Understanding PEM and CRT Certificates
Before diving into the process of converting PEM to CRT certificates in Windows 10, let’s first understand what these certificates are. PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail) is a base64 encoded certificate that contains the public key and other information about the certificate. On the other hand, CRT (Certificate) is a binary certificate that contains the public key and other information about the certificate. The main difference between the two is the format in which they are stored.
What are PEM Certificates?
PEM certificates are often used in Linux and Unix-based systems. They are base64 encoded certificates that contain the public key and other information about the certificate, such as the domain name, expiration date, and issuer information.
What are CRT Certificates?
CRT certificates are binary certificates that contain the public key and other information about the certificate. They are often used in Windows-based systems.
Converting PEM to CRT using OpenSSL
To convert a PEM certificate to a CRT certificate in Windows 10, you will need to use OpenSSL. Here are the steps to follow:
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Download OpenSSL for Windows and install it on your system.
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Open the Command Prompt by pressing the Windows key + R and typing “cmd” in the Run dialog box.
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Navigate to the location where your PEM certificate is stored using the “cd” command. For example, if your certificate is stored in the “Downloads” folder, type “cd Downloads” and press Enter.
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Type the following command to convert your PEM certificate to a CRT certificate:
“`
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Replace “cert.pem” with the name of your PEM certificate and “cert.crt” with the name you want to give to your CRT certificate.
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Press Enter to execute the command.
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Your PEM certificate will now be converted to a CRT certificate and saved in the location you specified.
Key takeaway: PEM and CRT certificates differ in the format they are stored and used. PEM is a base64 encoded certificate used in Linux and Unix-based systems, while CRT is a binary certificate used in Windows-based systems. To convert PEM to CRT in Windows 10, OpenSSL is needed and can be done through the Command Prompt.
Verifying the Conversion
To verify that your PEM certificate has been successfully converted to a CRT certificate, you can use the following command:
This command will display the contents of your CRT certificate.
FAQs for convert pem to crt windows 10
What is a PEM file and a CRT file?
PEM file is a base64 encoded format that is used for storing SSL certificates and keys in ASCII text. It contains metadata about the certificate, including the public key, expiration date, the name of the issuing authority, etc. In contrast, the CRT file is a binary form of a certificate which is used for storing a public key.
Why would I need to convert PEM to CRT file format?
In some cases, applications or servers may require the certificate to be in the CRT format instead of PEM format. For example, IIS on Windows servers only recognizes certificates in CRT format. So, if you have a PEM format certificate that needs to be installed on IIS, then you need to convert it to CRT format.
How can I convert PEM to CRT in Windows 10?
Windows 10 doesn’t have any built-in tools to convert a PEM format certificate to a CRT format. However, there are many third-party tools available on the internet that can do this. OpenSSL is one of the most widely used tools for such conversions. You can download OpenSSL from the official website and follow the instructions to install it on your Windows 10 machine.
How can I use OpenSSL to convert PEM to CRT?
Once OpenSSL is installed, you can use the following command to convert your PEM format certificate to CRT format:
openssl x509 -outform der -in certificate.pem -out certificate.crt
Replace certificate.pem with the name of your PEM format certificate and certificate.crt with the name you want for your CRT format certificate.
Can I verify if the conversion was successful?
Yes, you can use the following command to verify if the conversion was successful:
openssl verify -CAfile certificate.crt certificate.crt
If the certificate verifies successfully, then the conversion was successful.