AOL Instant Messenger 5.2 or later Personal Digital ID Installation Instructions

1. First, get a GeoTrust Personal Certificate (“Security Credential”)
   
2. Second, export this certificate from your browser.
   
3. Finally, import this certificate into your AIM menu, and use it immediately!

STEP 1 – Get a GeoTrust Personal Certificate

Go to http://www.geotrust.com/enterprise_security/mycredentials.htm

And follow the instructions. Be sure to use the same browser for submitting your request and then for installing your certificate.

STEP 2 – Export the certificate from your browser

1. Go to: Tools => Internet Options => Content => Certificates
2. Under the Personal tab, select your Personal Certificate
3. Select Export => Next => and check “Yes, export the private key” => Next
4. In addition to “Enable strong protection…” also check “Include all certificates in the certification path…”
5. Enter a password (optional) => Next
6. Select “Browse” and go to where you want to store your certificate, and type in a name=> Save => Next => Finish
7. When you get the message “The export was successful” then click on “OK”

STEP 3 – Import this certificate into your AIM (based on AOL instructions)

1. In your AIM 5.2 client, open the Instant Messenger Preferences dialog by selecting My AIM => Edit Options => Edit Preferences.
2. Select the Security category (the last link on the left in the Category section).
3. Click on the Advanced button and then click Import. A window to browse your computer appears. Select the file that contains your GeoTrust Personal Certificate, and click Open.
4. The Add Certificate window appears, prompting you to specify a password to use your Personal Certificate in AIM
   Note: this password is required each time you use AIM.
   Type the password in both fields and click OK.
5. The AIM window appears, prompting you to enter the password that protects the Personal Certificate file being imported. Type the password you used when exporting the Personal Certificate from your browser, and click OK.
   Note: This password is separate from both the AIM password and the AIM Personal Digital Certificate passwords above.
6. AIM reports that your Personal Certificate has been successfully imported into the certificate database of your AIM software. Click OK and then click Close.
7. Your Personal Certificate has been imported into the AIM Security Preferences and you can see your imported certificate listed in the Certificates area.
8. You are now ready to use AIM with encryption.