Overview

Many applications such as Internet Explorer, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat and Office XP (Word), etc. require that one's digital ID be contained in Microsoft's "Key Container". The steps listed below summarize how one imports their digital ID into the "Key Container" if it is not already there. (Please Note: If you are using a smart card or a USB token (e.g. an iKey) as a "Key Container, it is not necessary to import your digital ID into the Microsoft Key container.)

One begins by accesing the Internet Properties window. To access this window,

• Select the "Start" button at the right, left-hand corner of your screen.
• Click on "Settings", then "Control Panel" and then "Internet Options". 

 

 

This causes the "Internet Properties" page to be displayed as illustrated below. 

Click on the "Content" tab, (shaded red in the above figure) to display the "Content Options" illustrated below.

Click the "Certificates..." button (shaded red in the above example) to display the "Certificates Window" illustrated below. When the "Certificate Window" appears, the active tab should be the "Personal" tab and the window should look like the illustration below. If the "Personal" tab is not active, click it to activate it. 

If no certificates are listed or if the one you want to import is not one of the listed certificates, click the "Import..." button (shaded red).

If no certificates are listed, as illustrated above, or if the one you want to import is not one of the listed certificates, click the "Import..." button (shaded red). This will trigger the "Certificate Import Wizard". 

• Click the "Next >" button in the Wizard window

• Enter the path to the file that contains the digital ID to be imported
• Click the "Next>" button.

• Enter the password that protects the digital ID on the file being imported.
• Check the "Enable strong private key protection." option.
• If you want to be able to export the digital ID from the Microsoft key container to a file, chect the "Mark the private key as exportable" option.
• Click the "Next >" button.

• Leave the "Automatically select ..." option checked.
• Click the "Next > " button.

• Click the "Finish" Button in the Completing Certificate Import Wizard.

The following example screens ilustrate how you

• set the security level to High for you "Key Container",
• create an identifier for your "Key Container",
• create a password for accessing your "Key Container", and
• create and insert a public key into your "Key Container".

When the screen illustrated on the left appears, click Set Security Level

When asked to "Choose a security level  approprite for this item contained in your Protected Storage", select  High Next >

The screen to the left prompts you to  create an identity for you private key, (e.g. jdoe) then create a password for accessing your key, Seclect Finish This is the password you MUST NOT FORGET!

Security level should already be set to "High". If not, set it to "High". Click "OK"