Certificate import and export operations support four file formats. Choose the format that meets your specific requirements.

• Personal Information Exchange (PKCS #12)
  
  The Personal Information Exchange format (PFX, also called PKCS #12) supports secure storage of certificates, private keys, and all certificates in a certification path.
  
  The PKCS #12 format is the only file format that can be used to export a certificate and its private key.
  
  
• Cryptographic Message Syntax Standard (PKCS #7)
  
  The PKCS #7 format supports storage of certificates and all certificates in the certification path.
  
  
• DER-encoded binary X.509
  
  The Distinguished Encoding Rules (DER) format supports storage of a single certificate. This format does not support storage of the private key or certification path.
  
  
• Base64-encoded X.509
  
  The Base64 format supports storage of a single certificate. This format does not support storage of the private key or certification path.
  
  

Additional references

• Certificates Overview
  
  
• Import a Certificate
  
  
• Export a Certificate
  
  
• Export a Certificate with the Private Key
  
  
• View the Certificates in a PKCS #7 file
  
  

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