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In Windows 10:

When I load a certficate into the "Current User" store, it puts a private key file here:

C:\Users\[userID-A]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\S-1-5-21-xxx\pkfileqreflr8029r...

When I load a certficate into the "Local Machine" store using a different UserID-B, I don't see this path at all:

C:\Users\[userID-B]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Crypto ... there is no \Crypto folder created.

Does anyone know where the private key is stored when a pfx file is used to import a cert into the Local Machine store? Thanks.

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The locations are listed in Microsoft Docs on Key Storage and Retrieval.

For Local system private the locations are:

  • The Microsoft legacy CryptoAPI CSPs store private keys in:

    %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\S-1-5-18\
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\DSS\S-1-5-18\

  • CNG stores private keys in:

    %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\SystemKeys

In practice they are by default under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Crypto\ on Windows 10.

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  • Thanks. For me, %ALLUSERSPROFILE% maps to c:\ProgramData. The full path looks a little different but gets me to the correct area: c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\...
    – nanonerd
    Commented Jul 10, 2020 at 14:18

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