Retrieving Your Certificate

If the email address you used when signing up with Thawte was not a the address that you use with Outlook Express, please go and add that email address to Thawte first. They will send you an email to confirm that you really get mail there and then you can use it.
Here is the "Add Email Address" link: https://www.thawte.com/cgi/personal/email/new.exe

Now that Thawte is aware of your current email address, follow this link to request a certificate: https://www.thawte.com/cgi/personal/cert/enroll.exe

These are supposed to be the generic instructions for retrieving your certificate, but until I play with Eudora more, these are specific to Outlook Express. They may work for both, but I have not tried it yet.

Microsoft Internet Explorer, Outlook and Outlook Express is the default option, leave it that way.
Click "Get X.509 Certificate >"

Your name should be checked and the Employment box should contain "Exclude Employment Information"
Click "Next >"

Email Addresses
If you have more than one email address, please uncheck all but one. You can come back later and obtain more certificates for other email addresses.
Click "Next >"

Strong Extranet Identities
Click "Next >"

Accept Default Extensions
Click "Accept Default Extensions >"

Public Key
Resist the urge to fiddle and accept the default of "Microsoft Enhanced Cryptographic Provider v1.0".
Click "Next >"

A popup window will appear titled "Creating a new RSA exchange key!"
Click the "Set Security Level" button
Choose the High setting and click Next.
In the "Password For:" box enter the email address for this certificate.
In the "Password" and "Confirm" boxes enter a secure, but easily remembered, password.
Click Finish.
The Security level should now be shown as High.
Click OK.

Confirm Microsoft Certificate Request
Everything should look fine.
Click "Finish >"

Personal Certificate Requested
Your certificate is in the oven.
Click "Next >"

The status will stay "pending" until it changes to "issued", usually it takes about five minutes. You may need to occasionally hit F5 to refresh your browser to see the change. Once your certificate is issued, go to the Certificate Summary Page by clicking on the MSIE link next to your certificate. If you don't feel like waiting, you can return later to claim your certificate.
A Link to the Certificate Summary Page: https://www.thawte.com/cgi/personal/cert/status.exe
(You will receive an email from Thawte when your certificate is ready.)

Now that your certificate is ready, return to the Certificate Summary Page and click the "Fetch This Certificate!" button at the bottom.

Install Your MSIE Certificate
Click "Install Your Cert"

VBScript: Certificate Installation Complete!
Personal Certificate Installed.
Click "OK"

Send your digital signature to your phonebook.

Before someone can send you an encrypted email, the sender's computer must know that you can receive encrypted mail. The way to let their computer know that you are able to receive encrypted mail is to send them a signed mail first. From then on, they can send you encrypted mail.

To send a signed email in Outlook Express:
Click "Create Mail"
Enter the recipients' "To:" information.
Add content to the email so the recipient is not completely confused by an
empty email.
Click "Sign"
Send it!

When sending an encrypted email, you click "Encrypt" when creating the message.

Only people with digital certificates can receive encrypted mail. Anyone can receive signed mail.

Continue with Outlook Express or Eudora.