Extract text from SNK files
To convert your SNK file to another format, you need Microsoft Visual Studio or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "Cryptographic Key" file type, you need software like Microsoft Visual Studio or a similar tool.
A .SNK file is a Strong Name Key utilized primarily within the Microsoft .NET Framework development ecosystem. These files store a cryptographic key pair - containing both the private and public keys - used to sign managed assemblies (such as DLL and EXE files). This signature guarantees the code's uniqueness and integrity, preventing distinct assemblies from having the same identity.
Because .SNK files are binary, attempting to open them in a standard text editor like Notepad++ yields unintelligible gibberish. A common catch for developers is the rigid proprietary nature of the format; it is designed specifically for the Strong Name tool (sn.exe) and Visual Studio. Furthermore, managing these files poses a security risk: because the file contains the private key, it cannot be safely shared or checked into public source control without exposing the publisher's identity. If the original .SNK file is lost, you effectively lose the ability to issue valid updates for your application.
To safely share the identity without compromising security, users typically need to convert the .SNK file. The most common operation is extracting the Public Key (often saved as PUB) to share with partners for delay-signing. For broader compatibility with modern certificate stores, converting the raw key pair to the PFX (Personal Information Exchange) format is recommended. In rare cases involving Microsoft SQL Server, a .SNK file may function as a Report Server encryption key backup, requiring restoration via the rskeymgmt tool rather than standard conversion.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SNK file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted P8, PUBLIC, PCPKEY and PFX files.
If you want to convert SNK file to PFX, BASE64, HEX, BIN, ENC, CRYPT, AES, DES, RSA, PGP, GPG or ASC, you can use Microsoft Visual Studio or similar software from the "Cryptographic Key Pair" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert CER, BIN, PEM, DER, KEY, P7S, PFX, ENC, P12, BASE64, P7B or HEX files to SNK, try Microsoft Visual Studio or another comparable tool in the "Cryptographic Key Pair" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our SNK converter.