How to Import A Certificate Using Powershell?

8 minutes read

To import a certificate using PowerShell, you can use the Import-Certificate cmdlet. First, make sure you have the certificate file saved on your local machine. Then, open PowerShell and run the following command:

1
Import-Certificate -FilePath C:\path\to\certificate.cer -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\LocalMachine\My"


Replace "C:\path\to\certificate.cer" with the actual path to your certificate file. The CertStoreLocation parameter specifies where the certificate should be imported to. In this example, we are importing it to the "Personal" certificate store for the local machine.


After running the command, PowerShell should display a confirmation message indicating that the certificate has been successfully imported. You can then verify that the certificate is imported correctly by checking the certificate store using the Certificate Manager tool on your Windows machine.

Best PowerShell Books to Read in November 2024

1
Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Fourth Edition: Covers Windows, Linux, and macOS

Rating is 5 out of 5

Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Fourth Edition: Covers Windows, Linux, and macOS

2
PowerShell Cookbook: Your Complete Guide to Scripting the Ubiquitous Object-Based Shell

Rating is 4.9 out of 5

PowerShell Cookbook: Your Complete Guide to Scripting the Ubiquitous Object-Based Shell

3
Scripting: Automation with Bash, PowerShell, and Python

Rating is 4.8 out of 5

Scripting: Automation with Bash, PowerShell, and Python

4
Learn PowerShell Scripting in a Month of Lunches

Rating is 4.7 out of 5

Learn PowerShell Scripting in a Month of Lunches

5
Mastering PowerShell Scripting - Fourth Edition: Automate and manage your environment using PowerShell 7.1

Rating is 4.6 out of 5

Mastering PowerShell Scripting - Fourth Edition: Automate and manage your environment using PowerShell 7.1

6
Practical Automation with PowerShell: Effective scripting from the console to the cloud

Rating is 4.5 out of 5

Practical Automation with PowerShell: Effective scripting from the console to the cloud

7
Mastering PowerShell Scripting - Fifth Edition: Automate repetitive tasks and simplify complex administrative tasks using PowerShell

Rating is 4.4 out of 5

Mastering PowerShell Scripting - Fifth Edition: Automate repetitive tasks and simplify complex administrative tasks using PowerShell

8
PowerShell for Sysadmins: Workflow Automation Made Easy

Rating is 4.3 out of 5

PowerShell for Sysadmins: Workflow Automation Made Easy

  • Book - powershell for sysadmins: workflow automation made easy
9
PowerShell Pocket Reference: Portable Help for PowerShell Scripters

Rating is 4.2 out of 5

PowerShell Pocket Reference: Portable Help for PowerShell Scripters


How do I import a certificate into the local machine store using PowerShell?

To import a certificate into the local machine store using PowerShell, you can use the following command:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
$certPath = "C:\path\to\certificate.cer"
$store = New-Object System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Store -ArgumentList "My", LocalMachine
$store.Open("ReadWrite")
$cert = New-Object System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X509Certificate2
$cert.Import($certPath)
$store.Add($cert)
$store.Close()


In this script, replace "C:\path\to\certificate.cer" with the path to your certificate file. This code will import the certificate into the "My" store of the local machine. You can change the store name or location by modifying the arguments in the X509Store constructor.


What is the command to import a certificate with a password in PowerShell?

To import a certificate with a password in PowerShell, you can use the Import-PfxCertificate cmdlet. Here is an example of how to use this command:

1
Import-PfxCertificate -FilePath C:\path\to\certificate.pfx -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString -String "YourPassword" -AsPlainText -Force) -CertStoreLocation Cert:\CurrentUser\My


Replace C:\path\to\certificate.pfx with the file path of your certificate, "YourPassword" with the password for the certificate, and Cert:\CurrentUser\My with the certificate store location where you want to import the certificate.


How to import a certificate and mark it as exportable in PowerShell?

To import a certificate and mark it as exportable in PowerShell, follow these steps:

  1. Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
  2. Use the Import-Certificate cmdlet to import the certificate. Specify the path to the certificate file and the store where you want to import it. For example:
1
Import-Certificate -FilePath "C:\path\to\certificate.cer" -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\CurrentUser\My"


  1. Use the Import-PfxCertificate cmdlet to import a .pfx file. Specify the path to the .pfx file, the password for the file, and the store where you want to import it. For example:
1
Import-PfxCertificate -FilePath "C:\path\to\certificate.pfx" -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString "password" -AsPlainText -Force) -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\CurrentUser\My"


  1. Use the Get-ChildItem cmdlet to list the certificates in the store and find the thumbprint of the imported certificate. For example:
1
Get-ChildItem -Path "Cert:\CurrentUser\My"


  1. Use the certutil command to mark the certificate as exportable. Substitute the thumbprint of the imported certificate in the command. For example:
1
certutil -repairstore -user MY "thumbprint"


After completing these steps, the imported certificate should be marked as exportable in Windows PowerShell.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Whatsapp Pocket

Related Posts:

To open a PowerShell console window from an existing PowerShell session, you can use the Start-Process cmdlet with the -FilePath parameter to specify the path to the PowerShell executable (powershell.exe).Here is the command you can use: Start-Process powershe...
To run the "restart-computer" cmdlet in PowerShell using C#, you can use the System.Management.Automation.PowerShell class to create a new PowerShell instance. You can then use the AddCommand method to add the "restart-computer" cmdlet to the P...
To run PowerShell in Command Prompt, you can simply type 'powershell' and press enter. This will open a new PowerShell window within the Command Prompt window. You can then start entering PowerShell commands as you normally would in a standalone PowerS...