Modify the Properties of a Certificate

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

You can modify the properties of a certificate for a number of reasons:

  • Adding or modifying a friendly name to help differentiate it from other similar certificates.

  • Changing the purpose of the certificate by adding or disabling purposes.

  • Specifying cross-certificate download locations.

Users or local Administrators are the minimum group memberships required to complete this procedure. Review the details in "Additional considerations" in this topic..

To modify the properties of a certificate

  1. Open the Certificates snap-in for a user, computer, or service.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • If you are in Logical Certificate Stores view mode, in the console tree under Logical Store, click Certificates.

    • If you are in Certificate Purpose view mode, in the console tree, click Purpose.

  3. In the details pane, click the certificate you want to modify.

  4. On the Action menu, click Properties.

  5. Make the desired changes:

    1. To change the friendly name of the certificate, in Friendly name, type the new name.

    2. To change the description of the certificate, in Description, type the new description.

    3. To enable all purposes for the certificate, based on the certificate type, in Certificate purposes, click Enable all purposes for this certificate.

    4. To disable all purposes for the certificate, in Certificate purposes, click Disable all purposes for this certificate.

    5. To designate specific purposes for the certificate, in Certificate purposes, click Enable only the following purposes and select the appropriate check boxes.

    6. To modify cross-certificate properties, click the Cross-Certificates tab, click Specify additional Cross-Certificate download locations, enter the URL where the cross-certificates can be obtained, and click Add URL.

    7. Click OK to accept all changes.

Additional considerations

  • User certificates can be managed by the user or by an administrator. Certificates issued to a computer or service can only be managed by an administrator.

  • To open the Certificates snap-in, see Add the Certificates Snap-in to an MMC .