Tips to open CER file

Can't open the CER file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open CER files as well as a list of programs that support CER files.

CER file extension

File Name Internet Security Certificate
File Category Web Files

The CER file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the CER files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the CER file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is CER file?

The file with the extension CER is the Web Files file type. Web Files consists of 303 similar files. Internet Security Certificate appears on 3 operating systems as a functional file. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Linux, Mac OS, Windows. The Safari application is recommended to open the file. It was released by Apple, Inc.. There are also 8 alternative programs to handle the CER file. The Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer programs will also handle the file when the Safari program does not fulfill its role.

How to open CER file?

An often recurring problem with Internet Security Certificate is that CER is not associated with the correct program file. Thus, when you open CER, the program selection wizard or some other program starts. This problem can be easily remedied.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the CER file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Safari

An often overlooked issue is to make sure that Safari is installed on the computer. This can be achieved by typing Safari into the operating system search engine. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Below you will find a list of applications that support CER files.

Step 2. Create association of Safari with CER files

However, it may happen that the application itself does not cause the CER file to open in the Safari application, but you can set it manually. The association can be created using the drop-down list available by right-clicking on the file and selecting Properties. The window will show, among other things, the type of the file and the information by which the program is used to launch the file. Using the "Change" button we can select the desired program. The program should be visible in the window, otherwise it should be selected manually using the "Browse" button and the program installation directory should be indicated. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Safari application as the default for handling the CER file.

Step 3. Update Safari to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Safari program with the Internet Security Certificate file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. In this case, use the Apple, Inc. website or update the program from the application.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the CER file

The problem may also be with the file itself if the above steps don't work. File problems can be divided into the following:

The CER file may be unusually small compared to the original file. Usually this applies to CER files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The operating system may be infected with a computer virus. A quick virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should clear up any doubts. Some antivirus vendors also provide free online scanners. The scan should cover the entire computer, not only the CER file that we want to open. However, remember that not every infected CER file can be recovered, so it is important to take care of regular backups.
A typical compatibility error - the program does not support the older version of the CER file. These problems are known and are often very easy to fix using the software developers's website.
There can be many reasons for this. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular CER file corruption. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact N/A
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted file CER except for the special designation, works normally, but only on the device where it was encrypted, before transferring it to another machine, decryption is required.
Some of the system directories are excluded from modification. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. Copying the CER file to another location will fix the problem.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. You may find that another program you are using is preventing you from working with the file. Closing other programs should help. Sometimes it is necessary to wait a while before referencing the CER file again. Some anti-virus or backup software may occupy the CER file for a certain period of time. If this does not work either, restart the device.