Expired address encryption certificate (sender’s certificate): How do I import a new software certificate into my existing VPS mailbox?

Software certificates are normally issued for a limited period.

The validity of the software certificate for address encryption, which is issued when a VPS mailbox is set up and must be assigned to the VPS mailbox, has a validity period of three years.

After the validity period has expired, you can still collect or receive old VPS messages that were sent to the old certificate. However, it is not possible to create or send new VPS messages before you have created a new software certificate and assigned it to the mailbox.

Please always update the address encryption certificate when you make changes in the name and/or organisation of the mailbox business card, otherwise there will be differences between the address encryption certificate and the externally visible address.

This can be done by following the steps below:

1. Open VPSMail and enter your PIN to login to the mailbox where the certificate needs to be changed.
2. Press the button ‘Receive’ from the upper menu bar to call up old messages that were sent to the old certificate.
3. Go to Mailbox – Edit or alternatively press the keyboard shortcut Crtl + 1 and select the ‘Basic Settings’ tab.
4. Click the button ‘Create’.
5. If possible, please do not change any fields that will be imported from the business card.
6. Choose a PIN of 4 to 8 digits. There is no compulsion to change your PIN. You are free to use the PIN you have previously used.
7. Press ‘Create’.
8. Enter a file name for the new certificate under which it will be stored in the file system. Once confirmed, two files, *.p12 and *.crt will be stored under the specified file path.
9. When returning to the ‘Basic Settings’ window, you will automatically be asked to enter your PIN and the newly created certificate will be selected.
10. Select the newly created software certificate or another existing certificate and confirm by clicking ‘OK’.

Subsequently, the new certificate will be synchronised with the Registration Server. Before the next certificate is entered, the intermediary server is checked for unread messages under the old certificate.

Please be aware that the newly selected software certificate has only been successfully transmitted to the VPS registration server if a note in red appears at the bottom of the dialogue window, confirming the entry of the software certificate to the Registration Server. You will only then be able to receive VPS messages directed to the new address encryption certificate.

You can then only receive VPS messages that are addressed to the newly created address encryption certificate.

Finally, you have to restart the mailbox before you can create and send new messages.