Where do you download signcode.exe and other tools

Question

If you decide to sign your code, you'll need:

• signcode.exe
• makecert.exe
• cert2spc.exe
• pvk2pfx.exe

What's the best place to download these tools?

Is there a way to do this without downloading large quantities of the Microsoft Windows SDK?

Answer 1

Start with the Windows SDK. That should have most of what you are looking for.

Also, SignCode.exe has been deprecated after .NET 1.1. SignTool.exe is the replacement.

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Without downloading the SDK?

In general, there are only a few SDK tools that are redistributable outside of the official package from Microsoft. They are listed in a redist.txt file. On my system, I found a .NET SDK redist.txt file in %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft.NET\SDK\v2.0 64bit (I assume the folder is called "v2.0" on x86 systems). Here's what it said:

.NET Framework SDK files

Subject to the license terms for the software,
the following .EXE files may be distributed unmodified:

MageUI.exe
Mage.exe
Makecert.exe

So it looks like the majority of those files will not be redistributable. So again, my answer is download the Windows SDK. Keep in mind you can install just a subset of the tools if you wish; the installer allows you to select/unselect any of the components (for example, just the .NET development tools).

Answer 2

I believe the first three are part of the .NET Framework SDK while the last one is on the Windows Driver Kit.

I couldn't find a document listing pvk2pfx.exe as part of the Platform SDK (now apparently Windows SDK), but that was where I originally thought it was from.