is it possible to see the private key of a certificate ? ( i mean a computer's private key ) (2024)

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hi all
when we install iis ( 7.5 ) , the server generates a self-signed certificate . is there any method the private key of the server ? in general is there any method to see the private key ( or private key which the CA server issues to a server ? )
thanks in advance

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- Moved by Tiger LiMicrosoft employee Monday, January 9, 2012 10:02 AM (From:Network Infrastructure Servers)
Saturday, January 7, 2012 7:45 PM

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yup...Even the Private key will be in CSR file format.
u can find the private key under the below location:
Locate the "%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys" folder.
here are several files located in this folder. Each file in this folder corresponds to a key container. Try to open each with Notepad.
Alternatively u can use this tool FindPrivateKey to retrieve a private key from a certificate store.
Hope the Above Information is Useful.
Gopi Kiran
- Edited by Gopi Kiran Saturday, January 7, 2012 9:31 PM
- Marked as answer by Tiger LiMicrosoft employee Monday, January 9, 2012 1:07 AM
Saturday, January 7, 2012 8:54 PM

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The disadvantage is that you cannot export the requested certificate including the private keys. During the request the option toMark keys as exportable is grayed out.when requesting server certificate using a Windows CA server.
Work around for this issue is, You need to create a new Web Server Certificate template.
open the Certificate Template snap-in
click the Web Server certificate template
choose Action – Duplicate Template->Choose Anyone 2008/2003 (depends on the domain Environment)
configure a unique template name
choose the tab Request Handling
enable the option Allow private key to be exported
You can now request a new certificate with the newly create certificate template. After the certificate is issued and installed on the user or local computer store, you can export the certificate including the private key.

Hope This Helps...
Gopi Kiran
- Edited by Gopi Kiran Saturday, January 7, 2012 8:38 PM
Saturday, January 7, 2012 8:02 PM
Sign in to vote
The disadvantage is that you cannot export the requested certificate including the private keys. During the request the option toMark keys as exportable is grayed out.when requesting server certificate using a Windows CA server.
Work around for this issue is, You need to create a new Web Server Certificate template.
open the Certificate Template snap-in
click the Web Server certificate template
choose Action – Duplicate Template
configure a unique template name
choose the tab Request Handling
enable the option Allow private key to be exported
You can now request a new certificate with the newly create certificate template. After the certificate is issued and installed on the user or local computer store, you can export the certificate including the private key.

Hope This Helps...
Gopi Kiran
thank you dear Gopi kiran , but then after i exported certificate including private key , how can i see what is that private key ? can i see that string like public key ?
- Edited by john.s2011 Sunday, January 8, 2012 5:21 AM
Saturday, January 7, 2012 8:38 PM
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yup...Even the Private key will be in CSR file format.
u can find the private key under the below location:
Locate the "%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys" folder.
here are several files located in this folder. Each file in this folder corresponds to a key container. Try to open each with Notepad.
Alternatively u can use this tool FindPrivateKey to retrieve a private key from a certificate store.
Hope the Above Information is Useful.
Gopi Kiran
- Edited by Gopi Kiran Saturday, January 7, 2012 9:31 PM
- Marked as answer by Tiger LiMicrosoft employee Monday, January 9, 2012 1:07 AM
Saturday, January 7, 2012 8:54 PM
Sign in to vote
yup...Even the Private key will be in CSR file format.
u can find the private key under the below location:
Locate the "%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys" folder.
here are several files located in this folder. Each file in this folder corresponds to a key container. Try to open each with Notepad.
Alternatively u can use this tool FindPrivateKey to retrieve a private key from a certificate store.
Hope the Above Information is Useful.
Gopi Kiran
excellent answer . thank you veryyyyyyyyyyy much Dear Gopi, you are very good . exponentially thankfull for your helps and guidance ;-)
regards
Sunday, January 8, 2012 5:23 AM

FAQs

Is it possible to see the private key of a certificate ? ( i mean a computer's private key )? ›

In WHM the Private keys are stored along with the corresponding CSRs and certificates in “SSL Storage manager”. To get there, you can click “SSL/TLS” on the home screen and then on the “SSL Storage manager”. To open the Private key text, you will need to click on the magnifier button in the first column called “Key”.

Read On ›

How to view certificate 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.

Aug 19, 2022

Discover More Details ›

Can I see my private key? ›

The path to your private key is listed in your site's virtual host file. Navigate to the server block for your site (by default, it's located in the /var/www directory). Open the configuration file for your site and search for ssl_certificate_key which will show the path to your private key.

Does a CER file contain the private key? ›

cer is a public key certificate that can contain only public key but not private key.

See Details ›

How do I copy a private key from a certificate? ›

Right-click the certificate, select All Tasks, and then select Export. On the screen Welcome to the Certificate Export Wizard, select Next. To export the private key, select Yes, export the private key, then select Next.

Find Out More ›

How to extract private key from digital certificate? ›

Extracting the Private Key

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. The passcode is set when creating the P12 certificate in the.

Tell Me More ›

Where are certificate private keys stored? ›

Private keys and personal certificates are stored in keystores. Public keys and CA certificates are stored in truststores. A truststore is a keystore that by convention contains only trusted keys and certificates.

Show Me More ›

Can you decode a private key? ›

When installing an SSL certificate with a private key encrypted with a passphrase, you must decrypt the private key first. You can identify whether a private key is encrypted or not by opening the private key (. key or . pem file) using a text editor or command line.

Explore More ›

What if you lose your private key? ›

🚨 The Private Key is only generated once and cannot be recovered if lost. It is important to securely save and store your Private Key.

Who has access to the private key? ›

A private key, also known as a secret key, is a variable in cryptography that is used with an algorithm to encrypt and decrypt data. Secret keys should only be shared with the key's generator or parties authorized to decrypt the data.

Show Me More ›

Can you use a certificate without a 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. You can find instructions on how to re-issue your certificate here. What happens if my Private Key is compromised?

Read The Full Story ›

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?

See Details ›

Does a digital certificate have a private key? ›

A digital certificate contains two keys a public key and a private key. A public key resides in a certificate while the private key is with the recipient. A message encrypted with a public key can only be decrypted with a private key.

Get More Info Here ›

How to find the private key of a certificate? ›

In WHM the Private keys are stored along with the corresponding CSRs and certificates in “SSL Storage manager”. To get there, you can click “SSL/TLS” on the home screen and then on the “SSL Storage manager”. To open the Private key text, you will need to click on the magnifier button in the first column called “Key”.

Can we generate private key from certificate? ›

The private key is not part of the certificate itself. If the certificate was created on a windows machine, you need to first import the signed certificate to that machine and then, you can export the private key, if you marked the certificate as exportable when you created it.

What is an example of a private key? ›

Private key encryption is often used to encrypt data stored or transmitted between two parties. For example, when you log in to a website using a username and password, the password is often encrypted using a private key before it is transmitted to the web server.

View Details ›

How to get key ID from certificate? ›

Get a key identifier