Remote Desktop Connection & Certicate Errors

I use Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) to connect from my Windows 7 (Home Premium SP1 64-bit) laptop to my Vista (Home Premium SP1 64-bit) desktop computer.  Until recently, every time I tried to connect, the following message was displayed:

[Note: In the image above, I replaced the name of my desktop computer with <remote computer>]

Of course, I could always proceed to connect by pressing Yes, but I still found the warning perplexing if not annoying.

Clicking the View Certificate button displays the certificate panel, with a button to Install Certificate.  Clicking that invokes the Certificate Import Wizard.  But successfully importing the certificate using the Wizard never remedied my issue.

It turns out that the Wizard only installed the server authentication certificate in my Current User's Intermediate Certification Authorities Certificates store, rather than in my Local Computer's Trusted Root Certification Authorities Certificates store, where it needs to be.

The following site provided me with the solution that worked for me:
http://serverfault.com/questions/7653/remote-desktop-keeps-asking-me-to-accept-a-certificate 

The solution uses the Microsoft Management Console (mmc.exe), running one or more snap-ins for Certificates (for Local Computer or Current User), to install (or move/copy) the remote computer's Remote Desktop Server Authentication certificate to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities certificates store (for Local Computer) on the client computer.

Here are the instructions given there (which I've copied almost verbatim). Skip to Method 2 below if you've already imported the certificate on the client computer, perhaps by running the Wizard while using RDP to connect:

Method 1 - Part 1:  Export Certificate on Server

First the certificate needs to be exported to a file. On the server, i.e. the computer you'd like to connect to:

1. Run %windir%\System32\mmc.exe
2. Menu File -> Add/Remove Snap-in...
3. Select Certificates -> Add > -> Computer account -> Local computer -> Finish
4. OK the Add or Remove Snap-ins dialog. The console should now contain Certificates (Local Computer).
5. Select Certificates (Local Computer) -> Remote Desktop -> Certificates. There should be a single certificate with your computer's name.
6. Open the certificate.
7. Open the Details tab.
8. Copy to File...
9. Select any format, e.g. DER encoded binary X.509 (.CER).
10. Type in any file name, e.g. <computername>.cer.
11. Copy the file to your client computer.

Another way to get the certificate is to follow steps 6 to 10 on your client computer, by selecting View Certificate from the Remote Desktop warning dialog mentioned. But you're trusting the network in this case. At least compare the fingerprints, so you can be sure you trust the right certificate.

Method 1 - Part 2:  Import Certificate on Client

On the client, i.e. the computer you're connecting from, and receive the warning popup, do:

1. Run %windir%\System32\mmc.exe
2. Menu File -> Add/Remove Snap-in...
3. Select Certificates -> Add -> Computer account -> Local computer -> Finish
4. OK the Add or Remove Snap-ins dialog. The console should now contain Certificates (Local Computer).
5. Select Certificates (Local Computer) -> Trusted Root Certification Authorities -> Certificates.
6. Menu Action -> All Tasks -> Import....
7. Enter the path to the exported certificate, e.g. <computername>.cer.
8. Place all certificates in the following store -> Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
9. Finish. You should no longer receive the warning.

Method 2:  Move Certificate on Client

If you already installed the certificate through the warning dialog, you can find the certificate in the current user's store. Skip the steps above and just move the certificate to the right place:

1. Follow steps 1 to 3 as described in "Import Certificate on Client."
2. Add another Certificates snap-in, this time for My user account.
3. The certificate should be here somewhere. Try Certificates - Current User -> Intermediate Certification Authorities -> Certificates first.
4. Drag-and-drop or cut-and-paste the certificate to Certificates (Local Computer) -> Trusted Root Certification Authorities -> Certificates. Note that the certificate stores stack, so you will still see the certificate in you user's store! You should no longer receive the warning.