User certificate enroll notification not showing in the notification center on Windows 11

AdamMichalski-6435 20 Reputation points
2025-11-04T16:05:16.9833333+00:00

Hi,

While configuring certificates for users (I plan to use them for FIDO keys used as smart cards), I noticed that when a user has the option to automatically renew their certificate, a notification appears on the screen, but after it is automatically hidden, it is no longer visible in the Windows 11 notification center history.

So the user only sees the notification for a moment, and if they don't click on it within those few seconds, it disappears and is no longer displayed in the notification center.

Here is notification prompt Windows 11 cert enroll promtp.jpg

When it hides itself, it is no longer on the list.

Windows 11 cert enroll promtp-2.jpg

I've tested on the Windows 11 24H2 build 26100.7019.

I even wrote my own C# application that displays a test notification using Microsoft.Toolkit.Uwp.Notifications, and such a notification remains in the notification center.

Windows for business | Windows Client for IT Pros | User experience | Other
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  1. JasonTranNguyen-3858 1,240 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-11-04T16:54:38.5966667+00:00

    Hi there,

    You're right. That "Certificate Enrollment" message is a system-level pop-up from a Windows process (taskhostw.exe), not a regular app notification. It's designed to be a temporary dialog that just disappears, which is why it doesn't get saved in the Action Center.

    Because of this, it’s expected that it won’t appear in the Notification Center history once it’s automatically dismissed. It’s designed this way since certificate renewal alerts are treated as one-time actionable system prompts, not user-level notifications meant for later review.

    At present, there isn’t a configurable policy or registry key to change this behavior in Windows 11 even in build 26100.7019. However, for environments that rely heavily on certificate enrollment workflows, many administrators use custom scripts or endpoint management tools (like Intune or GPO) to deliver supplemental notifications or logs for tracking renewal prompts.

    Thanks again for your great testing and attention to detail!

    If this clarification helps, please click “Accept Answer” so others with the same question can find it easily too 😊.

    1 person found this answer helpful.

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