Guides & Tutorials
Step-by-step guides for SSL certificate management and implementation
20 articles in this category
How to Install an S/MIME Certificate in Outlook (Windows, Mac & Web)
Get your S/MIME certificate working in every Outlook: import the .pfx into the store each version actually reads — Windows store, Outlook's own S/MIME settings, or the macOS Keychain — pick it as your signing certificate, and trade one signed email before you encrypt. Includes the five errors that stop most first setups.
What Is a Document Signing Certificate? Digital PDF Signatures Explained
A document signing certificate ties a CA-verified identity to your PDF and Office signatures. What separates it from a typed e-signature, how the cryptography works, what Adobe AATL membership changes for recipients, and how the eIDAS levels decide legal weight.
How to Sign a Windows Driver (Attestation Signing, Step by Step)
Kernel drivers only load when Microsoft signs them: what your EV certificate actually signs, the attestation submission in Partner Center step by step, why Windows Server needs WHQL instead, and what the April 2026 cross-signing cutoff broke.
How to Sign an MSI or MSIX Installer (Step by Step)
Sign MSI and MSIX installers with SignTool: why packages sign from the inside out, the one-signature-per-MSI rule that breaks dual signing, the MSIX publisher-match check behind error 0x8007000B, and how Inno Setup, NSIS, and WiX bundles each get signed.
How to Sign a JAR with jarsigner (Step by Step)
Sign a JAR with jarsigner: find your alias with keytool, sign from a keystore file or a PKCS#11 hardware token, timestamp with -tsa, verify with -verify -certs -strict, and decode the warnings — including why modern JDKs treat SHA-1-signed JARs as unsigned.
How to Sign a PowerShell Script (Step by Step)
Sign a PowerShell script with Set-AuthenticodeSignature: pick the right certificate, force SHA256 (Windows PowerShell 5.1 still defaults to SHA-1), add a timestamp, verify with Get-AuthenticodeSignature, and fix HashMismatch, UnknownError, and the untrusted-publisher prompt.
How to Sign an EXE with SignTool (Step by Step)
Sign a Windows EXE with SignTool: install it from the Windows SDK, run signtool sign with /fd SHA256 and an RFC 3161 timestamp, verify the result, and fix the errors most first attempts hit.
How to Redirect HTTP to HTTPS: Apache, Nginx, IIS & WordPress
Force HTTPS with a single 301 redirect: copy-paste configs for Apache, Nginx, IIS, and WordPress, the X-Forwarded-Proto rule that fixes redirect loops behind Cloudflare and load balancers, and why HSTS is the necessary second step.
OpenSSL Commands Cheat Sheet: Keys, CSR, Inspect & Convert
Essential OpenSSL commands: generate keys and CSRs, inspect certs, convert PEM/PFX/DER formats, and test live TLS connections. Updated for 3.5 LTS and 4.0.
How to Renew an SSL Certificate: A Step-by-Step 2026 Guide
Renew your SSL certificate in 5 steps: generate a new CSR, submit to your CA, complete validation, install, and verify. Updated for 199-day certificate lifetimes.
Multi-Domain SSL Certificates: What They Are, SAN vs UCC, and When You Need One
A multi-domain SSL certificate secures up to 250 distinct hostnames — across different root domains — on a single certificate. Learn what SAN certificates cover, DV/OV/EV options, 199-day validity impact, and when to choose multi-domain over wildcard.
Wildcard SSL Certificates: What *.domain.com Covers, DV vs OV, and When to Buy One
A wildcard SSL certificate secures every direct subdomain of one domain with a single certificate. Learn what *.domain.com covers, DV vs OV wildcard differences, why EV wildcards don't exist, and how the 199-day limit affects renewal.