Renew an SSL Certificate IIS 8 & 8.5 Windows Server 2012

If you are renewing your GeoTrust SSL certificate running on IIS 8.x you will need to perform some simple tasks from your IIS server before placing an order to renew your expiring SSL certificate.

Generate Renewal Certificate Request File (CSR)

Open the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. From the Start button select Programs > Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services Manager.
In the IIS Manager, select the main server node on the top left under Connections and double-click the Server Certificates.
From the Actions pane on the top right, select Create Certificate Request.

Note: There is a known issue in IIS 7+ when using the Renew link to renew your SSL certificate. Please do not use the Renew link.
In the Request Certificate wizard, on the Distinguished Name Properties page, provide the following information and then click Next.

Common name: The fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) (e.g., www.example.com or *example.com for wildcard certs). Organization: Your company’s legally registered name (e.g., YourCompany, Inc.). Organizational unit: The name of your department within the organization. This entry will usually be listed as "IT", "Web Sales", or is simply left blank. City/locality: The city where your company is legally located. State/province: The state/province where your company is legally located. Do not abbreviate. (e.g., California) Country/region: The country/region where your company is legally located. Use the drop-down list to select your country.
Select Microsoft RSA SChannel and 2048 and then click Next.
Finally, specify a file name for the certificate request. It doesn't matter what you call it or where you save it as long as you know where to find it. You'll need it in the next step. We recommend calling it csr.txt.
Click Finish to complete the certificate request (CSR) Wizard.
Using a simple text editor such as Notepad (do not use Word), open the CSR file you just created at c:\certs\csr.txt (your path and filename may be different). You will need to copy-and-paste the contents of this file, including the top and bottom lines, into the relevant box during the online order process.