This was supposed to be the easy part!

Using VS2008, trying to deploy my app using ClickOnce and specifically following "Creating ClickOnce Applications for Others to Deploy" at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb384248.aspx(and related "Walkthrough: Manually Deploying a ClickOnce Application that Does Not Require Re-Signing and that Preserves Branding Information" at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb384248.aspx)

The series of commands shown below (steps 9 & 10 of the walkthrough) result in an error from MAGE.

makecert -r -pe -n "CN=Adventure Works" -sv MyCert.pvk MyCert.cer
pvk2pfx.exe -pvk MyCert.pvk -spc MyCert.cer -pfx MyCert.pfx

mage -s sfDash.application -cf MyCert.pfx

Unable to open certificate "MyCert.pfx":
The specified network password is not correct.

The error is the same:

• On two machines (both Win XP with both VS 2005 and VS2008).
• With the .application and .pfxin the same work folder on a local HDD and with a short path (d:\temp\ws)
• Whether or not my pvk is protected by a password
• Various file names and values for CN=

I've searched, but found nothing about this error...any pointers?

Seems that you forgot pvk2pfx option -po (pfx-pswd) - PFX password. It is same as -pi (pvk-password) but if-pi is given neither, then I get such error. After giving -po to pvk2pfx mage signs manifestswithout problems.

Are you specifying the password for the certificate? Can you do that w/Mage?

Is the certificate already attached to the project?Try going into the Signing tab under the main project's properties and check "Sign the ClickOnce manifests" and select that one from a file. Then maybe it will mage it.

RobinS.

GoldMail.com

Seems that you forgot pvk2pfx option -po (pfx-pswd) - PFX password. It is same as -pi (pvk-password) but if-pi is given neither, then I get such error. After giving -po to pvk2pfx mage signs manifestswithout problems.

Thanks! I finally came back around to this and using your hint changed the second command line to

pvk2pfx.exe -pvk MyCert.pvk -spc MyCert.cer -pfx MyCert.pfx -po DumbPW

then i added -password DumbPW to the MAGE command line and all is well

So...if you use pvk2pfx in wizard (dialog) mode it creates a PFX with truly no PW, but if you use the command line, you apparently need a password. I tried -po followed by end-of-line and -po "" to get the equivalent of truly no password.

Someone at Microsoft should update the articles on "Creating ClickOnce Applications for Others to Deploy"....