10 Troubleshooting Fixes for Installing Certificates via PowerShell in Task Sequences

 It seems like your deployment task sequence is not properly installing the certificates via the PowerShell script. Here are 10 possible fixes to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

1. Check Task Sequence Variable

• Ensure the %DeploymentRoot% variable is properly set within your task sequence. If this variable isn't being resolved correctly, the script won't locate the certificates.
• You can add a Write-Host line in the script to check if %DeploymentRoot% is expanding as expected:

  powershell
  Write-Host "DeploymentRoot: $Env:DeploymentRoot"

2. Use Full Path for Certificate Files

• Since you confirmed that using the full path works, consider always using the full path in your PowerShell script to avoid issues with relative paths:

  powershell
  Import-Certificate -FilePath "C:\DeploymentRoot\Scripts\certs\cert1.cer" -CertStoreLocation Cert:LocalMachine\My

3. Ensure the Certificates Are Accessible

• Double-check that the certificates in the certs folder are available and accessible during the task sequence. You might need to copy the certificates to a local directory during the task sequence.

4. Set Execution Policy for Task Sequence

• If the execution policy is preventing script execution, make sure that the task sequence includes the Set-ExecutionPolicy command before running your script:

  powershell
  Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Force

5. Use -Force with Import-Certificate

• Try using the -Force flag with the Import-Certificate command to ensure the certificates are imported without prompts:

  powershell
  Import-Certificate -FilePath "%DeploymentRoot%\Scripts\certs\cert1.cer" -CertStoreLocation Cert:LocalMachine\My -Force

6. Run the Script in the Context of Local Administrator

• The task sequence might be running under a non-admin context. Ensure the PowerShell script is executed as a local administrator. You can use the Run as Administrator option in your task sequence steps.

7. Verify Logs for Errors

• Check the smsts.log file for more detailed information about why the task sequence is failing. The log file is located in C:\Windows\Temp\DeploymentLogs\smsts.log.
• You can also enable verbose logging in the task sequence to get more information:

  powershell
  $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
  $VerbosePreference = "Continue"

8. Check Task Sequence Step Settings

• Make sure that the task sequence step is configured correctly. Specifically, ensure that the "Continue on error" setting is enabled and that there are no conditions or issues preventing the script from running.

9. Add Delay for Certificate Installation

• Sometimes, the task sequence may move too quickly and attempt to install certificates before the system is ready. Add a delay before running the certificate installation script to allow the system to stabilize:

  powershell
  Start-Sleep -Seconds 10

10. Log Script Output for Debugging

• Modify the PowerShell script to log its output to a file. This will help you debug issues during the task sequence:

  powershell
  Import-Certificate -FilePath "%DeploymentRoot%\Scripts\certs\cert1.cer" -CertStoreLocation Cert:LocalMachine\My | Out-File "C:\Windows\Temp\cert_install_log.txt" -Append

By following these fixes, you should be able to resolve the issue of certificates not installing during the deployment task sequence. Let me know how it goes!