Install-SitecoreConfiguration : Cannot validate argument on parameter 'Signer'. The "$_.HasPrivateKey -eq $true"

Question

Following this article https://buoctrenmay.com/2018/01/11/playing-with-sitecore-9-0-update-1-installation/comment-page-1/#comment-548 to install Sitecore, got this error on step 13, any idea?

[---------------------------------------- CreateSignedCert : NewSignedCertificate ------------------------------------] VERBOSE: Resolving ConfigFunction extension 'GetCertificate' VERBOSE: Resolved 'Invoke-GetCertificateConfigFunction' VERBOSE: Invoke-GetCertificateConfigFunction VERBOSE: Id: DO_NOT_TRUST_SitecoreRootCert VERBOSE: CertStorePath: cert:\LocalMachine\Root VERBOSE: Found Cert(s) with thumbprint: C6641D4F4CEB3790FCFC82928ED5C2B74B68EDEB Install-SitecoreConfiguration : Cannot validate argument on parameter 'Signer'. The "$_.HasPrivateKey -eq $true" validation script for the argument with value "[Subject] CN=DO_NOT_TRUST_SitecoreRootCert, O=DO_NOT_TRUST, OU=Created by https://www.sitecore.com [Issuer]
CN=DO_NOT_TRUST_SitecoreRootCert, O=DO_NOT_TRUST, OU=Created by https://www.sitecore.com [Serial Number]
575C8CA6DFB4129D49F47FA7681558D4 [Not Before] 11/28/2018 5:32:24 AM [Not After] 11/26/2028 5:32:24 AM [Thumbprint]
C6641D4F4CEB3790FCFC82928ED5C2B74B68EDEB " did not return a result of True. Determine why the validation script failed, and then try the command again. At C:\Sitecore9\Sitecore 9.0.2 Single Instance\Sitecore902Install.ps1:18 char:1 + Install-SitecoreConfiguration @certParams -Verbose + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException,Install-SitecoreConfiguration

[TIME] 00:00:02 Invoke-NewSignedCertificateTask : Cannot validate argument on parameter 'Signer'. The "$_.HasPrivateKey -eq $true" validation script for the argument with value "[Subject]
CN=DO_NOT_TRUST_SitecoreRootCert, O=DO_NOT_TRUST, OU=Created by https://www.sitecore.com [Issuer] CN=DO_NOT_TRUST_SitecoreRootCert, O=DO_NOT_TRUST, OU=Created by https://www.sitecore.com [Serial Number] 575C8CA6DFB4129D49F47FA7681558D4 [Not Before] 11/28/2018 5:32:24 AM [Not After] 11/26/2028 5:32:24 AM [Thumbprint]
C6641D4F4CEB3790FCFC82928ED5C2B74B68EDEB " did not return a result of True. Determine why the validation script failed, and then try the command again. At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\SitecoreInstallFramework\2.0.0\Public\Install-SitecoreConfiguration.ps1:641 char:47 + & $entry.Task.Command @paramSet | Out-Default

Answer 1

Below solution worked for me.

Close all active PowerShell sessions, delete all DO_NOT_TRUST* certificates from all certificate store and C:\certificates. Open “xconnect-createcert.json” and change json as below.

"StoreLocation": "LocalMachine",

https://mohitdharmadhikari.com/2018/12/25/cannot-validate-argument-on-parameter-signer-sitecore-9-installation/

Answer 2

Encountered the same exact error today. It looks like a new version of the SitecoreInstallFramework was published November 28th (version 2.0.0). It seems to break the process in some way. I solved this by uninstalling the framework and reinstalling with version 1.2.1.

Answer 3

I found that I was using Sitecore Installation Framework version 2.1.0 to install Sitecore version 9.0.1, which does not work. I ran the following to switch the SIF version:

Remove-Module SitecoreInstallFramework
Import-Module SitecoreInstallFramework -RequiredVersion 1.1.0

And then deleted the created certificates from previous attempts as per Mohit's answer.

You can determine which versions of SIF you have with this:

Get-InstalledModule -Name SitecoreInstallFramework -AllVersions

Hope his helps.

Answer 4

This can happen if you tried to install sitecore 9 in the past. Changing "RootCertFileName" default value in xconnet-createcert.json to, for example, SIF121Root, fixes the issue.

This link helped me out https://kb.sitecore.net/articles/699694