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What is CERTUTIL Windows command?

The certutil command in Windows is a versatile tool that allows users to perform various operations related to certificates and cryptographic services. From generating key pairs to retrieving certificate information, certutil is an essential command-line utility for managing certificates on Windows operating systems. With certutil, users can export and import certificates, verify digital signatures, decode certificates, and much more. This command provides a wide range of functionalities for handling certificates efficiently and securely.

Terminal window
certutil [Options] [Parameters]
OptionDescription
-addstoreAdd certificate to the specified store
-delstoreDelete certificate from the specified store
-?Help on commands
-?1Help on expanded set of commands
-importPFXImport PFX file into a certificate store
-exportPFXExport PFX file from a certificate store
-viewView a certificate or CRL
-getregQuery registry values or certificate locations
ParameterDescription
filenameThe path to the file containing certificates
storenameThe name of the certificate store
-vVerify certificate chain
-fForce overwrite when importing certificates
Terminal window
certutil -dump certificate.cer

Displays detailed information about a specific certificate stored in a file.

Terminal window
certutil -exportPFX -p password -f certificate.cer exportedCertificate.pfx

Exports a certificate from a file to a PFX file using a specified password for protection.

Terminal window
certutil -addstore ROOT certificate.cer

Installs a root certificate into the trusted root certification authorities store.

Terminal window
certutil -verify -urlfetch certificate.cer

Checks and verifies the certificate chain of a specified certificate using URL fetching.

Terminal window
certutil -template

Displays a list of available certificate templates on the local system.

To use the certutil command in CMD, execute the following command:

Terminal window
certutil -hashfile C:\Path\To\File.txt MD5

What is the command to decode a base64 encoded file using certutil in CMD?

Section titled “What is the command to decode a base64 encoded file using certutil in CMD?”

To decode a base64 encoded file using certutil in CMD, use the following command:

Terminal window
certutil -decode C:\Path\To\EncodedFile.b64 C:\Path\To\DecodedFile.txt

How can I view the details of a certificate file using certutil in CMD?

Section titled “How can I view the details of a certificate file using certutil in CMD?”

To view the details of a certificate file using certutil in CMD, run the following command:

Terminal window
certutil -dump C:\Path\To\Certificate.cer

How do I export a certificate from a certificate store using certutil in CMD?

Section titled “How do I export a certificate from a certificate store using certutil in CMD?”

To export a certificate from a certificate store using certutil in CMD, use the command:

Terminal window
certutil -store -export -p "Password" "Thumbprint" "C:\Path\To\ExportedCert.cer"

What is the command to install a certificate to a certificate store using certutil in CMD?

Section titled “What is the command to install a certificate to a certificate store using certutil in CMD?”

To install a certificate to a certificate store using certutil in CMD, use the following command:

Terminal window
certutil -f -addstore "TrustedPublisher" "C:\Path\To\Certificate.cer"

How can I retrieve a list of installed certificates from a specific store using certutil in CMD?

Section titled “How can I retrieve a list of installed certificates from a specific store using certutil in CMD?”

To retrieve a list of installed certificates from a specific store using certutil in CMD, run the following command:

Terminal window
certutil -store "TrustedPublisher"

What is the command to check the certification authority information using certutil in CMD?

Section titled “What is the command to check the certification authority information using certutil in CMD?”

To check the certification authority information using certutil in CMD, execute the following command:

Terminal window
certutil -config - -ping

How do I verify an issued certificate chain using certutil in CMD?

Section titled “How do I verify an issued certificate chain using certutil in CMD?”

To verify an issued certificate chain using certutil in CMD, use the following command:

Terminal window
certutil -verify -urlfetch C:\Path\To\CertificateChain.p7b
  • Encoding and Decoding data in various formats
  • File Verification
  • Certificate services management
  • Cryptographic operations
  • Key storage and retrieval
  • PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) operations