ClickOnce is a Microsoft technology that allows users to install and run applications directly from the web. One of the advantages of using ClickOnce is that it allows developers to create and deploy updates to their applications automatically, without requiring users to manually download and install updates.
However, one potential issue with ClickOnce is that the certificates used to sign the application can expire, which can cause problems when attempting to run the application. In this blog post, we'll look at how to create non-expiring certificates for ClickOnce applications in .NET.
To create a non-expiring certificate for a ClickOnce application, you'll need to use a tool called MakeCert.exe. This tool is part of the Windows SDK and can be used to create test certificates for use in development environments.
To create a non-expiring certificate using MakeCert.exe, follow these steps:
Open the command prompt and navigate to the directory where MakeCert.exe is located usually
{codeBox}C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.xxxxx\x86
Run the following command to create a new test certificate:
{codeBox}makecert -r -pe -n "CN=My Test Certificate" -b 01/01/2000 -e 01/01/2050 -eku 1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.3 -ss my -sr localMachine
Alternative from here
{codeBox}makecert -sv MyClickOnce.pvk -n "CN=MY ClickOnce" MyClickOnce.cer -b 08/01/2015 -e 12/31/2100 -r
Doing the above step will prompt you to enter secret keys and passwords, which you will need to use in the future if you ever want to change anything in these certificates. Note that is is not the password you enter when asked in the .Net environment after opening a .pfx file.
This command creates a test certificate with the following parameters:
-r: Creates a self-signed certificate.
-pe: Makes the private key exportable.
-n: Specifies the common name for the certificate.
-b: Specifies the start date for the certificate.
-e: Specifies the end date for the certificate.
-eku: Specifies the enhanced key usage for the certificate.
-ss: Specifies the name of the certificate store to use.
-sr: Specifies the location of the certificate store (localMachine or currentUser).
Import the certificate into the certificate store by running the following command:
{codeBox}certutil -f -p password -importpfx My Test Certificate.pfx
Alternative from here
{codeBox}pvk2pfx -pvk MyClickOnce.pvk -spc MyClickOnce.cer -pfx MyClickOnce.pfx -po X0PASS!
Note that in the example above "X0PASS!" is the password you would need to enter when asked in .Net environment after opening the .pfx file created from this step as a certificate file on your local drive.
This command imports the certificate into the certificate store using the specified password.
Sign your ClickOnce application using the newly created certificate. To do this, open the project in Visual Studio and go to the Properties page for the project. Under the Signing tab, select the checkbox next to "Sign the ClickOnce manifests" and choose the certificate from the dropdown list.
That's it! Your ClickOnce application should now be signed with a non-expiring certificate, which means that users will be able to run the application without encountering any expiration-related errors.
Keep in mind that test certificates like the one created using MakeCert.exe are not suitable for production environments. For production deployments, you'll need to use a trusted certificate from a reputable certificate authority (CA). However, the process for signing a ClickOnce application with a trusted certificate is largely the same as the one described above.