Backing up and Restoring the pending request in IIS 5 or 6

Backing up the private key of the pending request

1. Go to menu       Start      , select      Run     , type     mmc     and s  elect     OK    .
2.     Console1     window will open . Click    File    and sel ect    Add/Remove Snap-in   . 
3. Select    Add...    button.
4. Select    Certificates    option and click   Add...   
5. Select   Computer Account   (NOTE: This step is very important. It must be the computer account and no ot her account) and click  Next  
6. Select   Local Computer   (the computer this console is r unning on) and click  Finish . 
7. Close the   Add Standalone Snap-in   box, click  OK  in the Add/Remove Snap in and r  eturn to the MMC
8. Look for a folder  Request  or Certificate Enrolment Requests. You can see the Certifi cates folder under it. You can see the corresponding key for the certificate request key that you made earlier.
9. Select the key that you want to back up.
10. Right-click the key, click          All Tasks          and         Export        . 
11.         Certificate                Export Wizard        starts, cli ck        Next        on the Welcome page.
12. Select                    Yes  , export the private key and then click  Next
13. On the  Export File Format  page, accept the default settings, and th en click Next. Note that Enable strong protection (requires IE 5.0, NT 4.0  SP4 or above) is selected.
14. Type and confirm a password for the private key, and then click  Next .
15. Save the key  .pf x file on a set l ocation and click Next.
16. Click Finish. You receive a message that states that the export was successful.

Note : If you do not have the backup of the private key of the pending request, you must make a new certificate request, because there is no way to install the certificate for the corresponding request once it is removed or lost.

Import the backup copy of the private key

Note: This is info for people who have a backup copy of the private key of the pending request.

1. Go to           Start           me nu, select          Run         , type         mmc           and click         OK        . 
2.         Console1         window will open.
3. Click         File         a nd select        Add/Remove Snap in        
4. Select         Add...         button.
5. Select         Certificates         from the        Add Standalone Snap-in        box and click       Add        
6. Select       Computer Account       (NOTE: This step is very important. It must be the computer account and no ot her account) and click      Next      
7. Select       Local computer:       (the computer this console is r unning on) and select      Finish      
8. Close the       Add Standalone Snap-in       box, click      OK      in the     Add/Remove Snap in     and a  dd return to the     MMC    .
9. Look for a folder named     R       equest    or    Certificate Enrolment  Requests   . You can  see the   Certificates   folder u nder it.
10. Right-click it, select    All Tasks    and click   Import  . 
11. When the   Certificate Import Wizard   starts, click  Next . 
12. Locate and select the private key (.pfx) file and go  Next .
13. Type the password for the private key (this is the password that you specified when you backed up the private key for the pending request), and then select Mark the Private key as exportable. Click  Next .
14. Select  Place all certificates in the following store  and go Next. 
15. Click Finish. You receive a message that tells you that the import was successful.
16. The private key of your pending request is now restored.