How to Generate a CSR for SSL Certificates on Windows (2024)

FAQs

How to Generate a CSR for SSL Certificates on Windows? ›

Generate a new Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from your hosting provider. Activate your SSL certificate from your hosting dashboard. Validate your SSL certificate using the generated CSR. Install your new SSL certificate either manually or via contacting your hosting provider.

Generate a new Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from your hosting provider. Activate your SSL certificate from your hosting dashboard. Validate your SSL certificate using the generated CSR. Install your new SSL certificate either manually or via contacting your hosting provider.

General CSR Creation Guidelines

When you generate a CSR, most server software asks for the following information: common name (e.g., www.example.com), organization name and location (country, state/province, city/town), key type (typically RSA), and key size (2048-bit minimum).

To create a CSR, we need the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). To start it, we click on Start > Search program and files type the command mmc then press Enter to run the Snap-in console. From File menu select Add/remove Snap-in option. Select Certificates then click Add button.

CSR generation through Powershell

Win+R >> powershell >> Enter. *Where script_file_name. ps1 is the script file and can have any suitable name. In the opened Notepad window, paste the whole code from here and save the file by pressing Ctrl+S or by using the File >> Save As menu.

Some servers, including Apache and NGINX servers, allow you to use the old CSR to renew or reissue your SSL certificate and install a new certificate without generating a new CSR; however, security best practices suggest that you should generate a new private key and CSR when renewing or reissuing your SSL certificate.

A CSR can be generated in any computer as it contains information identifying the applicant to the domain certificate (and not the server), such as: Country. State. Organization.

Can you generate a CSR anywhere? ›

No. It is not necessary to generate the CSR on the machine that you want to host the resulting certificate on. The CSR does need to be generated either using the existing private key that the certificate will be eventually paired with or its matching private key is generated as part of the CSR creation process.

CSR is generally categorized in four ways: environmental responsibility, ethical/human rights responsibility, philanthropic responsibility and economic responsibility.

Right Click on the Personal folder and navigate to: All Tasks > Advanced Operations > Create Custom Request…. The Certificate Enrollment wizard should appear. Click Next proceeding past the “Select Certificate Enrollment Policy” and “Custom Request” options without making changes.

To get an SSL certificate without a domain, you must provide proof of ownership of the IP address. This is done by verifying that you have control over the server hosting the website associated with the public IP. A public IP address is reachable from the internet.