Tips to open P7C file

Can't open the P7C file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open P7C files as well as a list of programs that support P7C files.

P7C file extension

File Name PKCS #7 Certificate Format
File Category Web Files

The P7C file is supported on 2 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the P7C files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the P7C file on each system platform.

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

What is P7C file?

The P7C file has been categorized as Web Files. Additionally, the Web Files category contains 303 of other files. PKCS #7 Certificate Format is supported by 2 operating systems. These systems consist of Mac OS, Windows, although it may occasionally be found on another system, it will be non-functional. This file type can also be opened by 6 other programs. Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Windows, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Certificate Manager will apply when it is not possible to use Apple Keychain Access.

How to open P7C file?

The most common problem when using PKCS #7 Certificate Format is that a specific P7C is not associated with the program. This is manifested by the fact that P7C 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 P7C 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. To do this, enter the name Apple Keychain Access into the system search engine. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file P7C with Apple Keychain Access. Below is a list of programs that support the file P7C.

Step 2. Create association of Apple Keychain Access with P7C files

If the application is or has been freshly installed, but the P7C file still does not use the Apple Keychain Access program, it means no association. It is most convenient to call the context menu with the right mouse button and select Properties. The displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Using the "Change" button we can select the desired program. It may happen that in the next window there will be no appropriate program - however, this can be corrected with the "Browse" option where you should manually indicate the program location. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Apple Keychain Access application as the default for handling the P7C file.

Step 3. Update Apple Keychain Access to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Apple Keychain Access program with the PKCS #7 Certificate Format file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the P7C file

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. The most common file problems are:

The P7C file may be unusually small compared to the original file. This suggests truncating the P7C file contents when downloading or copying. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. A virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should fix the problem. Alternatively, you can use the scanners available online. For the best results, we will scan the entire operating system, not just our P7C file. However, remember that not every infected P7C 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 P7C file. On their websites, developers usually offer free solutions to such problems, e.g. in the form of a conversion program or an older version of the program.
There can be many reasons for this. Repairing is very dependent on the file type. Some programs offer the ability to automatically repair P7C file corruption.
The program indicates that the file is encrypted or corrupted. The encrypted P7C 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. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. It is best to move P7C to a different directory.
This problem usually affects more complex files. In this case, the P7C file is blocked by the first application to open it. Just close unnecessary programs. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. However, some background programs may block the P7C file while scanning. If the problem persists, restart the machine.