Get PfxCertificate - PowerShell

Overview

Get-PfxCertificate is a versatile PowerShell command that enables users to retrieve and manage private key exchange (PFX) certificates stored in the Windows certificate store. Commonly utilized for secure communication and digital signatures, PFX certificates are widely employed in web services, email encryption, and code signing.

Syntax

Get-PfxCertificate [-FilePath] <String> [-Password] <SecureString> [-Thumbprint] <String> [-FriendlyName] <String> [-StoreName] <String> [-Location] <String> [-NoDateCheck] [-FullCertificate] [-Format] <String>

Options/Flags

  • -FilePath (Required): File path to the PFX certificate.
  • -Password (Required for protected certificates): Password for the PFX certificate.
  • -Thumbprint (Optional): Thumbprint of the certificate to retrieve.
  • -FriendlyName (Optional): Friendly name of the certificate to retrieve.
  • -StoreName (Optional): Certificate store to search in.
  • -Location (Optional): Location of the certificate store.
  • -NoDateCheck (Optional): Ignore certificate expiration date validation.
  • -FullCertificate (Optional): Retrieve the full certificate chain.
  • -Format (Optional): Result format (default Text, other options XML and Base64).

Examples

  • Get certificate with the specified thumbprint:
Get-PfxCertificate -Thumbprint "A8793B6D323095E517625A72D3E32283189682E4"
  • Import and retrieve a PFX certificate from a file:
$Password = ConvertTo-SecureString "MyPassword" -AsPlainText -Force
Import-PfxCertificate -FilePath "MyCertificate.pfx" -Password $Password
Get-PfxCertificate -Thumbprint "E00C5AF106C206C3A79200A250184D5E4470D737"
  • Retrieve all PFX certificates from a specified store:
Get-PfxCertificate -StoreName "My" -Location "CurrentUser"
  • Export certificate to XML format:
Get-PfxCertificate -Thumbprint "F2866294635A07A756339D4D412332DB282126C3" -Format XML | Out-File "Certificate.xml"

Common Issues

  • Invalid password: Ensure the correct password is provided for protected certificates.
  • Certificate not found: Verify that the specified thumbprint or friendly name is accurate.
  • Access denied: The user running the command may not have sufficient permissions to access the certificate store.

Integration

Get-PfxCertificate can be combined with other PowerShell commands for advanced tasks, such as:

  • Importing a certificate into a different store using Import-PfxCertificate.
  • Exporting a certificate to a file using Export-PfxCertificate.
  • Managing certificate properties using Set-PfxCertificate.
  • Set-PfxCertificate
  • Import-PfxCertificate
  • Export-PfxCertificate
  • Get-Certificate