

(%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys

For my specific user id. I then right clicked on the Crypto folder and selectde properties. From there I selected sharing and choose make this folder private. When I did my problems exporting the private key went away.

It seems that the software could not access the key information. You can confirm this by trying to open any of the key files with Notepad. If access is denied then perhaps that is the problem.

Another problem that went away was that Tasks could now be assigned to me. Of course that creates another problem in the form of assigned tasks...

This discussion is closed to new replies.