Certificate Propagation (CertPropSvc) Service Defaults in Windows 10

Copies user certificates and root certificates from smart cards into the current user's certificate store, detects when a smart card is inserted into a smart card reader, and, if needed, installs the smart card Plug and Play minidriver.

Default Settings

Startup type: Manual
Display name:Certificate Propagation
Service name:CertPropSvc
Service type:share
Error control:normal
Object:LocalSystem
Path:%SystemRoot%\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs
File:%SystemRoot%\System32\certprop.dll
Registry key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CertPropSvc
Privileges:
  • SeCreateGlobalPrivilege
  • SeTcbPrivilege
  • SeChangeNotifyPrivilege
  • SeImpersonatePrivilege
  • SeTakeOwnershipPrivilege
  • SeSecurityPrivilege

Default Behavior

Certificate Propagation is a Win32 service. In Windows 10 it is starting only if the user, an application or another service starts it. When the Certificate Propagation service is started, it is running as LocalSystem in a shared process of svchost.exe along with other services. If Certificate Propagation fails to start, the failure details are being recorded into Event Log. Then Windows 10 will start up and notify the user that the CertPropSvc service has failed to start due to the error.

Dependencies

Certificate Propagation cannot be started under any conditions, if the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service is disabled.

Restore Default Startup Configuration of Certificate Propagation

Before you begin doing this, make sure that all the services on which Certificate Propagation depends are configured by default and function properly. See the list of dependencies above.

1. Run the Command Prompt as an administrator.

2. Copy the command below, paste it into the command window and press ENTER:

sc config CertPropSvc start= demand

3. Close the command window and restart the computer.

The CertPropSvc service is using the certprop.dll file that is located in the C:\Windows\System32 directory. If the file is removed or corrupted, read this article to restore its original version from Windows 10 installation media.