How to Export a Digital Certificate to a USB – Step-by-Step Guide

Do you want to learn how export a digital certificate to a USB? Digital certificates are tools that can help when it comes to carry out online procedures related to public administration. They can be stored in the browser for use when needed. In Spain, for example, they are delivered by the National Mint and Stamp Factory (FNMT). Although they are also granted by these authorized professional associations or by the European Digital Trust Agency.

 It is always recommended to export your certificate to a USB drive to create a backup on and off your computer. This is in case the computer you are using keeps breaking down or the browser is having problems.

The process to get them is a bit cumbersome, since you not only have to apply for it online, but you also have to go to a registrar in person. Which takes a lot of time, so once you have it, it is important to make a backup copy, which will not take more than a few minutes.

In this tutorial, we will explain step by step how to export a digital certificate to a USB flash drive. In the same way, how to use it in other browsers. Be careful when choosing the device you will use to store your certificate. Make sure it is for strictly personal use and only used in places you fully trust.

What are the reasons and uses for which you will have to export a digital certificate to a USB to import it to another PC?

There may be different reasons why you want to create a copy of a digital certificate, one of them being to send it to another computer. As we mentioned above, These are used for public administration procedures, in the name of the certificate holder.

Here you can read about: Solution: “Please Insert A Disk Into The USB Drive” Without Losing Data

This means that another person will not be able to use your data to carry out their own procedures, so it is important that each user has their own. They can be used in different browsers or from another computer using a USB key or portable memory. so that I can reinstall it, and thus avoid the hassle of reapplying and downloading it.

You're probably wondering why What is one of these elements used for? This has several functions, some of them are for sign certain documents such as PDF y Become. Also to be able to identify correctamente via Internet.

On the other hand, it offers advantages, such as Possibility of securing access to banking data and electronic administration, as well as helping streamline procedures and other administrative procedures online. That is why it is essential to download and import it on any other (external) computer to protect it.

Steps to export a digital certificate to a USB

The main thing and more It is important to have a digital certificate already downloaded to your computer. Whatever the Web navigator whichever one you are in, you will only have to follow a series of steps that may vary slightly depending on which one you are using to carry out the process.

Recommended browsers for this are: Internet Explorer (Edge) and Mozilla Firefox, although you can use Google Chrome and others of your choice. Let's look at the following cases:

Method 1: Export a digital certificate to a USB with Google Chrome

Before creating the copy of your safety certificate in Google Chrome, make sure you have installed your digital certificate and the keys associated with it. You can see them in the “Certificate Store”.

 The steps to be carried out are the following:

1. Step 1:: You will press the button "Menu".
2. Step 2:: Then choose the option "Setting".

3. Step 3:: Now you will proceed to search "Advanced configuration". For that you will go down a little on the screen, it is at the bottom.
4. Step 4:: You will find the option “Manage certificates”.

5. Step 5:: In the tab "Staff", you will choose the certificate that belongs to you and then click on "To export".

6. Step 6:: Now a window will open that says «Certificate Export Wizard». In it, you will click on "Following".

7. Step 7:: Check the option »Export the private key» then click "Following".

8. Step 8:: In the other window that will appear, you are not going to modify any parameters, you will simply press "Following".
9. Step 9: On the next tab, you need to create a key, which will protect the file you are going to create with your online certification data. You will choose the option "Password" and then you will have to enter the new password, make sure it is difficult to guess and you can remember it without any problem.
10. Step 10: Now you just have to re-enter the same password to confirm and press "Following".

11. Step 11:: Now you are going to define the location where you will save the file, for that you will click on "Explore" and indicate the destination. In this case, you want it to be a device USB (USB flash drive).

NOTE: : You just need to connect the device storage to the PC and find the storage address of the same. Indicates the file name, you can use: identification certificate with the extension pfx. Finally, you will click on "Following".

12. Step 12:: You will click on "Finish".
13. Step 13: A new window will open, in case the digital certificate you are exporting has a connection key, which was created at the time it was generated or you created it. This will be called the CryptoAPI private key There, you will just click on "To accept".

14. Step 14:: The wizard will warn you that the export was successful, just click on "To accept".
15. Finally, and the most important, you locate the file you created and you must change the Pfx extension to P12. Although the two are equivalent, there are applications that request the certificate for .p12. (This is a necessary process for every file you export, regardless of the browser you are doing it from.)
16. Step 16:: To change the file extension, all you have to do is right click on the file and choose the option “Rename”, delete extension pfx and place p12.

Method 2: Export a digital certificate to a USB with Mozilla Firefox

As in the previous cases, First make sure that the certificates you are going to export are installed in the browser, If this is the case, we proceed to carry out the processes to create a backup copy of these to use on another computer.

It should be noted that if the browser is removed, if it is reinstalled Windows or if you format and change the PC, you will lose everything y you will have to request it again, which is why a backup is essential.

1. Step 1:: Look for the option "Menu" then choose »Options», then choose »Confidentiality and security» and finally »Certificates». There, you will choose »Show certificates».

2. Step 2:: It is possible that the system asks you to enter a password. This will be the one that belongs to the digital certificate you created.
3. Step 3:: You will go to the tab »Your certificates» and you will choose the one you are going to export then you will click on »Make a copy».

4. Step 4:: Now you are going to indicate the path where the file will be saved, In this case it will be a portable storage device, we indicate this path, followed by the name with which we will identify the file. You will click on "To accept" to continue.
5. Step 5:: Now you will create a backup password, which will protect the file you are backing up, This same key will be requested each time the file is installed on a new computer or browser.
6. Step 6: You must create a password between 4 and 8 digits, Be careful that it will not be easy to guess and avoid using personal data, birthdays or similar. But you can remember it and not forget it easily. Confirm the password and click on "To accept".
7. Step 7: The system will send you a message that the export was successful, just click “Accept".

Method 3: Export a digital certificate to a USB from Microsoft Edge (Explorer)

Unfortunately, It is not possible to export digital certificates from Microsoft Edge, the same program does not allow its users any action on them.

 But we can use Internet Explorer for this purpose, because it is fully functional and should not have any issues when using it.

1. Step 1:: Go to "Internet Explorer".
2. Step 2: Click on "Setting" Then in »Internet Options».

3. Step 3:: You press the window "Content" and select the option «Certificates».

4. Step 4:: Your personal certificate will appear with your first and last name, which you can find in the tab "Staff", select it and click on "To export".
5. Step 5: In the window «Certificate Export Wizard», just click "Next".
6. Step 6: Do not change any of the settings that appear on the screen, just press "Following".

NOTE: : The parameters that will appear on the screen are the following: “PKCS #12 Personal Information Exchange (PFX)” / “Include all certificates in the certification path” (if possible).

7. Step 7: You are simply going to create a word of Password to enter each time the certificate is installed on another computer or browser. This allows for a maximum of 8 digits.
8. Step 8: Finally, decide where you want to save the file. As you want to use an external memory or a USB key, you will connect it to the computer and it will indicate the path to save it and the name of the memory. Click on "Following" and finally in "Finish".
9. Step 9: You can ask for the private exchange key; This is the one used when using the digital certificate from the browser.

You forgot your digital certificate password, how can I recover it?

If you forgot your password to log in and use your digital certificate, there is no remote way to get it back. Therefore, you will have to go to the public administration center where you made the request and report that you have lost it. Afterwards, You will have to create a new digital certificate and repeat the steps for correct installation in your browser.

You may also be interested in reading about: How to Customize Icons on USB – Guide

Conclusion

As you can see, these are the 3 methods you can use to export a digital certificate to a USB. You just have to follow these steps in detail. You can also do it in other browsers such as safari, Opera, among others. We hope we have helped you with this information.