error 000004c0 The format of the specified password is invalid

May 25, 2018 in Windows and Code Signing

Error: 000004c0 The format of the specified password is invalid

Answer:
Ensure that the password being entered is the one which was entered during the enrollment process, and remember that passwords are case sensitive so ensure that Caps lock is not enabled.

1. Make sure that the files are imported on the original machine the certificate was requested from.
2. Install the latest version of signcode on the machine you are using the certificate on


The PVK/SPC file must be converted to a PFX file before transporting between systems, or you will receive this error.

Symptoms:

  • Error: 000004c0, The format of the specified password is invalid
  • Error occurs when importing files using pvkimprt

Cause:
The password entered is incorrect.
This applies to: Includes, but not limited to:

  • Code Signing Certificate
  • Microsoft Authenticode Certificate
  • Multi-Purpose Certificate
  • Signcode
  • Code Signing Error Messages