Import Certificates Using Command Line on Windows

I need to import a certificate file to Trusted Root Certification Authorities store, to get rid of an SSL warning when visiting my local website. The way I currently do it is lengthy: use Google Chrome → Settings → Advanced → Privacy and security → Manage certificates → Trusted Root Certification Authorities → Import...

It looks like some sort of Windows snap-in rather than a custom window of Chrome. This is dumb to do all these steps just to import a 1KiB certificate file. Can I do it on PowerShell, so that this action can be automated via script? Or at least how can I open the above window without Google Chrome?

1 Answer

If you are on a current version of Windows, you can use PowerShell cmdlets:

Import-Certificate -FilePath "C:\CA-PublicKey.Cer" -CertStoreLocation Cert:\LocalMachine\Root

otherwise use certutil:

certutil.exe -addstore root c:\capublickey.cer
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James H. Sterling

James H. Sterling

Environmental Science & Climate Journalist

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.

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