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Add the Certificates Snap-in to an MMC

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

You can use the Certificates snap-in to manage certificates for a user, computer, or service account. To switch between managing certificates for your user account, a computer, or a service, you must add separate instances of the Certificates snap-in to the console.

Adding the Certificates Snap-in to an MMC

  • For a user account

  • For a computer account

  • For a service

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

To add the Certificates snap-in to an MMC for a user account

  1. Click Start. In Start Search, type mmc, and then press ENTER.

Tip

In Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, click Run on the Start menu, and then type mmc in the Run dialog box. In Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, type mmc in Search programs and files.

  1. On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in.

  2. Under Available snap-ins, double-click Certificates, and then:

    • If you are logged on as an administrator, click My user account, and then click Finish.

    • If you are logged on as a user, Certificates automatically loads.

  3. If you have no more snap-ins to add to the console, click OK.

  4. To save this console, on the File menu, click Save.

Additional considerations

  • User certificates can be managed by the user or by an administrator.

Local Administrators is the minimum group membership required to complete this procedure. Review the details in "Additional considerations" in this topic.

To add the Certificates snap-in to an MMC for a computer account

  1. Click Start. In Start Search, type mmc, and then press ENTER.

Tip

In Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, click Run on the Start menu, and then type mmc in the Run dialog box. In Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, type mmc in Search programs and files.

  1. On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in.

  2. Under Available snap-ins, double-click Certificates.

  3. Select Computer account, and then click Next.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • To manage certificates for the local computer, click Local computer, and then click Finish.

    • To manage certificates for a remote computer, click Another computer and type the name of the computer, or click Browse to select the computer name and then click Finish.

  5. If you have no more snap-ins to add to the console, click OK.

  6. To save this console, on the File menu, click Save.

Additional considerations

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

  • To manage certificates for another computer, you can either create another instance of Certificates in the console or right-click Certificates (Computer Name), and then click Connect to Another Computer.

Local Administrators is the minimum group membership required to complete this procedure. Review the details in "Additional considerations" in this topic.

To add the Certificates snap-in to an MMC for a service

  1. Click Start. In Start Search, type mmc, and then press ENTER.

Tip

In Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, click Run on the Start menu, and then type mmc in the Run dialog box. In Windows® 7 or Windows Server® 2008 R2, type mmc in Search programs and files.

  1. On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in.

  2. Under Available snap-ins, double-click Certificates.

  3. Select Service account, and then click Next.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • To manage certificates for services on your local computer, click Local computer, and then click Next.

    • To manage certificates for service on a remote computer, click Another computer and type the name of the computer, or click Browse to select the computer name and then click Next.

  5. Select the service for which you are managing certificates.

  6. Click Finish, and then click Close.

  7. If you have no more snap-ins to add to the console, click OK.

  8. To save this console, on the File menu, click Save.

For more information regarding the creation, use, or application of custom Microsoft Management Consoles, see TechNet Wiki article Create and Save a Custom Console by Using Microsoft Management Console (MMC) using .msc file extension (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=208526).

Additional considerations

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

  • To manage certificates for a service on another computer, you can either create another instance of Certificates in the console or right-click Certificates - Service (Service Name) on Computer Name, and then click Connect to Another Computer.