How to Install vCenter Server Root Certificate. Fix Browser Security Warnings and Datastore Files Upload/Download Issues

If you are a VMware administrator, manage vCenter and log in there on a daily basis, you are probably fed up with the browser security warning error. But you may also run into issues downloading/uploading files to your datastore with vCenter.

In this article, I will show you how to install vCenter server root certificate to fix issues with browser security warning and datastore files operations.

Symptoms

Every time you try to connect to vCenter through your web browser, you may see the following error:

When trying to upload a file to the datastore by vCenter, you may see the following error:

Fix

To resolve these issues, make sure you have added the necessary records to the hosts file on your laptop/PC from which you are trying to access vCenter via FQDN. Of course, you also need to have DNS entries configured on your domain controller.

Once you’ve done that, the next step will be to install the vCenter server root certificate on your laptop/PC.

Entries in hosts file

1. Open Notepad as an Administrator.

2. Go to File, then Open.

3. In pop-up window go to hosts file location which is C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\, select All files and double-click at hosts file.

4. At the end of the hosts file, add IP and hostname of your vCenter and every ESXi host. Once done, Save the file.

Install Certificate

1. Go to your vCenter in web browser. Right-click on Download trustred root CA certificates and choose Save link as…

2. Extract files. In the certs folder you will find the lin/mac/win folders. Select the appropriate certificate depending on your operating system. Since I’m using Windows, I’ll go to the certs/win folder.

3. Right-click on Security Certificate and choose Install Certificate.

4. Select Local Machine and click Next.

5. Select Place all certificates in the following store, then click Browse and select Trusted Root Certification Authorities. Click OK and Next.