Kepware The Installer Was Unable To Find Required Root Certificates Exclusive Official
Troubleshooting Kepware Installation: "Unable to Find Required Root Certificates"
Method 2: Manually Updating Windows Root Certificates
If the certs folder is missing or the manual import does not resolve the issue, you must update the Windows Root Certificate store.
For Machines with Internet Access:
Ensure Windows Update is functioning. You can force a specific update for certificates: Open Control Panel > Windows Update
- Open Control Panel > Windows Update.
- Check for updates. Look for any "Root Certificate" updates or general security updates.
For Offline Machines (The "KB" Approach):
If the machine is air-gapped (no internet), you must manually inject the certificates. For Offline Machines (The "KB" Approach): If the
- Download the Certificates: On a machine with internet access, navigate to the certificate authority used by Kepware (typically DigiCert or Sectigo). Search for their "Root Certificates" download page. Alternatively, you can export the certificates from the
certs folder of the installer package as described in Method 1.
- Transfer Files: Copy the
.crt files to the target machine via USB drive.
- Install:
- Open the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) by typing
mmc.exe in the Start menu.
- Go to File > Add/Remove Snap-in.
- Select Certificates and click Add.
- Select Computer Account > Local Computer > Finish.
- Expand Certificates (Local Computer) > Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
- Right-click Certificates, select All Tasks > Import, and follow the wizard to import the transferred files.
Import manually (example for DigiCert Global Root):
- Download the certificate (from a trusted source) – e.g., DigiCert’s official
.crt file
- Open
certlm.msc (Local Machine Certificates) – run as Administrator
- Navigate to Trusted Root Certification Authorities → Certificates
- Right-click → All Tasks → Import
- Browse to the
.crt file
- Place it in Trusted Root Certification Authorities store
- Restart the Kepware installer
Recommended Solutions
There are two primary methods to resolve this issue, ranging from the automated approach (recommended) to the manual approach (for strictly offline systems). then re-run the installer.
4. Script the Certificate Check
Before running any Kepware installer, run this PowerShell script to check for common root certs:
Get-ChildItem -Path Cert:\LocalMachine\Root | Where-Object $_.Subject -like "*DigiCert*" | Format-List Subject, Thumbprint
If no results appear, you know you need Method 2.
Method 1: Utilizing the Kepware "certs" Folder (Recommended)
Recent versions of Kepware installers include a built-in mechanism to solve this dependency issue.
- Locate the Installation Files: Open the folder containing the Kepware setup files (the extracted contents of the ZIP file or the root of the ISO).
- Find the "certs" Folder: Look for a subfolder named
certs. This folder contains the specific intermediate and root certificates required for the installation.
- Run the Installer: Launch the main installer (usually
setup.exe).
- Note: In many modern versions, the installer automatically detects certificates located in this local folder relative to the executable, bypassing the need for them to be installed in the OS store.
- Manual Import (If Step 3 Fails): If the installer still fails, manually install the certificates found in the
certs folder:
- Navigate to the
certs folder.
- Right-click each
.crt or .cer file and select Install Certificate.
- Select Local Machine and click Next.
- Select "Place all certificates in the following store".
- Click Browse and select Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
- Click OK, Next, and Finish.
- Repeat for all certificates in the folder, then re-run the installer.
Step-by-Step Resolution