MMC Certificate Manager snap-in fail-to-initialize (win-98)

[Nomen]

I downloaded this: http://download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3/static/trustedr/en/rootsupd.exe

Ran it, got some sort of error, but before dismissing the error I went to temp folder and moved the folder containing .sst, inf, exe files.  File-dates are April 19, 2013.   I right-clicked/installed the file "rootsupd.inf" (it contains "Chigaco" signature!?) and then ran updroots.exe - but it wants a command-line argument.  I suspect that the argument must be one of the .sst files, so I ran updroots updroots.sst and it didn't complain.  Don't know what authroots.sst, delroots.sst, roots.sst are for.

I was wondering how to check installed certificates, found a post somewhere saying to run certmgr.msc.  I do that, but get "The Snap-in that has been selected failed to initialize properly".  The selected snap-in (the only snap-in that seems to be available in the left-pane) is Console Root - "Certificate Manager - File".

I'd like to know if this failed-snap-in thing is fixable, and more so if what I've done with the updroots described above has done anything useful in terms of web-browsing without seeing messages about certificates.  Is there an on-line way to perform certificate tests?
 

[Nomen]

Edit:  HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{EF289A85-8E57-408d-BE47-73B55609861A} is 38,0,2195,0

I tried to add that to my original post by editing the post, but I could not find a "save" or "submit" button on the edit page.  I'm using Opera 12.02.

 

 

[sdfox7]

5 hours ago, Nomen said:

Edit:  HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{EF289A85-8E57-408d-BE47-73B55609861A} is 38,0,2195,0

I tried to add that to my original post by editing the post, but I could not find a "save" or "submit" button on the edit page.  I'm using Opera 12.02.

 

 

In XP and Internet Explorer 6.0 SP3, I go to Tools --> Internet Options --> Content Tab --> Certificates

[jumper]

> I tried to add that to my original post by editing the post, but I could not find a "save" or "submit" button on the edit page. I'm using Opera 12.02.

The buttons are mislabeled in some browsers--I also saw this last month. Depending on browser window width, Save by clicking the top ("Edit"?) or right button--the one not called "Cancel".

Edited May 9, 2016 by jumper
edit testing

[Nomen]

On another win-98 system, running certmgr.msc gave me the same error "snap-in failed to initialize".  Both systems had MMC 1.0.  I then hunted for MMC 1.2 (archive.org had several archived MS pages, but apparently did not archive the actual download file - IMMC.EXE).  I found and ran the file after doing some hunting for it.  Restarted the system (did this on both win-98 systems, got the same result).  Running certmgr.msc now gives this:

snap-in failed to initialize
name: - not available -
CLSID: 53D6AB1D-2488-11D1-A28C-00C04FB94F17

I thought I had too different certmgr.msc files.  The one that currently resides in \windows\system is dated 8/29/2002 (these files have no version information it seems) and the original on CD is 4/23/99, but file-compare says they're identical.

I also have certmgr.exe (5.131.1863.1, 11/12/04) and that *does* seem to do something other than throw an error.  Certmgr.exe does not seem to be on the win-98 cd.   Certmgr.exe shows me certificates by "Intended purpose" or "All", for Personal, Other People, Intermediate Certification Authority, and Trusted Root Certification Authority.  I think this is similar to what SDFox was mentioning in terms of getting to this information from IE6.

 

[dencorso]

On 4/27/2016 at 3:08 AM, dencorso said:

BlackWingCat has just released his unofficial root certificates update, which works on 9x/ME. Those are the very latest certificates.
Do give it a try, and let's find out whether it improves things somewhat or not.

Ditto!

[Nomen]

I can't figure out blackwingcat's website.  Got a direct link?  With instructions (in english?) if necessary?  (or, special instructions for running on win-98 since Blackwing, if I remember correctly, is more focused on win-2k)...

BTW, can anyone running win-98 get the certificate snap-in to work on mmc?