PRB: "Failed to Get Cryptographic Context" Error Message When You Use the Commerce Server 2002 CryptoAPI

Commerce Server 2002 supports asymmetric encryption and one-way hashing to permit you to encrypt profile properties. When you use this encryption (by using the CryptoAPI), depending on your configuration, you may receive the following error message when you try to gain access to the profile system:

This problem occurs because the ASPNET account does not have the correct permissions to gain access to the MachineKeys folder.

To avoid this problem, change the permissions on the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys folder. Give the ASPNET user the following permissions on this folder, subfolder, and files:

• List Folder / Read Data
• Read Extended Attributes
• Create Files / Write Data
• Create Folders / Append Data
• Write Attributes
• Write Extended Attributes
• Read Permissions

To change these permissions, right-click the folder, and then click Properties. On the Security tab, click Advanced.

If the ASPNET account has been replaced by a new local account or a domain account, you must give change the permissions for this new account on the MachineKeys folder.