INSTALL the Department of Defense (DoD) CERTIFICATES MANUALLY

⚠️ Warning ⚠️: This is a short version of the original presentation from Michael J. Danberry. All credits and copyright reserved to him and militarycac.com. Please check for the most current version of this presentation at: http://militarycac.com/files/dodrootca2.pdf

How to add the DoD Root CA 2, 3, 4, & 5 certificates in your Windows computer Certificate Store

Presented by: Michael J. Danberry

Last update / review: 03 January 2019

Sometimes running the DoD InstallRoot file does not install the DoD Root CA 2, 3, 4, & 5 certificates into the Trusted Root Certification Authorities tab. This causes certificate errors when visiting DoD websites. This guide will show you how to fix the error. 

If you are using a Windows computer and see the below message when trying to access a DoD website [and have already installed the DoD InstallRoot file] Click: Continue to this website (not recommended)

After clicking Continue to this website (not recommended) you’ll see the entire web address bar is red, and a red shield with a white x in it, stating Certificate error 

 

Go to the following web page: https://militarycac.com/certs/ and click on DoDRoot2.cer, DoDRoot3.cer, DoDRoot4.cer, & DodRoot5.cer

After you click each link, you’ll see the message below, select Save As. Save all four to your desktop. You can also Right click the link and save target as

Right click each certificate, select Install Certificate, then select Open

Select Install Certificate… then OK 

Select Local Machine, then Next 

NOTE: If you are unable to select Local Machine, go to the end of this post and follow instructions for installing this certificate.

If prompted for the User Account Control, Select Yes

Select Place all certificates in the following store, then Browse…

Select Trusted Root Certification Authorities, then OK

 

Trusted Root Certification Authorities should now show in the box, select Next

Select Finish

Select OK

Select OK

Now, go back to the first steps of installing a certificate and do the same for all the other downloaded DoDCert .cer files

After proceed for all the certificates downloaded, You can close your Web browser, Reopen it, and try revisiting the website you were receiving the certificate error on previously. You should not have the error or red background any longer  

Now

Before

 

🚨 Attention! 🚨

Sometimes your AntiVirus / Security program can block the certificate from installing

Temporarily disable the Security program and attempt to install again.

NOTE: for you that are unable to select Local Machine or If you still seen the certificate warning and the problem persists, try running Internet Explorer as an admin, here’s how:

1. Right click Internet Explorer, select Run As Administrator
2. Click Tools, Internet Options, Content (tab), Certificates (button)
3. Trusted Root Certification Authorities (tab),
4. Import (button) (select file (the .cer downloaded),
5. click on Next,
6. click on OK, and
7. windows should reports Import Successful.

🛟 More Information can be found here: https://superuser.com/questions/145394/windows-7-will-not-install-a-root-certificate