Using the Certification Path tab, you can view the path from the selected certificate to the certification authorities (CAs) that issue the certificate.

Before a certificate is trusted, Windows must verify that the certificate comes from a trusted source. This verification process is called path validation.

Path validation involves processing public key certificates and their issuer certificates in a hierarchical fashion until the certification path terminates at a trusted, self-signed certificate. Typically, this is a root CA certificate. If there is a problem with one of the certificates in the path, or if it cannot find a certificate, the certification path is considered a non-trusted certification path.

A typical certification path includes a root certificate and one or more intermediate certificates. By clicking View Certificate, you can also learn more about the certificates for each CA in the path.

Additional references


Table Of Contents