How to set up IIS to download CA Root Certificate : Inetserver

Hi,

I have copied my sites SSL CA Root Certificate to my web sites root
for users to download and install on their browser. When I visit
http://www.mysite.com/cacert.cer the browser returns an error saying
the file is not found where it is infact there. Does anybody know what
is going on here? How do I work around this problem.

Thanks

The problem is that file type cer is not a known mime type. Either you need
to provide a cert in a different file type or you need to add cer as a known
mime type.

Quite a few certificate file types are known mime types. Many begin with
the letter "p". Some are p7b, p7c, pfx, ...

To view the mime types, open Properties in the IIS Manager at the server.

If you decide to add cer, make it look like a txt file.

"Mo" <le_mo_mo@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1178888622.095034.326270@y5g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I have copied my sites SSL CA Root Certificate to my web sites root
> for users to download and install on their browser. When I visit
> http://www.mysite.com/cacert.cer the browser returns an error saying
> the file is not found where it is infact there. Does anybody know what
> is going on here? How do I work around this problem.
>
> Thanks
>

Thank you for your suggestion. Somehow I still have the same problem.I
added the Mime Types under IIS properties using:

..cer MIME type text/plain
and
..cer MIME type application/x-x509-ca-cert

but still when I call the file I get the followig error

HTTP Error 404 - File or directory not found.
Internet Information Services (IIS)

If I change the extension to txt the file can be pulled from the site.
If I change the extension to pfx, I can download the file but I can
not install it and I get an error. I am trying to avoid having the
user rename the certificate file. when the file is in cer format, I
can directly open it on the client and add it to the trusted root
contract authorities.

Thanks,
Mo

Hi,

Please look in the IIS logfiles. There will be a HTTP substatus code along
with the 404 entry. It may not be a MIME type problem at all.

Check here for differing reasons for 404:
http://www.adopenstatic.com/faq/IISR...rocessing.aspx

Cheers
Ken

"Mo" <le_mo_mo@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1178939944.306524.283440@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> Thank you for your suggestion. Somehow I still have the same problem.I
> added the Mime Types under IIS properties using:
>
> .cer MIME type text/plain
> and
> .cer MIME type application/x-x509-ca-cert
>
> but still when I call the file I get the followig error
>
> HTTP Error 404 - File or directory not found.
> Internet Information Services (IIS)
>
> If I change the extension to txt the file can be pulled from the site.
> If I change the extension to pfx, I can download the file but I can
> not install it and I get an error. I am trying to avoid having the
> user rename the certificate file. when the file is in cer format, I
> can directly open it on the client and add it to the trusted root
> contract authorities.
>
> Thanks,
> Mo
>

Your experiences tell me that the issue is a mime type issue. txt is a known
mime type. Text/plain is the right choice if you exported as base-64
encoded. DER encoded binary will require application/octet-stream.
However, after renaming to .txt, the file should download. Did you restart
IIS after adding cer?

You cannot rename the file type to pfx but you can export the certificate to
a format with a different file type. In the certificate export wizard the
third choice is Cryptographic Message Syntax Standard - PKCS #7 Certificates
(.P7B). That is a known mime type that I cited in my earlier posting. I
would also check the box to include all certificates in the chain.

Certificate import programs know about P7B file types.

"Mo" <le_mo_mo@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1178939944.306524.283440@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> Thank you for your suggestion. Somehow I still have the same problem.I
> added the Mime Types under IIS properties using:
>
> .cer MIME type text/plain
> and
> .cer MIME type application/x-x509-ca-cert
>
> but still when I call the file I get the followig error
>
> HTTP Error 404 - File or directory not found.
> Internet Information Services (IIS)
>
> If I change the extension to txt the file can be pulled from the site.
> If I change the extension to pfx, I can download the file but I can
> not install it and I get an error. I am trying to avoid having the
> user rename the certificate file. when the file is in cer format, I
> can directly open it on the client and add it to the trusted root
> contract authorities.
>
> Thanks,
> Mo
>

On May 12, 6:23 am, "Rich Raffenetti"
<rich@raffenetti_takethisout.com> wrote:
> Your experiences tell me that the issue is a mime type issue. txt is a known
> mime type. Text/plain is the right choice if you exported as base-64
> encoded. DER encoded binary will require application/octet-stream.
> However, after renaming to .txt, the file should download. Did you restart
> IIS after adding cer?
>
> You cannot rename the file type to pfx but you can export the certificate to
> a format with a different file type. In the certificate export wizard the
> third choice is Cryptographic Message Syntax Standard - PKCS #7 Certificates
> (.P7B). That is a known mime type that I cited in my earlier posting. I
> would also check the box to include all certificates in the chain.
>
> Certificate import programs know about P7B file types.
>
> "Mo" <le_mo...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> news:1178939944.306524.283440@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > Thank you for your suggestion. Somehow I still have the same problem.I
> > added the Mime Types under IIS properties using:
>
> > .cer MIME type text/plain
> > and
> > .cer MIME type application/x-x509-ca-cert
>
> > but still when I call the file I get the followig error
>
> > HTTP Error 404 - File or directory not found.
> > Internet Information Services (IIS)
>
> > If I change the extension to txt the file can be pulled from the site.
> > If I change the extension to pfx, I can download the file but I can
> > not install it and I get an error. I am trying to avoid having the
> > user rename the certificate file. when the file is in cer format, I
> > can directly open it on the client and add it to the trusted root
> > contract authorities.
>
> > Thanks,
> > Mo- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -


If one changes MIME Type at the global level, it requires restarting
IIS for it take effect.
If one changes MIME Type at the web server or below levels, it is
instaneous.


//David
http://w3-4u.blogspot.com
http://blogs.msdn.com/David.Wang
//

I know this thread is two / three years old but yet probably many people will look for answers and this one is never solved or i just have a similar problem i'd like to post the answer here so if someone looks for it he will find the answer quicker

like php, cer is an application en thus IIS will execute it as it where an dynamic webpage
(I have a dutch windows 2003 server so please match the correct tabs/buttons)
you can delete it on global level or on website level \
- click rightmouse on websites or the website you want to change
- go to the base folder tab
- click configuration
- you can see a list with extensions. Delete the .cer from the list.
-close all the windows by clicking the "OK" button

now the webserver will treat the *.cer files as a regular file if not..try adding the mimetype as stated in the other posts in this thread!