Modifying Keys and Certificates

Generally speaking, keys and certificates are not editable. However, different types of keys and certificates do allow you to alter certain parameters.

Changing the Passphrase for a User Key

Select User Keys in the left pane. In the list pane, select the key and click the Change Passphrase button to open the Change Passphrase dialog box.

Changing the Host Identification of a Server Key

Select Server Keys in the left pane. In the list pane, select the key and click the Change Host Identification button to open the Change Host Identification dialog box. Provide the required information. If you do not know the IP address of the specified host, click Get IP.

Enabling Cryptographic Service Providers

A cryptographic service provider (CSP) is an independent software module that performs cryptography algorithms for authentication, encoding, and encryption. The Certificates and Keys Management Console retrieves the list of installed CSP modules from your registry and uses only the ones you have selected from the Select Cryptographic Service Providers dialog box. Normally, the defaults should not be changed; the providers selected by default are the only ones you will likely use. It is possible, however, to try an unsupported provider, or to temporarily disable a certain provider in order to stop using certificates from that provider.

To access the cryptographic service provider settings, select User Certificates in the left pane and click the Cryptographic Service Providers button. The Select Cryptographic Service Providers dialog box opens. You may use the dialog box to filter the list of user certificates by selecting or disabling providers.