IIS 7: PFX Certificate Import

Overview

This guide demonstrates how to import an SSL certificate from a PFX (PKCS#12) file into IIS 7.0 or 7.5 on Windows Server 2008 / 2008 R2. PFX files are used when the certificate was generated using the FairSSL CSR service, exported from another server, or restored from a backup.

Note: IIS 7.0 and 7.5 on Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 reached End of Life (EOL) in January 2016. We strongly recommend upgrading to Windows Server 2022 or 2025. This guide is maintained for legacy reference only.

Prerequisites

Windows Server 2008 or 2008 R2 running IIS 7.0 or 7.5
Administrative access to the server
A PFX file and its associated password

Step 1 – Open MMC and add the Certificates snap-in

Log in to the server with administrator privileges.
Press Windows + R, type mmc.exe, and click OK.
Go to File → Add/Remove Snap-in.
Select Certificates and click Add.
Select Computer account and click Next.
Select Local computer, then click Finish and OK.

[Screenshot: MMC → Add/Remove Snap-in → Certificates]

Step 2 – Import the PFX file

Expand Certificates (Local Computer) → Personal.
Right-click on Personal → All Tasks → Import.
Click Browse and change the file extension filter to Personal Information Exchange (*.pfx;*.p12).
Select your PFX file and click Open.
Enter the password for the PFX file. Check Mark this key as exportable if you want to be able to export the certificate again later.
Select Automatically select the certificate store based on the type of certificate.
Click Next and then Finish.

[Screenshot: MMC → Personal → Import PFX]

Step 3 – Bind the certificate to a website

Open IIS Manager (inetmgr).
Navigate to the target website under Sites in the Connections pane.
Right-click the website and select Edit Bindings.
Click Add and select the following:
- Type: https
- IP address: The server's IP address (IIS 7 requires a unique IP per certificate as it does not support SNI)
- Port: 443
- SSL certificate: Select the newly imported certificate
Click OK and Close.

[Screenshot: IIS 7 → Edit Bindings → Add HTTPS]

Troubleshooting

"The password is not correct": PFX passwords are case-sensitive.
Certificate appears in MMC but not in IIS: Verify that you imported the certificate into the Local Computer store, not the Current User store. You may need to restart IIS using iisreset.
Private key icon is missing: The PFX file did not contain the private key. Please use the original PFX file that includes the private key.