Certutil tasks for encoding and decoding certificates
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
Certutil tasks for encoding and decoding certificates
To encode a certificate as a base64 file
To decode a base64-encoded certificate
To decode a base64-encoded request to a DER-encoded request
To decode a DER-encoded request to a base64-encoded request
To encode a certificate as a hexadecimal file
To decode a hexadecimal-encoded file
To encode a certificate as a base64 file
Syntax
certutil -encode [-f] [-v] InFile OutFile
Parameters
- -encode
Encodes a certificate as a base64 file.
- -f
Overwrites existing files or keys.
- -v
Specifies verbose output.
- InFile
Specifies the certificate that you want to encode as a base64 file.
- OutFile
Specifies the base64-encoded file to which you want to send the certificate information.
- -?
Displays a list of certutil commands.
To decode a base64-encoded certificate
Syntax
certutil -decode [-f] [-v] InFileOutFile
Parameters
- -decode
Decodes a base64-encoded file.
- -f
Overwrites existing files or keys.
- -v
Specifies verbose output.
- InFile
Specifies the base64-encoded file that you want to decode.
- OutFile
Specifies the file to which you want to send the output.
- -?
Displays a list of certutil commands.
To decode a base64-encoded request to a DER-encoded request
Syntax
certutil -decode [-f] [-v] Base64Request**.req** DERrequest**.der**
Parameters
- -decode
Decodes a base64-encoded file.
- -f
Overwrites existing files or keys.
- -v
Specifies verbose output.
- Base64Request .req
Specifies the base64-encoded request that you want to decode.
- DERrequest .der
Specifies the DER-encoded request, which is compatible with Entrust, that you want to create.
- -?
Displays a list of certutil commands.
To decode a DER-encoded request to a base64-encoded request
Syntax
certutil -encode [-f] [-v] DERrequest**.der** Base64Request**.req**
Parameters
- -encode
Encodes a certificate as a base64 file.
- -f
Overwrites existing files or keys.
- -v
Specifies verbose output.
- DERrequest .der
Specifies the DER-encoded request, which is compatible with Entrust, that you want to decode.
- Base64Request .req
Specifies the base64-encoded request that you want to create.
- -?
Displays a list of certutil commands.
To encode a certificate as a hexadecimal file
Syntax
certutil -encodehex [-f] [-v] InFile OutFile
Parameters
- -encodehex
Encodes a certificate as a hexadecimal file.
- -f
Overwrites existing files or keys.
- -v
Specifies verbose output.
- InFile
Specifies the certificate that you want to encode as a hexadecimal file.
- OutFile
Specifies the hexadecimal file that you want to create.
- -?
Displays a list of certutil commands.
To decode a hexadecimal-encoded file
Syntax
certutil -decodehex [-f] [-v] InFile OutFile**.der**
Parameters
- -decodehex
Decodes a hexadecimal-encoded file.
- -f
Overwrites existing files or keys.
- -v
Specifies verbose output.
- InFile
Specifies the hexadecimal-encoded file that you want to decode.
- OutFile .der
Specifies the DER-encoded file to which you want to send the output.
- -?
Displays a list of certutil commands.
Formatting legend
| Format | Meaning |
|---|---|
Italic |
Information that the user must supply |
Bold |
Elements that the user must type exactly as shown |
Ellipsis (...) |
Parameter that can be repeated several times in a command line |
Between brackets ([]) |
Optional items |
Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Example: {even|odd} |
Set of choices from which the user must choose only one |
|
Code or program output |