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This command-line tool can be used to retrieve a private key from a certificate store. For example, FindPrivateKey.exe can be used to find the location and name of the private key file associated with a specific X.509 certificate in the certificate store.
Important
The FindPrivateKey tool is shipped as a WCF sample. For more information about where to find the sample and how to build it, see FindPrivateKey.
Syntax
FindPrivateKey<storeName> <storeLocation> [{ {-n <subjectName>} | {-t <thumbprint>} } [-f | -d | -a]]
Remarks
The following tables describe the arguments and the options that can be used with the Find Private Key tool (FindPrivateKey.exe).
| Argument | Description | 
|---|---|
| storeName | Name of the certificate store. | 
| storeLocation | The location of the certificate store. | 
| Option | Description | 
|---|---|
| /n <subjectName> | Specifies the subject name of the certificate. | 
| /t <thumbprint> | Specifies the thumbprint of the certificate. Use Certmgr.exe to retrieve the thumbprint of the certificate. | 
| /f | Outputs the file name only. | 
| /d | Outputs the directory only. | 
| /a | Outputs the absolute file name. | 
Examples
The following command retrieves the private key for John Doe:
FindPrivateKey My CurrentUser -n "CN=John Doe"
The following command retrieves the private key for the local machine:
FindPrivateKey My LocalMachine -t "03 33 98 63 d0 47 e7 48 71 33 62 64 76 5c 4c 9d 42 1d 6b 52" –a