Tips to open P12 file

Can't open the P12 file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open P12 files as well as a list of programs that support P12 files.

P12 file extension

File Name Personal Information Exchange Format
File Developer RSA Laboratories
File Category Web Files

The P12 file is supported on 2 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the P12 files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the P12 file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 3
  • 3
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is P12 file?

The file in the P12 format belongs to the Web Files category. It was designed by RSA Laboratories. Additionally, the Web Files category contains 303 of other files. Personal Information Exchange Format is supported by 2 operating systems. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Mac OS, Windows. This file type can also be opened by 5 other programs. Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Certificate Lifecycle Manager will apply when it is not possible to use Apple Keychain Access.

How to open P12 file?

The main problem with Personal Information Exchange Format is that the P12 file is incorrectly associated with programs. This is manifested by the fact that P12 files open in unusual applications or do not have an assigned program. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the P12 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 Apple Keychain Access

In this case, you should first verify that the Apple Keychain Access application is installed on the computer. The easiest method is to use the system search engine by entering the program name Apple Keychain Access in it. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Later in this article you will find a list of programs that can open P12 files.

Step 2. Create association of Apple Keychain Access with P12 files

However, it may happen that the application itself does not cause the P12 file to open in the Apple Keychain Access application, but you can set it manually. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. The displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Changes can be made using the "Change" button. 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. Checking the "Always use the selected program ..." box will permanently associate the P12 file with the Apple Keychain Access program.

Step 3. Update Apple Keychain Access to the latest version

If, however, after binding Apple Keychain Access with Personal Information Exchange Format there were still problems, you should update the program to the latest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the P12 file

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. File problems can be divided into the following:

The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. Usually this applies to P12 files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
The operating system may be infected with a computer virus. Perform a virus scan using available and up-to-date anti-virus software. Some antivirus vendors also provide free online scanners. The scan should cover the entire computer, not only the P12 file that we want to open. Sometimes virus-infected P12 files cannot be recovered, so make a backup in advance.
Older version of P12 file may not always be supported by the latest software version. 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 P12 file corruption.
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted P12 files cannot be played on other computers than the one on which they were encrypted, they must be decrypted before using on another device.
Some of the system directories are excluded from modification. The problem is only writing to the file, not reading it. If possible, you can try to move the P12 file to another location.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. In this case, the P12 file is blocked by the first application to open it. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. Sometimes it is necessary to wait a while before referencing the P12 file again. Some anti-virus or backup software may occupy the P12 file for a certain period of time. If nothing helps, please reset the device.