How to Split a PFX File into PEM and KEY Files Using OpenSSL (Windows 11 & Linux)

SSL certificates are essential for securing websites, applications, APIs, and web servers. However, depending on the server or application you are configuring, you may need your SSL certificate and private key in separate files instead of a single .pfx file.If you have a PFX certificate and want to extract its certificate and private key separately, OpenSSL makes the process simple. You can use a few commands to convert a PFX file into individual PEM and KEY files on both Windows 11 and Linux.In this guide, you will learn how to split a PFX file into PEM and KEY files using OpenSSL, how to install and verify OpenSSL, how to extract the SSL certificate and private key, and how to troubleshoot common conversion errors.Whether you are configuring an Nginx server, Apache, a hosting environment, or another application that requires separate SSL certificate files, this step-by-step tutorial will help you complete the process.A PFX file, also known as a PKCS#12 file, is a certificate archive format that can contain multiple SSL/TLS components in a single file.PFX files commonly use the .pfx or .p12 extension. They are frequently used with Microsoft Windows servers, IIS, and other certific...