Cannot Import Personal Security Certificates in Internet Explorer

ID: Q222061

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you connect to a secure Web site that requires security certificate keys, you may be unable to connect. This occurs because you cannot import the certificate key into the authentication dialog box.

You also may not be able to import and export certificates from this dialog box, because the authentication dialog box becomes blank after a certain number of keys have been entered into the registry. The number of keys varies before displaying this behavior, depending on the key sizes. You may experience this behavior after adding between 12 and 22 keys.


CAUSE

This behavior is caused by a buffer limitation on the amount of certificate data sent to the dialog box.


RESOLUTION

A supported fix that corrects this problem is now available from Microsoft, but it has not been fully regression tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. If you are not severely affected by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Internet Explorer service pack that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp
The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

   File name     Size     Date/Time         Platform
   -------------------------------------------------------
   Wininet.dll   371,472  03-08-99 12:51p   Windows NT x86
   Wininet.dll   372,496  03-08-99  1:15p   Windows 95/98)

NOTE: If this product was already installed on your computer when you purchased it from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and you need this fix, please call the Pay Per Incident number listed on the above Web site. If you contact Microsoft to obtain this fix, and if it is determined that you only require the fix you requested, no fee will be charged. However, if you request additional technical support, and if your no-charge technical support period has expired, or if you are not eligible for standard no-charge technical support, you may be charged a non-refundable fee.

For more information about eligibility for no-charge technical support, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q154871 Determining If You Are Eligible for No-Charge Technical Support
A change was made to reallocate the buffer space needed to accommodate the number of certificates in the registry before displaying the certificate information in the authentication dialog box.


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

Additional query words: 


Keywords          : kbenv kbui msiew95 msient win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.01 Service Pack 1
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: July 2, 1999