How do I remove a manually added certificate from the Trusted Root Certification Authorities section?

Kae Takara 0 Reputation points
2026-11-07T18:49:25.7333333+00:00

So I was running a piece of software that had a certificate that required it be added manually. Following the instructions I was given, I added it to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities section and everything ran smooth with the software I needed to run.

However, I am done with said software now and I would like to remove the certificate from my PC. I have gone in to the Certificates and I do not have the ability to delete the certificate. Is there anything special I need to do or some other way to remove it?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Security and privacy
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AI answer

2026-11-07T18:49:38.86+00:00

Yes. Removing a certificate from Trusted Root Certification Authorities typically requires administrator privileges.

Use the Local Computer certificate store:

  1. Press Windows key + R.
  2. Type mmc and press Enter.
  3. If prompted by User Account Control, select Yes.
  4. In MMC, select File > Add/Remove Snap-in.
  5. Select Certificates > Add.
  6. Choose Computer account > Next.
  7. Choose Local computer (the computer this console is running on) > Finish.
  8. Select OK.
  9. Expand Certificates (Local Computer) > Trusted Root Certification Authorities > Certificates.
  10. Find the certificate that was manually added.
  11. Delete it from that store.

If deletion is unavailable, the usual issue is that the console was opened without elevation or the certificate was added to a different store than the one currently being viewed. Check both:

  • Computer account / Local computer
  • My user account

Important: Be careful when removing certificates from the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store. Improper changes can compromise system security or affect software that depends on that certificate.

References:

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