Error : 'RSA key container could not be opened.' ~ Sanjay Saini's Tech World with Coding Articles for Geeks

Error : 'RSA key container could not be opened.'

This error occurs if the user does not have the right to access the key container.

Use following command to give permission to the web suer a/c "ASPNET"

aspnet_regiis -pa "Key Container Name" "ASPNET"

Like - aspnet_regiis -pa "NetFrameworkConfigurationKey" "ASPNET"

Note -Key container name could be found in the machine.config file under configProtectedData section.

Path of machine.config file is %WinDir%\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v2.0\Config

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13 comments:

Anonymous said...: it worked...thanks...; April 22, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Anonymous said...: you are the man! was banging my head for 2 hours until i found this...; August 4, 2008 at 9:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Thanks!!!; June 4, 2009 at 12:52 PM
SasikanttPhotography said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; July 28, 2009 at 4:01 AM
SasikanttPhotography said...: I am getting this error in w2k8 server.
I have given access to "ASPNET", "NETWORKSERVICE" but no luck.
I am using aspnet_regiis.exe utility which is available at Framework64 folder to import and export container.
Web.config file is actually encrypted on w2k3 server and we are migrating application on w2k8 server using MS Deploy. After migration when we browse application on w2k8 server. I am getting this error.
Please help me out...

Thanks in advance!!
Shashi; July 28, 2009 at 4:01 AM
sanjay saini said...: Hi Shashi, make sure your application running under correct identity. use following code in your application to check -

Response.Write(WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name);

and then grant permission using following utility-
aspnet_regiis -pa "NetFrameworkConfigurationKey" "< identity >"; August 3, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Anonymous said...: This really worked...Thanks Sanjay; October 7, 2009 at 1:19 AM
Anonymous said...: You kick ass !!!; December 1, 2010 at 9:05 AM
Vincent said...: Too bad I am still getting the same thing as RSA key container could not be opened.

Response.Write(WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name);Response.Write(WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name);

How could I insert the above actually to know whats my identity?; March 29, 2011 at 9:35 AM
Anonymous said...: I am trying to assign rights using the aspnet_reg.exe -pa " key name" "ASPNET" command and that is where I get the error that the RSA key container was not found. I went to the Machine.config for the key container name.

Any ideas??; June 29, 2011 at 12:21 PM
sanjay saini said...: What is the command you are giving...?; July 2, 2011 at 6:35 AM
Nandish Sargur said...: Hi,

I have tried above command with admin permission on command prompt but still facing the same error saying Container not found. pls help me

Thanks
Nandish; January 11, 2017 at 9:06 PM
Anonymous said...: I have used following command.
aspnet_regiis -pa "NetFrameworkConfigurationKey" "ASPNET"
Still I'm facing same issue. RSA key container could not be opened; February 27, 2019 at 6:41 AM