Private Key in .cer File?

Question:

How can I get a .cer file with a private key for signing. Isn't a .cer only the public key?

Answer:

You are correct, the .cer file does not contain the private key. In Windows, private keys are held in the "protected store", which could be the protected store for the machine, or the protected store for the current user. The Chilkat software is capable of finding the matching private key from the protected store to use for signing.