CryptoAPI cryptographic service provider (CSP) for this

NER

Does any one know what the following error means?

Unexpected error: CryptoAPI cryptographic service provider (CSP) for this
implementation could not be acquired.
CryptoAPI cryptographic service provider (CSP) for this implementation could not be acquired.
System.Security.Cryptography.CryptographicException
at System.Security.Cryptography.RSACryptoServiceProvider..ctor(Int32 dwKeySize, CspParameters parameters, Boolean useDefaultKeySize)
at _1._1(XmlDocument )
at _1._1(String )
at _1._2(String )
at _1._5()
at RedGate.SQLDataCompare.CommandLine.Runner.Run()
at RedGate.SQLDataCompare.CommandLine.Startup._1(String[] )

Brian Donahue

Hi,

I'm well familiar with this error, it relates to the inability of Windows to access a crypto key in order to decrypt the licence information.

There are a number of causes. If your user profile got corrupted, first of all, so try logging off and on again. Second, due to an issue with XP service pack 2, you may not have rights to the machine key store
%allusersprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\machinekeys
--you need to be able to read from that folder, and also write to the one in your own profile--
%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto

I believe that you could also have these problems simply because your user profile is a mandatory roaming profile. If you can't save key files into your profile, then you can't use the MS CryptoAPI.

Hopefully this helps!

skiskool

I note with interest the need to access the user profile, and problems caused by having a mandatory profile. We are experiencing the same CryptoAPI CSP problem, however our environment is a little tricky.

We are running SQL Bundle 5 through Softgrid on Citrix servers. We use a mandatory profile, with Appsense Environment Manager to do psuedo roaming of bits of the user profile.

Do you have a suggested method of dealing with the mandatory profile limitation? Can we save anything at logoff and reload it at logon - in effect maintaining the settings in the user profile?

Our situation is further complicated by the fact that SQL Bundle is published and available on Softgrid across several Citrix servers, which are dynamically allocated at logon. If a user logs onto a server where they didn't personally activate the product, will it still work for them?

Any help is appreciated.
cheers
Ste

Brian Donahue

I'd have to say that the best thing would be to check with Citrix on that.

There should be support for mandatory roaming profiles in SQL Data Compare 6. I believe it already works with SQL Compare 6. The Red Gate licensing components had been fixed a while ago, and the new code is being phased in gradually as the products get updated.

Jonahwills

The error you are encountering, "CryptoAPI cryptographic service provider (CSP) for this implementation could not be acquired," typically occurs when the application fails to initialize or access the cryptographic provider required for secure operations. This issue is often associated with the RSACryptoServiceProvider class, which uses Windows' CryptoAPI to manage encryption and decryption tasks. The problem could arise due to several reasons:

1. Missing or Corrupted Cryptographic Keys: The required cryptographic keys may not be available, or they might be corrupted.
2. Permissions Issues: The application may not have sufficient permissions to access the cryptographic service provider.
3. Configuration Problems: Incorrect or missing configurations in the CSP parameters could prevent proper initialization.
4. Environment or Registry Issues: The issue might be related to the environment, such as an incompatible .NET framework version or registry settings that affect the CryptoAPI provider.
5. Damaged CryptoAPI Component: A damaged or improperly installed CryptoAPI component on the operating system could also be the cause.

Resolution Steps:

• Verify Permissions: Ensure the account running the application has sufficient permissions to access cryptographic services.
• Check Configuration: Confirm the CspParameters and other configurations used by the RSACryptoServiceProvider are valid.
• Reinstall/Repair CryptoAPI Components: If the issue persists, reinstall or repair the CryptoAPI components on the operating system.
• Test in a Clean Environment: Try running the application on a different machine or a clean environment to rule out local configuration issues.
• Update .NET Framework: Ensure that your .NET framework is up to date and compatible with the application.
• Consult Logs: Review any logs or debugging output for additional details that could narrow down the root cause.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, the problem may be specific to the version or implementation of the software (e.g., RedGate SQL Data Compare). In such cases, contacting RedGate support with detailed logs and environment information would be recommended. For more information visit Tex9.net.