How to generate a self-signed certificate from IIS

For test purposes, it is sometime useful to generate a dummy certificate on your test environment. You can do that by using different ways:

- Create a certificate request and send it to a trusted Certifcate Autority (verisign, thawte etc.).

- Create a Domain certificate. To do that, you will need to setup a Certificate Autority on your domain.

- Create a self signed certificate. IIS has the ability to generate a had oc certificate on your machine. Note that this certificate will only be known and trusted on your machine. For example, you cannot use it over the web to sign your production website.

Here is the procedure to generate a self-signed certificate on IIS 7.x:

1. run inetmgr command

2. Go to the server level and select Server Certificates

3. On the right panel, click on Create Self-Signed Certificate.

4. specify a frendly name for your certificate

5. {Your certificate is beeing signed by your machine and placed in the personal certificate store on your machine}

Now your certificate can be now used on your machine !