If you use digital certificates to sign files or macros in Microsoft Office XP, there may be times when you need to transfer these certificates to another computer so that you can use them there. The following are some examples of when you might want to transfer your certificates:

• You are moving all of your data from one computer to another computer.
• You are using multiple computers, and you want to use the same certificate on all of them.
• You are using personal, unauthenticated certificates. You may be able to share custom solutions or macros with another person who trusts you.

Caution  Because the private key is what authenticates your digital signature, you should be very careful about exporting your private key. For example, it is best if you export your private key only to computers employing security technology to which you have exclusive access.

Exporting a digital certificate

1. On the Microsoft Windows taskbar, click Start, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Internet Options.
3. On the Content tab, under Certificates, click Certificates, and then select the certificate you want to export.
4. Click Export.
5. Follow the instructions in the Certificate Export Wizard.
6. When prompted, click Browse to select a location, and then type a file name for the exported certificate. The file name should have a .pfx extension.

To transfer the exported certificate to another computer, you can send it as an attachment in an e-mail message or copy it to a floppy disk or shared server location. To import the certificate to the new computer, copy it to a folder on the new computer, double-click it, and then follow the instructions in the Import Wizard.