How to Fix Error 000004c0: The Format of the Specified Password is Invalid
When setting up a code signing certificate or importing the certificate on the original machine used for making the request, you might have encountered the error 000004c0: the format of the specified password is invalid. The error can also occur due to not installing the latest version of codesign on the computer you are using the certificate on.
Another reason for the error 000004c0: the format of the specified password is invalid could be not converting the PVK/SPC file to a PFX file before transporting the certificate between systems. However, if the error occurs on your computer, what are the ways to resolve the same?
In this article, we’ll discuss how to resolve the error 000004c0: the format of the specified password is invalid. Let’s first start with the cause of this error.
Cause of 000004c0: The Format of the Specified Password is Invalid
The first and most common cause of this error is that the entered password is incorrect. Now, there can be multiple reasons why the password that you just entered is incorrect. Either you might have forgotten one or a few characters or the entered password is in the wrong format. Also, check for the Caps Lock is turned on. If it is on, then turn it back off and then try again. Additionally, check the Number Lock is turned off. If it is off, then turn it on to enter the number characters correctly.
Where Does the Error Apply to?
The error 000004c0 can apply to the following elements that include, but are not limited to:
- Code Signing Certificate
- Signcode
- Code Signing Error Messages
- Multi-Purpose Certificate
- Microsoft Authenticode Certificate
What are the Symptoms of Error 000004c0?
The first symptom is the display of error: 000004c0 the format of the specified password is invalid. This bars you from installing or importing the certificate between systems. Not being able to do so hinders the process of securing your machine or software program.
This error might have occurred while importing the files from pvkimprt. Let’s see how you can resolve this error.
How to Fix Error 000004c0: The Format of the Specified Password is Invalid
The only way to fix this error is by entering the correct password that was used during the enrollment process. Since passwords are case-sensitive, you want to ensure that they are entered in the correct order with the Caps lock turned off. If you have trouble remembering the password, then store the same in a secure location to retrieve it whenever necessary.
To Prevent the error from happening, you can do the following things:
- Ensure that your certificate or other files are imported into the original system from which the request for the certificate was raised.
- Additionally, you want to install or update the signcode to the latest version on the system you are installing the certificate.
- Convert the PVK/SPC file to PFX before transporting the certificate or relevant files between the systems. Not doing so will result in this error.
Conclusion of How to Fix Error 000004c0 – The Specified Password is Invalid
Hopefully, you now know the reasons, symptoms, and fixes for the error 000004c0: The format of the specified password is invalid. Keep the things mentioned here in mind while you go on with fixing the error 000004c0: the format of the specified password is invalid.
Keep the password handy or store it in a secure location so that you can retrieve it later to not encounter this error on your system. Further, you can contact the adept team of SignMyCode to handle this and other errors aptly. Get in touch with us or consult with our code signing certificate experts to get rid of this error once and for all.
