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  2. FIX: Error message when you try to generate a certificate request in IIS 6: "An Input Field contains an invalid X500 characters"

FIX: Error message when you try to generate a certificate request in IIS 6: "An Input Field contains an invalid X500 characters"

Symptoms

When you use the Web Server Certificate Wizard to generate a certificate request in Microsoft Internet Information Services 6, you may receive an error message that resembles the following:
An Input Field contains an invalid X500 characters.
This problem does not occur on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1)-based computer.

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Cause

This problem occurs if the Organization field in the certificate request contains an X500 character. For example, this problem occurs if the Organization field contains a comma (,).

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Resolution

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support
Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites are required.

Restart requirement

You do not have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, IA-64
File nameFile versionFile sizeDateTime
Certwiz.ocx6.0.3790.124702,97627-Jan-200416:20
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, x86
File nameFile versionFile sizeDateTime
Certwiz.ocx6.0.3790.124287,23227-Jan-200418:23

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Status

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

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More Information

When you use the Web Server Certificate Wizard to create a certificate request in Microsoft Internet Information Services 5, you may receive an error message that resembles the following:
Failed to Generate the Certificate Request.



The string contains an invalid X500 name attribute key, oid, value or delimiter.
This error occurs when the Organization or Organizational Unit field in the certificate request contains an invalid character, such as a hyphen or comma. The most common cause of this problem is the use of a comma (,).

A successful certificate request can only contain the characters A through Z and 0 through 9 in the fields of the request. You can use a period (.) in the common name of the key request to specify a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).

If you must use a comma (,) or a period (.) in the Organization Name field, you must enclose the Organization Name field in quotation marks. The quotation marks allow for X500 to enable the generation of the request. For example, you may use "Microsoft, Inc." in the Organization Name field.

Note This workaround is not required on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3)-based computers and on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4)-based computers. This workaround will cause certificate generation to fail on Windows 2000 SP3-based computers and on Windows 2000 SP4-based computers.

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Keywords: kbprb, kbpending, kbpubtypekc, kbqfe, kbhotfixserver, kbfix, kbentirenet, kb, kbautohotfix, kbbug

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Article Info
Article ID : 293485
Revision : 4
Created on : 3/30/2017
Published on : 3/30/2017
Exists online : False
Views : 134