How to create a test certificate for myself using the "makecert.exe" command?

You can create a test certificate for yourself using "certmgr.exe -n" command as shown in this tutorial.

1. Run the following command in a command line window to create a certificate with your name "Fred Dews":

C:\fyicenter>
"\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\sdk\v2.0\bin\makecert.exe" 
-n "CN=Fred Dews" fred.crt

Succeeded

2. Double-click on the output certificate file, "fred.crt". You see general information of your certificate.

Note that the previous "makecert.exe" command actually:

• Generated a pair of private key and public key first with the default algorithm.
• Signed the public key by the system default root CA: "Root Agency" into a certificate for "Fred Dews".
• Stored the certificate in a certificate file "fred.crt".
• The private was not attached to the certificate. It was stored somewhere else by the system.

⇒ makecert.exe - Private Key Containers Location on Windows

⇐ makecert.exe - List of Command Basic Options

⇑ Certificate Generation Tool "makecrt.exe" on Windows

⇑⇑ Windows Certificates Tutorials