What is Certificate provider in Windows PowerShell?\n

\nThe Certificate provider is part of the Windows PowerShell that \nexposes certificate information on Windows system as a file system called "Cert:" drive.\nThis allows you to navigate the certificate information using file system standard cmdlets.\n

For example, "dir Cert:" cmdlet displays items in the certificate root directory.\nIt actually returns certificate store locations.\n

The "Cert:" drive has the following three levels:\n

\n
• Store locations - \nHigh-level containers that group the certificates for the current \nuser and for all users. Each system has a CurrentUser and \nLocalMachine (all users) store location. \n
\n
• Certificates stores -\nPhysical stores in which certificates are saved and managed.\n
\n
• X.509 certificates - \nIndividual X.509 certificates.\n
\n

Like files and directories in a file system, you can use \npath names to refer any certificate store or certificate.\nFor example, the following command displays first 5 certificates from the "AuthRoot" store:\n

PS C:\\fyicenter> dir Cert:\\CurrentUser\\AuthRoot | Select-Object -First 5\n\n    Directory: Microsoft.PowerShell.Security\\Certificate::CurrentUser\\AuthRoot\n\nThumbprint                                Subject\n----